The Magpies Said: Stories and poems from New Zealand

Stories tinged with sorrow and yearning, other with humour, some from contemporary New Zealand others with Maori connections make up this very pleasing collection. Dorothy Butler's experience in choosing stories for children is clearly expressed here in a book that may be enjoyed by children over a wide age span with potential for reading aloud as well as private enjoyment. It is a pity that the delicately designed cover is not sufficiently eyecatching for immediate appeal. Many children criticised the lack of colour. It will need to be promoted in the bookshop but with encouragement should be popular at many levels, from ten upwards. As with the best short story books it is one to grow into, with stories that grow on you to store away in the mind and rediscover later.