Diego the Dodo

Meet Diego and his friends

Six animals from six corners of the world, each with a special talent. Here’s what they want you to know about themselves.

Diego the Dodo

Hi, kids! I’m Diego. I’m still learning a lot about myself! I’m a dodo bird from the island of Mauritius. My favourite foods are nuts, seeds and fruits. When I’m not munching on snacks, I love being silly around my friends! I hope you’ll join me on my next adventure!

  • Dodo bird
  • From Mauritius
  • Loves nuts, seeds and fruit
Diego, a round blue dodo with a big red beak, waddling happily.

Gina the Gazelle

Ooh la la! I’m Gina! Do you want to learn more about me? I’m a gazelle from Africa! A gazelle is a type of antelope. My favourite thing to do is run marathons. That’s because gazelles are one of the fastest animals on land! See you at the finish line!

  • Gazelle (a kind of antelope)
  • From Africa
  • Super speedy runner
Gina, a bright pink gazelle with long curved horns.

Harriet the Hummingbird

Bzzzt! Bzzzt! It’s me, Harriet! You may hear me but you might not see me! That’s because I am a hummingbird, the smallest of all migrating birds. Migration for me means that I fly home to South America for the winter! Want to know something else that’s neat? I can fly backwards! Don’t try this at home, kids!

  • Hummingbird
  • Winters in South America
  • Can fly backwards
Harriet, a red and yellow hummingbird with a long thin beak, in flight.

Kai the Komodo Dragon

Hello! Kai here! Heard you wanted to learn more about dragons, eh? Well, I’m actually a lizard. My species are the largest lizards on earth! I come from a country in Southeast Asia called Indonesia. Indonesia is made up of many islands of all sizes! The one where I am from is a small island called Komodo. Come visit sometime, will ya?

  • Komodo dragon (a lizard!)
  • From Komodo Island, Indonesia
  • Largest lizard on earth
Kai, a long orange Komodo dragon with his tongue sticking out.

Leo the Lemur

Leapitty-leap! Look up! I’m Leo! I love spending my time up in the trees. That’s because I come from the rainforest on an island called Madagascar. When I’m not leaping sideways from tree to tree, I like to sunbathe and snack on fruits! Catch me if you can!

  • Ring-tailed lemur
  • From Madagascar
  • Leaps from tree to tree
Leo, a brown ring-tailed lemur with a long black-and-white striped tail.

Thomas the Tortoise

Why, hello there. My name is Thomas. My friends know me as the wise, old tortoise. That’s because I am over 100 years old! I am a giant tortoise from the Galápagos Islands, just off the coast of Ecuador. Island life is slow and relaxing, just how I like it. I love to bask and nap in the sun! What do you like to do?

  • Giant tortoise
  • From the Galápagos Islands
  • Over 100 years old
Thomas, a wise old green tortoise with a purple shell.

Drawn by young readers

Diego’s fans have been busy! Here are some of the drawings kids have sent us.

  • A child’s coloured-pencil drawing of Thomas the tortoise with a big smile and a purple shell.
    Thomas the Tortoise, by Rayan
  • A child’s marker drawing of a blue bird with an orange beak standing in tall green grass.
    By Isla
  • A child’s crayon drawing of a blue dodo and an orange lizard under a yellow sun.
    By Madelynn

Has your child drawn Diego or his friends? Grown-ups, send us a photo and we may add it here, with first names only.

Colour in your favourite

Every animal has a free printable colouring page.

Get the colouring pages

See them race

Who will reach the finish line first? Find out in Diego the Dodo and the Island Race.

Get the book