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 19^th 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 very 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.’

 The colour illustrations by So Young Cho 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.

 Trevor Agnew, 4 Feb 2026 [Review 3818]