This is the story of a boy called Hohepa and how his efforts to create a talking stick reflect his desire to reawaken respect for the traditional ways in his family. Hohepa has a dream in which he is in the meeting house with his family. He is waiting for a talking stick to be passed to him so that he can speak, but there isn't one. His family begin to leave. He begs them not to go, but no one listens to him. When he wakens, Hohepa decides that he must make a talking stick for his family because they are forgetting the old ways. He chooses a piece of kauri, and works on it every day. Little by little the talking stick begins to take shape. What had seemed to be dead was coming to life.

 

This book was published 2006 by Raupo Publishing (NZ) Ltd .

Melanie Drewery is a popular New Zealand author who has written the popular Nanny Mihi books and, more recently, Matariki and The Treasure. She is a talented potter who lives with her family in Nelson. Bruce Potter is well known for his beautiful illustrations in a number of Reed books, most recently The Donkey Man. He lives with his family in South Auckland. Dot Meharry is the author of The Pipi and the Mussels, winner of the Te Kura Pounamu award at the 2002 LIANZA Awards. She is a popular author and this is her second book published by Reed. This is Lindy Fisher's first book.