Kiwi Health Heroes
Caitlin Timmer-Arends & Rebecca Waddell
Illustrator: So-Young Cho
Kiwi Health Heroes 
Caitlin Timmer-Arends
& Rebecca Waddell,
Illustrator: So-Young Cho
Bateman (2026)
Non-fiction, 72 pages, Paperback
ISBN 978 0 77689 168 9
Kiwi Health Heroes is an account, written in a
simple chatty style, introducing the lives of some thirty people who have made
a change in our health and medical services. Each brief biography is used as an
exemplar of determined people overcoming obstacles. The aim is to provide
inspirational models for young readers. While some of the heroes are familiar
figures – such as Nurse Maude and Peter Button – most of them are relatively
unknown. The authors have researched well and found a wide range of
high-achieving Kiwis in the health sector. I was impressed by what these people
have accomplished. Doctors, like Peter Snow who identified Tapanui Flu, and
innovators, like Colin Murdoch who invented the disposable syringe, are obvious
choices but the authors have also honoured such unsung heroes as lab
technicians, pharmacists and administrators.
Best of all, they have included a forgotten group, the
patients. They begin with 19th century missionary children one of
whom was dosed with a mixture of rhubarb, water and burnt shells and another
whose hare-lip was treated by a ship’s surgeon. Then there are more recent
young patients who suffered from diabetes, alopecia, ADHD and Kawasaki disease.
Each account is interesting and always acknowledges the professional assistance
and family support involved.
It is unfortunate that this otherwise useful book has no
index but it does have a set of factual notes about each hero on the Credits
pages. On the plus side every entry has a pick-a-path feature inviting readers
to follow their interest through the pages. ‘To learn about another amazing
and strong woman turn to Tupou’s story on page 58.’
So Young Cho’s colour illustrations are a delight. Each
person’s picture captures their personal achievement visually, so Dr Elizabeth
Gunn is shown in her wartime Captain’s uniform giving the side eye to a tooth,
a reminder of her encouragement of dental routines at health camps. Ehsan
Vaghefi’s eye-scanning work is exemplified by a band of cheerful cartoon
eyeballs queuing for a scan.
This review originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of Magpies magazine.
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