AUTHOR: Carly Waddleton
ILLUSTRATOR: Megan Salole

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO SAIL THE PACIFIC, BALLET DANCE IN PARIS OR STROLL ON THE MOON? 

I know a Moa that had such dreams. “...the Moa were dreamers so brave and true, They were never afraid to try something new.” This is a book for anyone who dreams of big adventures. 

In Dreams of a Moa young readers will meet a moa with big dreams in this quirky tale full of laughter, energy and a few surprises. The story is firmly anchored in New Zealand, with the illustrations celebrating Aotearoa’s flora and fauna. 

Debut Christchurch author Carly Waddleton says the idea for the book was triggered by her son’s curiosity about the moa, combined with her desire to encourage him to follow his passions.

“I wanted the book to be about encouraging everyone to give your dreams a try even if you have challenges – like the moa, a bird without wings. In the illustrations you will see that the main character actually has a prosthetic leg. I hope this subtle inclusion illustrates that anyone and everyone can go after what they dream of.”

DIMENSIONS: 230 mm x 250 mm
PAGES: 24
STOCK: Hardback on 160gsm woodfre

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Carly lives in Christchurch New Zealand with her little people, husband and fish. Originally from Lincoln, United Kingdom, she moved to New Zealand in 2009, and despite earthquakes, fires and the challenges of a pandemic, they still love to call New Zealand home. She has been twisting words into stories and poetry since she was little, and had her first poem published, a unusual tale of a bee, when she was 8. Since then she has had many poems published in anthologies and pamphlets. Despite writing for almost three decades, it is only in the last 18 months that she has truly given herself permission to spend time writing. The stories Carly tells are never restrained by reality, but instead aim to question what we know. She likes to seed endless possibilities for the reader to question and run away with.