Books Aloud Ep 32 - The Biggest Kiwi in the world by Colleen Brown. The kiwi was carved into a hillside by WWI returning soldiers in 1919( 0:28:54)
Episode Information
This is a true New Zealand story. Colleen intended writing this story 15 years ago, but was side-tracked by the material she uncovered while researching the story.
She turned that information into ‘The Bulford Kiwi. The Kiwi we left behind.’ Now, it’s time to tell the children’s version of that story – ‘The Biggest Kiwi in the World’. Illustrated by Emma Lay the book cleverly takes the reader back in time through the use of sepia images, while former British soldier Danny Fisher narrates the story to his granddaughter Pru.
Danny Fisher, his grand-daughter Pru, and his dog Kiwi takes the reader back in time … to 1919 when our national emblem – the KIWI – was carved into the chalky slopes of Beacon Hill, above Sling Camp in Southern England by NZ soldiers at the end of WW1.
This Kiwi was saved from extinction by Danny and his Arctic Warrior team in 1980. Now our Kiwi is a protected Heritage England monument, still standing proudly on Beacon Hill.
Colleen believes that these stories are important in shaping our country and we need to tell them proudly.
You can find Colleens books here at https://www.colleenbrownbooks.com/books
Published: 19/04/2025 8:00:00 a.m.