Fifty-Five Feathers

Who of the birds will donate their feathers for a cloak to keep Gecko warm in winter?

Pukeko is worried about her friend Gecko who seems to be suffering in the cold of winter so she asks Wise Old Tree for some advice. "Make him a cloak of 55 feathers," she is told, so Pukeko sets out to help her friends.

A beautiful story of friendship and giving, shortlisted for the Russell Clark Award for Illustration.

Author Ben Brown (Ngati Mahuta, Ngati Koroki, Ngati Paoa), is an acclaimed writer, poet, performer and publisher who lives in Lyttelton, New Zealand. He was born in Motueka, New Zealand, in 1962, has previously worked as a tobacco farm labourer, market gardener and tractor driver, and has been writing and publishing since 1992. Brown is the author of a number of children's books, non-fiction works, and short stories for children and adults, many of which have strong New Zealand nature themes. Many of his children's books are illustrated by the Lyttelton author and illustrator Helen Taylor. Their te reo edition of Fifty-Five Feathers - Nga Raukura Rima Tekau Ma Rima - (2004) was shortlisted for the 2005 LIANZA Book Awards; the English-language edition was shortlisted for the 2005 Russell Clark Award.