Alana Bird reviews three perceptive picture books. From the hilarity of Granny McFlitter: A Country Yarn, to the reflective Emmett and Caleb, and the funny and reflective WRESTLE!, all three of these titles get a Sapling seal of approval. Spread from Emmett & Caleb, slightly cropped. Illustrated by Delphine Renon used with permission from Book Island. Granny McFlitter: A Country Yarn, by Heather Haylock, illustrated by Lael Chisholm The day of the A&P show is perfect with cl

Elizabeth Heritage investigates representations of gender in New Zealand children's book publishing by looking at the 2017 bestsellers and talking to local publishers. Are we doing the best by all genders, and why does it matter? The Observer recently commissioned a study about the lack of gender diversity in the bestselling children’s picture books in the UK in 2017. It found that male characters are twice as likely to be in the lead, and to have speaking parts. Female chara

Volume Books in Nelson have a smartly curated range of children's books that catch the eye. They chose five of their summer favourites to review for The Sapling. Witchfairy and One House for All are from Book Island, and we ran a sampling of these during January. Witchfairy by Brigitte Minne and Carl Cneut (Book Island) When you want to fall into a picture and enter the world of a character without even reading a word, you know that you have been beguiled by some very lusciou

Here Comes Mr Postmouse and Postmouse Goes on Holiday are charming creations from French-Canadian Marianne Dubuc, translated by Greet Pauwelijn. Book Island were based on the Kapiti Coast, but are now based in Brighton, UK. Page 2–3, Here Comes Mr Postmouse, by Marianne Dubuc In Here Comes Mr Postmouse, no job is too big for Mr Postmouse, as he travels to all the unique homes of his friends over his day’s work, dropping habitat-appropriate parcels to each. Dubuc has a fabulou