Kookoo is a kind and well-loved kookaburra who is famous for entertaining the other bush creatures with his funny stories. One day Kookoo runs out of kind stories to tell, and he turns to teasing and making fun of the other animals. Refusing to listen to the sage advice of his uncle, Kookoo finds himself alone and ignored by his friends. When he listens to the sound of his own laughter, it is an unhappy sound. Finally he remembers his uncle's words ‘Kindness is like a boomerang - if you throw it often, it comes back often...’
Gregg Dreise is an artist, storyteller and musician, and he features the didgeridoo and guitar in his performances at schools, libraries and festivals. He is a descendant of the Kamilaroi and Euahlayi people of south-west Queensland and north-west New South Wales.
Gregg Dreise has created a series of picture books described as ‘morality tales inspired by wise sayings and the knowledge of Aboriginal Elders’. These titles include: ‘Silly Birds’; ‘Kookoo Koobaburra’; ‘Mad Magpie’; and ‘Cunning Crow’.