This book is a shout-out to Aotearoas weird and wonderful endangered species, those lesser-known creatures that dont regularly make the news. But they are just as important as the stars like kkp¿ and kiwi, for they are the precious foundation of our spectacular biodiversity. Tiaki includes such exotic animals as the Smeagol gravel maggot, a sea slug found on the south coast of Wellington; the moko kkriki, a gecko with a bright blue mouth; the k¿waro/Canterbury mudfish, which can survive out of water for up to several months; and the tiny, critically endangered pekapeka-tou-roa/ long-tailed bat--Back cover.