Hēni Jacob has shared her thoughts the translation of kids books into te reo Māori, specifically the second Diary of a Wimpy Kid book: Rodrick Rules. Note that any purchases made from the link provided will not be dispatched until after the Covid-19 Alert Level decreases to a level where Aotearoa's bookshops are operational again. Ka taea e koutou tēnei kōrero i te reo Māori. Translating the first two books in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series was great fun, though not without

Nā Hēni Jacob i whakarato āna whakaaro mō te whakamāoritanga o ngā pukapuka mō ngā tamariki, inarā, ko te pukapuka Te Rātaka a Tama Hūngoingoi tuarua: Ko Rodrick kei Runga. Kei raro te whārangi te hono mō te hokonga o te pukapuka. Heoi anō, kāore anō kia taea e te toa te tuku te pukapuka āpānoa kia mutu he rāhui o te huaketo mā te Kāwanatanga. You can read this article in English tomorrow. He pārekareka tonu te whakamāori i ngā pukapuka tuatahi e rua o te huinga nei, Te Rātak

Eileen Merriman has been a constant fixture in the Aotearoa YA scene since the 2017 release of her debut, Pieces of You. Each of her books has taken an unflinching approach towards teenage lives and their associated challenges and issues. This week, her latest book, A Trio of Sophies, has hit shelves, and here are the first few chapters to get you hooked. Day 64 Today is the first of September, the first day of spring, and it’s been sixty-four days since I last saw Sophie Abe

Here's the latest in exciting new picture books here in Aotearoa, reviewed by Nida Fiazi – including the debut picture book from The Sapling's very own co-editor Thalia Kehoe Rowden. There's tries to score, oceans to clean up, voices to find and scary poems to read with your very best spooky voice! Rugby 123 / Whutupōro Tahi Rua Toru by Thalia Kehoe Rowden, illustrated by Myles Lawford, translated by Ngaere Roberts (Scholastic) I couldn’t quite believe my eyes when I saw this

Here's a peek at three new non-fiction titles, as reviewed by Esther Kiernan (with a little input from her nine-year-old son). With two biographies – a palaeontologist and a sporting superstar – and one geology book, there's something for every variety of young fact fiend. Dinosaur Hunter: Joan Wiffen's Awesome Fossil Discoveries by David Hill and Phoebe Morris (Penguin Random House) This is the fifth picture book in a series of biographies of heroic New Zealanders, and it’s

Glyn Harper’s and Maria Gill’s latest books are both part of the final year of publishing in commemoration of the centenary of WWI. Bobby the littlest war hero, for 4- to 8-year-old children, is about a canary in the tunnels during WWI, who was used to alert tunnellers to the build-up of dangerous gases, saving their lives. Anzac Animals is for 8- to 12-year-olds, featuring 20 stories about animals that went to war, including mascots and working animals from WWI and WWII. Mar

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

The twenty-first title in the Hairy Maclary and Friends series is coming out in October 2017, and we thought that this made it the perfect time to get Elizabeth Heritage to have a talk to Lynley Dodd, and many of the other people involved in the phenomenon that is Hairy Maclary. Out of the gate and off for a walk... Page 2, Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy. Copyright Lynley Dodd. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy was first pub

Never be stuck for something to do! Keep your hands and brain busy with glue, tape and scissors – and have crafty fun with Fifi! Not the monster you ordered? Make your own from the box it came in! A craft for That's Not the Monster We Ordered, by Richard Fairgray and Terry Jones (Puffin NZ). Images from the book used with the permission of Penguin Random House NZ. 1. You will need: A cardboard box, any size will do Clean takeout coffee cups and the trays they sit in. Tape Sci

Poet and children’s writer James Norcliffe is a national treasure. He has been involved in the School for Young Writers in Christchurch for many years, and releases both poetry and junior fiction books regularly. Sarah Forster reviews his latest novel for children. Illustrations of Digger Dagger and Ginny by Patrick McDonald, reproduced with permission of Penguin Random House NZ James Norcliffe specialises in strong, wild characters and a whiff of magic. The Loblolly Boy won