Tu Meke Tūī is a children's book written by Malcolm Clarke, illustrated by Flox (Aka Hayley King) and designed and published by Mary Egan Ltd. Tere the Tūī and Taitū the Takahē are two very different sorts of birds; one loves to flit and twirl around in the sky, while the other prefers to rustle about in the undergrowth. Tu Meke Tūī is a story of friendship, courage and discovering that sometimes it's our differences that make us truly special. Tumeke is a New Zealand Māori word which means to startle or take fright. In recent years, tu meke (as two words) has developed as a colloquial phrase meaning ‘too much’ and is used to express excitement or being shaken up.
