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RURU, Night Hunter
Dusk creeps. Birds peep. Ruru opens his eyes, stretches his wings, and calls ... More-pork! More-pork! Ruru, also known as a morepork, is Aotearoa New Zealand's only surviving species of native owl. Meet RURU, a bird of the night and a silent Night Hunter! Written by Katie Furze, Illustrated by Ned Barraud Publisher: Scholastic NZ Release: 1 July 2024 Length: 32 pages, ISBN: 9781775438397 |
- New Zealand Book Awards for Children & Young Adults 2025, Finalist, nonfiction
- SCBWI Crystal Kite Award regional finalist 2025, Australia/New Zealand/Oceania
- NZ Listener Top Kid's Book of 2024
- National Library of NZ Top Children's Book of 2024
- Christchurch City Libraries Top Non-fiction Nature Book of 2024
Reviews
"Ruru, Night Hunter is a thrilling blend of story and science, with poetic writing and captivating illustrations that sweep readers away on an immersive journey" - Judges, NZCYA 2025
"This brilliant picture book linking the nighttime hunt of a father Ruru feeding his chicks with the dream of a young child sleeping in a house within the Ruru’s territory, is award winning stuff." - Bob Docherty, Bobs Books Blog read full review here
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"This wonderful narrative non-fiction picture book takes us through a dramatic night in the life of a ruru/morepork. There is much to enjoy and learn for tamariki in this lovely publication." - Crissi Blair, Magpies Magazine.
"This is another fantastic book from Furze and Barraud. I can't wait to see what animal the pair introduce us to next." - Rebekah Lyell, NZ Booklovers read full review here
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"I love Ruru for the same reasons I loved Tuatara - the poetic voice interspersed with facts, awesome illustrations, and the dynamism of the page." - Linda Jane Keegan, The Sapling read full review here
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"Using alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, and what I call 'super-charged verbs' the story comes alive. It makes a great read aloud." - Maria Gill, KidsBooksNZ read full review here
"A beautifully illustrated story of a Ruru’s night, complimented with non-fiction boxes of interesting facts ... Ruru, Night Hunter is just as suitable for a bedtime read as a resource for a class project." - What Book Next? read full review here
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"Ruru is a fantastic resource, being both entertaining and informative. Furze and Barraud's newest collaboration is certainly as good as the first." - Angela Thompson, READNZ read full review here
"Sparse, dramatic text and striking illustrations make this book a true winner!" - Jessica Stremer, Author
Interviews |
Danish language edition available from Bogoo Books
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