In Love with Moko
The Story of a New Zealand Dolphin
by Val Bird and Nikki Slade Robinson
2011, Mann Print and Design, paperback, 100pp

It's a rarity in this rough-and-tumble world to have something special take place that captures peoples' hearts en masse.  Moko the smiling dolphin, who swam the waters from Mahia to Tauranga, with stop-overs in Gisborne and Whakatane, was truly something special.

Nikki Slade Robinson and Val Bird, both well known in childrens literature, have lovingly and sensitively captured some of the emotive events which accompanied Moko on his travels in this beautifully presented book "In Love with Moko". 

This young dolphin's endearing ways, trustful nature, playfulness, free will, delightful sense of humour made him hugely popular with the New Zealand public, but what he also did was raise awareness of the hazards dolphins face on a daily basis.

Poignant, entertaining, and educational, In Love with Moko is a worthy tribute to this unforgettable dolphin and all the wondrous things he achieved in his short but meaningful life.

Content: the original Moko Mahia Diary written by Bill Shortt, Moko's minder for 2 1/2 years; a memorial album of photos and personal anecdotes from the public; a fictional section portraying the experience of a young girl interacting with Moko; a section on how you can continue Moko's legacy; and acknowledgments.

NB: The writers donate 50c from the sale of each book to the World Wide Fun for Nature NZ.