Joy Cowley has released Hero on the Hill in time for Christmas. It is the perfect story for train-loving children, combining a slice of New Zealand history with fabulous storytelling and wonderful illustrations by Philip Webb.
I’m liking
This is such a fun book to read. The ‘clickety-clack’ rhyming takes you on a journey of how hard the Hero of the Hill had to work to get up the infamously steep Rimutaka Hill.
The evocative pictures take you through what it would have been like in the 1870s for those working on, riding on or observing the fascinating and challenging voyage. The book finishes in today, where the train sits in pride in the museum in Featherston – to which Joy Cowley is generously gifting proceeds from the book.
There are also a number of facts listed about the train, a map, and other fun treats for parents to share with children.
The conclusion
This book is a real treasure and comes highly recommended as a Christmas gift – something to read that will keep children entertained time and time again.
Hero of the Hill is published by Scholastic and retails for around $25 in sturdy hardcover.
