New Zealand's answer to Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls is in bookshops now. It's called Go Girl: A Storybook of Epic NZ Women (Penguin Random House NZ), and it's written by the multi-award-winning Barbara Else. We asked Barbara to tell us why the book was so badly needed, and we learned why she was the right woman for the job. At primary school my favourite time was silent reading. I’d almost teleport to the class library shelf and grab a history book. They bristled with t

Fleur Beale has written over 50 books for children and teens. Her latest novel is Lyla. Here, she lets us in on the amount of time and work that goes into writing, and explains the importance of the editing process in turning a good manuscript into a great book. I’ve been writing for 40-plus years and I’ve had 50-plus books published, so obviously I know what I’m doing. Oh, sigh. If only. But maybe that’s a bit harsh because I have learnt a few editing essentials since I bega

Margaret Mahy's The Christmas Tree Tangle was originally published in 1994, and a newly illustrated edition was released by Puffin in November 2017. We ​asked illustrator​ ​Sarah Davis​ ​to​ ​talk​ ​about​ ​the​ ​process​ ​of​ ​re-illustrating an​ ​existing​ ​book, to which she said 'You ​are​ ​very​ ​important​ ​and​ ​terrifying​ ​people,​ ​so​ ​I​ ​better​ ​do​ ​what​ ​you​ ​say, or​ ​else.' Sarah Davis Re-illustrating a well-loved classic The​ ​most​ ​important​ ​thing​ ​a

The superb New Zealand writer and illustrator team, Gillian Candler and Ned Barraud, have recently released their sixth collaboration in the Explore and Discover series, Up the River. Today Ned gives us a peek behind the scenes and tells us about the daily life of a New Zealand illustrator. Inside spread from From Moa to Dinosaurs, by Gillian Candler, illustrated by Ned Barraud, before the text is overlaid. Thalia Kehoe Rowden, for The Sapling: Is there such a thing as an ave

We get two legends together for this extraordinary interview about an extraordinary book, Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story. Donovan Bixley interviews Gavin Bishop. Rain is hammering the roof of my studio in Taupō, so my ears are squinting to hear Gavin Bishop’s sonorous voice coming down the line, from his studio in Christchurch. We yabber away for an hour, me highly excitable and never finishing my sentences, and Gavin deep and thoughtful, with his wacky humour bubbling just

Children's book designer Vida Kelly has worked with Freya Blackwood at various times throughout Freya's career as an illustrator. This wonderful interview is part of our 'Across the Ditch' series. Freya Blackwood, photo copyright Seth Buchanan Freya Blackwood is a multi award-winning children’s author and illustrator. Her first picture book Two Summers won at the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) in 2003 and she has gone from strength to strength ever since, creatin

Poet, historian and Green Party candidate Leilani Tamu shares the importance she places on words and ideas in her family – and the one book that suits everyone. My husband and I have two children: Kahlei, who is six (going on 16!) and Luka, who is two and full of energy. Given the four-year age gap between them, trying to find a book that appeals to them both can be a challenge. Nonetheless, the magical Margaret Mahy always comes to my aid with Down the Back of the Chair. Eve

Legendary author and illustrator Gavin Bishop interviews legendary author and illustrator David Elliot about his masterwork, Snark. Thimbles, care, forks, hope and a great deal of courage is needed to hunt a snark. The hunter may also 'threaten its life with a railway share' or 'charm it with smiles and soap'. David Elliot, in his book Snark: Being a True History of the Expedition that Discovered the Snark and the Jabberwock …and its Tragic Aftermath, not only takes us on a t

Marmaduke Duck creator, Juliette MacIver explains how she's managed to write such a vast number of excellent rhyming picture books, so we all might follow suit. How often do I get asked to describe the minutiae of my day as if such mundane details might be of as much interest to others as they are to my navel-gazing self? Why, almost never! So I present, with great pleasure, a photo of this morning’s coffee: This tea-set I inherited from my grandmother, and I rather treasure