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From the Shop Floor: Paige’s Book Gallery

We are pleased to present a regular series highlighting the work, expertise and enthusiasm of some of the greatest booksellers of New Zealand. This month we're featuring the remarkable Paige's Book Gallery in Whanganui. Owner Lesley Stead tells us all about the history of the place and gives us her recommendations for some brilliant current and upcoming reads. Our book business began in 2004, but it was in 2006 we made the decision to step into the world of retail. We began i

Frances McBeath: Building bridges with Joy

Co-founder of The Sapling Jane Arthur has a long-standing interest in educational publishing – so when the opportunity came along to pick the brain of Clean Slate Press' Frances McBeath, it was the perfect match. Read on to learn more about the ins and outs of the Joy Cowley Building Bridges series, first launched in 2019. I’ve long been fascinated with educational publishing, the books and resources used in classrooms that you generally can’t buy in bookshops. To me, educati

Across the Ditch: Author Sandy Fussell

Australian author Sandy Fussell has written a wide range of historical junior fiction and even a picture book that has impacted on the lives of her readers. It is part of the reason she keeps writing. Michael Earp writes about her 'Cinderella' career and her new book Red Day. Sandy Fussell calls herself a Cinderella author. She went from a word enthusiast with a background in industrial mathematics and computer programming to publishing three titles with Walker Books Australi

A Day in the Life: Illustrator Heather Hunt

Heather Hunt has made a name for herself as a go-to illustrator for evocative illustrations for picture books about native manu, especially kiwi! In her latest work – Mr Kiwi Has An Important Job – Heather took on the role of both illustrator and author, creating a tale that's both fun and educational and of course, fabulously illustrated. We asked Heather to share a day in her illustrating life – and here it is! If the weather allows, the first thing I do is go for a five ki

The Shop Floor: OPO | Green Dolphin Bookshop

We are pleased to present a regular series highlighting the work, expertise and enthusiasm of some of the greatest children's booksellers of New Zealand. Here's Green Dolphin Books, a second-hand bookshop in Auckland with a glorious dedicated children's section. Opo: A Secondhand Bookshop for Young Readers, is the cheeky little cousin to our Green Dolphin Bookshop. The two shops sit side by side in St Kevins Arcade on Auckland's Karangahape Road. We started The Green Dolphin

A Treasury of Taonga: He Paki Taonga i a Maaui

He Paki Taonga i a Māui and its English companion, Māui’s Taonga Tales, are the first children’s books of their kind. With children aged 7-12 in mind, they bring to life taonga from Te Papa museum using kōrero o nehera or legends and the historical events surrounding them. Briar Cornwall had the pleasure of speaking to the creators and co-producers of the book and its accompanying TV series, te reo Māori expert and award-winning singer-songwriter Ranea Aperahama and award-win

He takoha nui, He Paki Taonga i a Maaui!

Kāhore anō kia kitea tētahi pukapuka pēnei i te ao. He kohinga kōrero hei whakaoreore i ngā ngākau o ngā tamariki mai i ngā tau e 7 ki te 12. Mā te pukapuka nei ka ora tonu ngā taonga nō Te Papa Tongarewa me ngā hītori o roto. Nō Briar Cornwall te waimarie ki te whakawhiti kōrero ki ngā ringa tohu o te kaupapa nei; Ko Ranea Aperahama, he matanga reo Māori he kaiwaiata rongonui hoki rāua ko David Brechen-Smith, he kaituhi whakaari rongonui. (You can read this interview in Engl

The Shop Floor: Schrödinger’s Books

We are pleased to present a regular series highlighting the work, expertise and enthusiasm of some of the greatest children's booksellers of New Zealand. Here's Schrödinger’s Books, a vibrant new addition to the Wellington region's book scene. Schrödinger’s Books was born out of a conversation between Mary and Nicki (co-owners) outside the Lighthouse cinema in Petone in 2018. At the time it was a throwaway comment, one of those thoughts that might come true in a parallel univ

A Day in the Life: Illustrator Ross Kinnaird

Ross Kinnaird has been a children's book illustrator for 15 years, and his first and most recent collaborations were both with Dawn McMillan. The first was the acclaimed Why do dogs sniff bottoms? (Reed), and last month saw the publication of I've broken my bum (Oratia Media), following on from I need a new bum (Oratia Media), which went viral last year thanks to the Scottish Granny. Here, he tells us about his life and career. Once upon a time. OK, no, actually in the late 6

Across the Ditch: The talented Davina Bell

Australian author and editor Davina Bell is an exceptional storyteller for kids aged 2 to 12. Her broad range of books include picture books like Under the Love Umbrella (Scribble) and her most recent All of the Factors of Why I Love Tractors (Hardie Grant), early reader series Lemonade Jones (Allen & Unwin), historical junior fiction ballet series The Alice Stories (Penguin), and absolutely wonderful middle grade fiction in the guise of the Corner Park Clubhouse series (Hard

Giselle Clarkson & Sarah Laing: A comic interview

We love comics, and we love the artists behind them! So for this month's Giselle Clarkson comic, we have something a little different for you: an illustrated interview! Sarah Laing – author/artist/designer extraordinaire – has a new book out with Victoria University Press, Let Me Be Frank. This brilliant book collects a vast range of comics that Sarah has created over the years, chronicling life in all its ups and downs. Giselle interviewed Sarah in cartoon form, and it's a t

From the Shop Floor: The Twizel Bookshop

We are pleased to present a regular series highlighting the work, expertise and enthusiasm of some of the greatest children's booksellers of New Zealand. Here's The Twizel Bookshop. The Twizel Bookshop is a very very small (12 square metres) shop in a very small town (Twizel), very far from everything, but very close to the mountains, lakes and glaciers of New Zealand's Southern Alps. We opened in the winter of 2017 and never looked back! We are nestled in the wonderful Hydro

Adventuring with Tupaia: A chat with Mat Tait

One of the titles released in the wake of the 250th anniversary commemorations of Cook's arrival in Aotearoa is The Adventures of Tupaia – a riveting read that does a great deal of storytelling through its illustrations. Becky Popham talked to illustrator Mat Tait about his approach to the project, creative freedom, the state of NZ comics writers and more! Mat's headshot by Nina van der Voorn. Becky Popham: My first question to you is about the birth of this project. What was

Amanda Noblett: An Interview by Alphabet

Amanda Noblett (Tainui, Waikato, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Pākehā) plays the kuia in Te Kuia me te Pūngāwerewere, Taki Rua Productions’ Te Reo Māori Season play that is touring the country at the moment. Guest editor Kura Rutherford caught up with her and covered a lot of ground, from spiders to netball! Amanda Noblett as the Kuia; detail from a photograph by Philip Merry Amanda is a graduate of Whitireia Performing Arts course with a Bachelor of Applied Arts, and has worked on

Rawiri Paratene: The Marae and the Globe

In celebration of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, our 2019 guest editor Kura Rutherford spoke to actor, writer, and activist Rawiri Paratene (Ngāpuhi) about the books from his youth that shaped him. Their conversation also ranged to his career in writing and theatre, his vision for strengthening te reo Māori, and the thing that binds them all together – stories. Rawiri has been a constant on our national stage over his career, sometimes a bit left of the spotlight, sometimes in the f

Talanoa with Moses Viliamu and Michel Mulipola

Sāmoan illustrator Michel Mulipola recently sat down with Tokelauan/Sāmoan artist Moses Viliamu at the Whitireia Polytechnic Porirua Campus. In this discussion, the two creatives shared their experiences as Pasifika artists and illustrating their respective Pasifika Heroes books –Sāmoan Heroes and Tokelau Heroes, both written by David Riley and published by Reading Warrior. Moses Viliamu was born and raised in Porirua. More known for his fine arts work, he has been a high sc

Pondering Poetry: An Interview with Paula Green

Paula Green is one of New Zealand’s most (probably the most) energetic and passionate ambassadors for poetry ever. She has published (as writer or editor) nearly 20 books and runs two fascinating blogs, NZ Poetry Shelf (for adults) and NZ Poetry Box (for children). She has received the Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement and the New Zealand Order of Merit for Services to Poetry, and often tours the country promoting the reading and writing of poetry for all ages.

Book Awards: the Junior Fiction finalists

As the next instalment in our coverage of this year's NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, we asked the five finalists of the Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction to interview each other. Here's Philippa Werry, Des Hunt, Eirlys Hunter, Bren MacDibble and Steph Matuku talking the genesis of their ideas, planning, and childhood influence. Philippa Werry: Can you remember the moment when the germ of the idea for this book came to you? Des Hunt:

Across the Ditch: THE Morris Gleitzman

Morris Gleitzman, acclaimed author of Toad Rage and many other books, is the 2018–19 Australian Children’s Laureate – the nation’s ambassador for children’s literature. The role is keeping him intensely busy, but Johanna Knox managed to speak with him by phone while he was caught in traffic between engagements. Their conversation connects dots between the climate crisis, plot structure, public speaking, and the value of the Laureateship. Plus it definitively (we think!) answe

Interview with Des Hunt: To Trap a Thief

Fossils, e-bikes, sci-fi movies, teenage hoons, an abandoned mine, step-grandparents, a big Lotto win in a small kiwi town and one of the craziest roadtrips in a giant campervan you’ll ever read about – it’s all here in Des Hunt’s new book To Trap a Thief. Aaron Topp has a talk with him about his current and past career. Fossils, e-bikes, sci-fi movies, teenage hoons, an abandoned mine, step-grandparents, a big Lotto win in a small kiwi town and one of the craziest roadtrips

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