Those Seal Rock Kids

Jon Tucker

Storm Bay Books

£10.51

A new Jon Tucker for Christmas! Perhaps this doesn’t bring the same frisson of excitement that the annual publication of the latest Arthur Ransome did for 1930s children but it’s certainly an increasing pleasure as Tucker develops his own voice. In this fifth story the Tasmanian and New Zealand friends are joined by two new characters. Maori children Johnny and Heeni are much more closely in touch with their heritage than their ‘cuzzies’ Zac and Tania, who regular readers have already met. They have also suffered more. The focus, as is usual in Tucker’s books, is on environmental issues and children coping successfully alone (with adults anchorednot too far away). A pleasurable and instructive story set in New Zealand’s Bay of Islands.