Kei Hea te Wihara

When Coachs whistle goes missing and the football team cant practise, Ollie and his new friend, Aria, lead the search. There are clues about where the whistle might be and who took it missing shoelaces, a dropped leaf and twig, some mud and a chewed net. It takes a while for the rest of the team to follow Ollie, whos got great detective skills, as they find him hard to understand because of his cleft. But Arias used to identifying bird calls, and she encourages their teammates to really listen. Together, they learn about each others strengths, teamwork and acceptance, and they find the whistle in a surprising place.

This book delves into some of the feelings children with a cleft may experience and aims to open up a conversation.It includes a section with quotes from the youth advisory group about living with a cleft and information about what a cleft is and where to find support.

The book is available in Englis as The Hunt for the Whistle