Pipi and Pou Adventure series Bks 7&8 The Shadow Below and The Haunted Forest. by Tim Tipene Illus. Isobel Te Aho-White. PubOne Tree House 2025.

These two short, easy to read, adventure stories featuring a kuia and tohunga grandmother called Nana and her two shapeshifting grand children Pipi and Pou are the latest in this series.

They are the next stage up from bilingual Maori/English picture books with Maori terms and vocabulary sprinkled throughout and a comprehensive glossary in the back of each book.

Each adventure is precipitated by angry gods who have conservation and pollution issues with humans and set Pipi Pou and Nana to fix the problem. Pipi can shapeshift into a giant eagle or Pouakai and Pou can change into a Taniwha.

Shadow Below has a giant stingray or whal repo surface at sea in protest at pollution that has come from Auckland and Haunted Forest has scary monster animals appearing in the forests against developments in the forest.

Will Nana Pou and Pipi be able to solve things? Exciting reading for all primary and intermediate school readers.