Iya

Iya is the story of a puppy with far too much energy. She lives in the stunning
Marlborough Sounds of Aotearoa/New Zealand with hunter Master Steve
and author Mistress Marion, who shares this true tale about her family.
Iya’s oomph leads her to do some brave yet silly
things. She often ignores commands, prompting
Master Steve to teach her some manners! When
she turns one, Master takes her on a training hunt,
armed with a brilliant plan to hunt a deer. However,
the plan fails – time and time again. Instead of
sniffing out and finding Master’s deer, Iya prefers
to watch birds chase bugs and goof around. Master
nearly gives up on her training, but Mistress
Marion believes Iya will eventually figure it out.
Master persists, and finally, on a warm Saturday
night, everything falls into place. Iya performs her
role, and her boundless energy is finally exhausted!
Iya is a meticulously crafted picture book
illustrated by renowned artist Richard Hoit. In a
unique approach, Richard has combined Marion’s
photography with his illustrations to highlight Iya’s
playground in an area of outstanding beauty. Iya
begins and ends with an information page.

Format: Paperback
Pages: 32
Imprint: Small New Zealand Publisher
Publication date: 02/03/2026