Tales of Tutu Nene and Nele

by Gale Bates, Carole H. McCarthy (Illustrator)

Eager for adventure, the young nene goose Nele sneaks out of her protective pen. Will Tutu's (Grandmother's) lessons keep Nele alive in the danger-filled world? Part of the proceeds from book sales go to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for the protection of these endangered native birds.

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books

36 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1991

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew nothing about Hawaii's state bird, and now I do!

[Pinky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tutu saves Nele from a hungry,mongoose.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nele is a little nene goose, too small to fly. Despite the warnings of her TuTu (grandma), Nele snatches at the opportunity to explore outside the safety of the pen the rangers set up for the geese. She soon finds all of her TuTu's stories coming true, which isn't always a good thing when they involve volcanic dangers and mongeese.

A nice little animal story that helps introduce both flora, fauna, and geological aspects unique to Hawaii. There was an older edition of this book published with different illustrations. I found Yuko Green's illustration style to fit the book perfectly. She uses a creative collage style that lends texture to the illustrations, helping them come to life a bit more. A good pick if you're looking for something on Hawaii, endangered animals, or a multicultural selection.

[Stacy Nyikos · Rating 3 out of 5]

This picture book is a telling of the history and present day life of the nene goose on the Hawaiian islands. It is told from the POV of the omniscient narrator. Its effect is pedantic, somewhat dull. Trite verbs combined with predictable verb usage – the grandmother "warned in a stern voice" (Bates 7) – and worn storyline – the granddaughter Nele runs off despite the grandmother's warnings and gets into trouble – make this story feel stale and predictable, especially with an ending that reads: "Never again would she leave the open pens...well, at least not until she had her beautiful, strong wings and could fly" (31).