Here's an extract from a new New Zealand Christmas picture book, The Lonely Little Tree by Moya Kirby and illustrated by Terri Rose Baynton (Scholastic).

A lone and lonely tree overlooks the sea from the edge of a cliff where a forest once grew. Native birds gather, promising to cheer her up – they will make her their Christmas tree! With decorations of clematis blossoms, a spider’s silvery threads, feathers, berries and shells, the tree gets spruced up in time for Christmas night.

The Lonely Little Tree: A NEW ZEALAND CHRISTMAS STORY

by Moya Kirby Illustrated by Terri Rose Baynton

Published by Scholastic NZ

RRP $27.99

Dragons, kick-arse heroines and mystical beings abound in the final round of YA reviews for 2018, reviewed by Kylie Parry.

Cassie Clark: Outlaw, by Brian Falkner (OneTree House)

Action, adventure, a kick-arse teenage girl hero? Sign me up. I love to see books like this in the market.

Cassie Clark has had a bad few days. While recovering in hospital from a hit and run accident she gets the news that her Dad (US Speaker of the House) is missing. The media seem to think that he’s run off with a journalist and is holed up somewhere in a love nest. Cassie isn’t convinced and with the help of her very good-looking bodyguard Cam, heads off to find the truth. It isn’t long before she is up to her armpits in danger and conspiracy theories. There’s even a tinfoil hat reference.

The story moves at breakneck action movie pace. It does pause, though, to explore Cassie’s complicated relationship with her family. Returning home after her father’s disappearance, Cassie finds a less than warm welcome. Her sister, who stayed at home with their difficult mother, has some pretty strong feelings about Cassie and her need to investigate their missing father. For those who prefer not too much in the way of family drama, fear not, the story is soon back to being an action-packed romp.

The story moves at breakneck action movie pace. It does pause, though, to explore Cassie’s complicated relationship with her family.

Brian Falkner uses a combination of longer descriptive moments, followed by short choppy sentences. The result made me feel a little seasick but should have appeal for readers who just like a story to get to the point already. I liked the short chapters though and they fit well into the pace and style of the book.

Much as I enjoyed the premise, sadly the relationships never felt real to me. Cassie is an archetypal teenage girl action hero. She’s sassy, tough and determined. It frustrated me that she never felt like a real teenage girl. I wanted to like her and I really want to see more young female characters saving the world/country /universe.

This is a fast moving, easy to read action adventure story and I hope Cassie has more books to evolve and grow within.

cassie clark: outlaw24.99

Ocean’s Kiss, by Lani Wendt Young (OneTree House)

This is the supernatural romance series we need. Beautifully written, a romance that feels real, Pasifika mythology and characters that spring off the page. I wish that all the YA supernatural romances I’ve read were this good. Don’t start with Ocean’s Kiss like I have though, it’s the fifth book of the series and I know that I missed a lot of the back story. Get your hands on the whole series and read them before passing them to your nearest teenager.

Ocean’s Kiss continues the story of Daniel who featured in earlier books. Leila and Daniel are now married and adjusting to their new life without the powers that previously defined them. On the surface everything seems to be going well but Daniel is troubled by dreams of his family. Their quiet new life is rocked when a stranger with a very familiar face appears at their door.

Their quiet new life is rocked when a stranger with a very familiar face appears at their door.

Leila is having to get her head around the considerable changes that the loss of their powers and their marriage has brought. The impact of the changes on her relationship with her friends and with her new husband Daniel would be complicated enough. The sudden emergence of the familiar stranger adds even further emotional layers to deal with.

At its heart though this book primarily tells the story of Daniel’s family. It switches perspectives between the past and present which is a technique I usually find deeply annoying. Often one of the narratives is far more interesting than the other one and I find myself skipping sections of the book. In this book I didn’t want to skip anything. The story set in the past was just as compelling as the present one. They intertwined beautifully.

The story set in the past was just as compelling as the present one. They intertwined beautifully.

As you’d hope there is also a return to the supernatural. It’s not so easy to just walk away when you have a family history that is entangled in power and conflict. Daniel is drawn back into the world he had put behind him. This builds to an epic battle with a satisfying conclusion.

This book made me smile and it made me want to find more about Pasifika mythology. It will be equally satisfying to both romance readers and fantasy readers. Lani Wendt Young is a name I will keep an eye out for in future. I’ll be tracking down the rest of the series for my summer reading pile.

ocean's kiss

by Lani Wendt Young

Published by OneTree House (print) RRP: $29.00

Ezaara (Riders of Fire, Book 1), by Eileen Mueller

When I was growing up I dreamt about having a dragon of my own. The idea of a beautiful, powerful dragon that I could talk to and have adventures with was compelling. I’ve never been very keen on heights mind you, so I’m not entirely sure that it would have worked so well… This is a dragon series for all those out there who shared my fantasy or are about to just discover that they too are dragon-obsessed. Ezaara is Book 1 of the Riders of Fire series.

Ezaara has grown up sheltered in Lush Valley with her twin brother Tomaaz. This is a community that fears and hates dragons and their riders. For Ezaara, a walk into the woods to collect some herbs leads to an abrupt change in her life when Zaarusha the Dragon Queen swoops in to imprint with her and take her back to be the new Queen's rider.

At this point in the book it’s basically my childhood fantasy come to life. It’s not so straightforward for Ezaara, however. Finding herself in an entirely new environment, she discovers hidden secrets about her parents and that not everyone in her new home is happy to see the Dragon Queen find a new rider from Lush Valley.

Finding herself in an entirely new environment, she discovers hidden secrets about her parents and that not everyone in her new home is happy to see the Dragon Queen find a new rider...

A Dragon Master to train her seems just what she needs. However her trainer Roberto is not without his own complications and motivations. The relationship between Roberto and Ezaara becomes a core part of the story.

While she trains and adjusts to her new life it becomes increasingly clear that the politics of the realm are even more dangerous than the Tharuks that Ezaara was trained to fight. Betrayal, politics, and working out who to trust while protecting the realm doesn’t make for an easy ride.

This world setting will feel very familiar to those who have already read a lot of children’s or young adult fantasy. It will comfortably sit on the bookshelf next to the other dragon-based fantasy that fans will have read, with the bonus of being written by a local author.

While I no longer dream of dragons, it’ll be a good fit for those who do.

Ezaara (Riders of Fire, Book 1)by Eileen Mueller

Published by Phantom Feather Press

RRP $26.00

Dragon Hero (Riders of Fire, Book 2), by Eileen Mueller

Dragon Hero begins at the same time as Ezaara. This time we get to experience the adventure from the perspective of her twin brother Tomaaz. Left with his parents after Ezaara has been taken by the Dragon Queen, Tomaaz finally finds out the truth of their background and how their family came to be living in Lush Valley. When his mother decides to go and find his missing sister Tomaaz and his father are left to face the accusations of villagers who now believe the family to be dragon lovers. Their situation becomes even more desperate as the village is attacked by tharuks.

The threat that the tharuks and their leader Zens pose to the realm is building. Simultaneously the continued political machinations back at Dragon’s hold are still posing an added threat to the stability and future of the realm. Tomaaz has to cope as the world and family history he thought he knew is challenged at every level.

The unsettled past of the twins' parents was touched on in Book 1 but is fleshed out in Dragon Hero. This is as much (if not more) their story as it is Tomaaz’s. Separated by circumstances for much of the story the parents have to work through the impact of their past choices on themselves, their children and the community they left.

Separated by circumstances for much of the story the parents have to work through the impact of their past choices on themselves, their children and the community they left.

This combination of Tomaaz’s journey and the history and potential redemption of the parents makes for a lot of character complexity in a confined space. I found myself wishing that the parent’s story had been told in a separate book. I like Tomaaz as a character and would have preferred that he didn’t have to share so much of his story with his parents.

Eileen Mueller has built a world with well fleshed characters, plenty of intrigue and as many dragons as you could want. Readers that loved book 1 won’t be disappointed and can experience that reassuring feeling of returning to familiar and loved characters. For me it feels like the series is only just warming up into itself. It’ll be interesting to see where Book 3 takes us.

dragon hero

kylie parry

Kylie Parry works in a school and writes for Junior Journal and Ready to Read. She lives with far too many pets and likes to collect odd facts and rejections from publishers. In her spare minutes she writes picture book manuscripts and parents.

Angela Keoghan kicked off her international children’s book career by visiting Bologna Book Fair in 2015, and she has been going there every year since. She makes the argument for NZ illustrators to go to the other side of the world to see how everyone else is working, in order to create a sustainable career.

Let me tell you how I managed to get an international career in illustrating books, by going to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.

The Italian city of Bologna inspired me with delicious gelato, abundant history, ancient architecture and more textured walls than I could take photos of! But it was inside the walls of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair that the real inspiration kicked in.

The Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF), which has been running for over 50 years, is the largest children’s publishing-focussed book fair in the world. It’s held for four days every year in early spring, around the same time as the London Book Fair. There are six large exhibition halls full to the brim with children’s publishers and content creators from around the world. This is the place where the deals are done. It’s flooded with publishers, illustrators, art directors, agents, authors, translators and more, all there to experience the latest in books and multimedia products for children.

This is the place where the deals are done. It’s flooded with publishers, illustrators, art directors, agents, authors, translators and more, all there to experience the latest in books and multimedia products for children.

Uniquely, the BCBF allows plenty of room for illustrators: a designated Illustration Cafe hub, Illustrators Survival Area, an exhibition of illustration from around the world, award ceremonies, industry talks, and areas in the exhibition halls where you can put up your own promotional material.

It can be overwhelming, but as an explorer visiting from the bottom of the world, the sheer scale of children’s publishing globally is awe-inspiring. When my husband and I first ventured to the BCBF in 2015, armed with a pocketful of pictures and a handful of stories, the Fair certainly lived up to everything we had read about it. Plastering our promotional posters on the wall was like placing a tiny pixel in a sea of mosaic talent.

The illustrators' wall at Bologna Children's Book Fair

My career before Bologna consisted of many years working as a freelance illustrator in the fields of editorial, advertising, music and packaging. As my library of children’s books suggests, publishing has always been of interest. Aside from a few book projects targeted at adults, books for children became a new field of study for me. I began to build a portfolio targeted at children’s publishing and collaborated with friends who were equally passionate about storytelling for children.

I had already worked internationally and had an agent represent me for a few years in the UK, so my research into children’s publishing seemed to logically start offshore. My husband (and business partner) and I decided to focus on connecting with the broader international market first, and book fairs provided a great opportunity to do this.

Attending BCBF and travelling abroad is great for gaining perspective. It’s like landing in the hustle and bustle of a food market, with rows of stall holders. You’re spoilt for choice with exotic flavours, styles of illustration and storytelling from different cultural perspectives. I loved discovering illustrators like Bruno Munari, Beatrice Alemagna, Isol, Marc Boutavant, Yara Kono, Valerio Vidali, Violeta Lopiz, Britta Teckentrup or newcomer Rūta Briede, all of whom inspire and influence my own practice.

The Illustrators' Hall at Bologna

Being on the ground at a book fair means that you can see where the industry is tracking. Talks about translation, copyright, licensing and trends in publishing are helpful to gauge the business side of the industry. Despite the odds, the business of children’s publishing is thriving and has not felt the full effects of the digital age. This is hugely promising for content creators like myself.

Despite the odds, the business of children’s publishing is thriving and has not felt the full effects of the digital age.

Having attended the fair for a few years now, it has become a ‘must do’ to maintain relationships and keep our feet in the pool of opportunity. Had we not been on the ground I would not have attended talks given by publishers nor had the ability to schedule meetings with Commissioning Editors and Art Directors. To look them in the eye, receive constructive feedback or actual book deals, was the opportunity I could only have dreamt about! While technology is amazing, and email and Skype are incredibly useful tools, sometimes the best option is to get on a plane and chase the dream.

Amazingly my first book, published by TATE Publishing, followed the BCBF and London Book Fair in 2015. It involved a three-hour chat with the commissioning editor over lunch. I was armed with only a synopsis, a small sketch of Inspector Brunswick and a chance (with the use of wild arm movements) to pitch the idea. Over the following month or so, Inspector Brunswick was underway, and I was immersed into illustrating The Case of the Missing Eyebrow, co-written by my good friend and fellow Kiwi, Chris Lam Sam.

Inspector Brunswick and the case of the missing eyebrow in Bologna

Building on the relationships we had established over a few years, I most recently had the opportunity to collaborate with publisher Nosy Crow to work on a really special project in partnership with the UK’s National Trust. The book is titled How to Help a Hedgehog and Protect a Polar Bear and is written by Jess French (BBC children's presenter and vet). Having worked on this 64-page book for over six months, I’m excited to see it now out in stores throughout Australasia, UK and Europe. I have doubts that these opportunities could have happened at quite the speed they did had I not gone to Bologna.

This year, more than ever, I have been inspired to see so many Kiwis in the creative community stand out in the industries of music and film, being recognised at the highest levels and influencing people the world over. My dream is that our Kiwi children’s books, rich with stories and illustrations, will have just as much influence and connection with children and their families from all corners of the world. We just have to get them into their hands.

My dream is that our Kiwi children’s books, rich with stories and illustrations, will have just as much influence and connection with children and their families from all corners of the world.

How do we create more visibility? Having industry champions and support networks to make it possible to get there or be represented is key. For countries like the UK it starts at university level. Cambridge School of Art (UK), which has a children’s book illustration Masters course, hosts a stand at BCBF, showcasing students’ portfolios and book dummies to potential publishers. They use the Fair as part of the course requirements, while also providing students with a platform to launch into the industry.

I think we could also take a lead from our own music industry. The NZ Music Commission has programmes like Outward Sound that enable musicians to develop their audience internationally with a significant cash investment. Alongside NZ on Air and their match-funded initiatives, they are recognising world-class talent, and partnering with artists to allow growth opportunities to exist. Given children’s publishing is such a huge growth market, I’d love to see similar funding initiatives to support our own children’s content creators.

Oliver Jeffers at the centre of the illustrators cafe at Bologna

Thankfully, over the past few years New Zealand has begun to surface at Bologna and this year PANZ hosted a stand. Having Donovan Bixley and Martin Bailey attending, sharing their stories and hosting workshops amongst other illustration giants was great to see. The more Kiwi talent mixes with the business side of global publishing, the more Kiwi authors and illustrators can find the opportunities they need to shine.

I’m mindful that there are many pathways to publishing children's books. It takes courage to back yourself and believe that your work could stand out amongst the crowd, and to know that just because we live at the bottom of the world doesn’t mean our work is at the bottom of the pile.

It takes courage to back yourself and believe that your work could stand out amongst the crowd, and to know that just because we live at the bottom of the world doesn’t mean our work is at the bottom of the pile.

Attending a book fair, especially the BCBF, inspired me, changed my perspective, opened my eyes to opportunities and happily resulted in multiple book deals. The ongoing challenge for us as Kiwis is to continue backing our ideas, developing our talent and supporting them on the global stage and the BCBF is a great place to do that … with a gelato in hand.

Angela keoghan

Angela is an award-winning, internationally published illustrator. Her many editorial, advertising and publishing commissions include fiction and non-fiction for children and adults. Her illustration style is inspired by exploration, travel, nature and vintage children’s books. www.thepicturegarden.co.nz

Theresa Kewish is the librarian for two high-decile rural schools in the Waikato: Tamahere Model Country School for 22 hours a week, and Te Pahu School, a full primary, for six hours a week. Tamahere has around 480 students and Te Pahu around 120. She tells us about how she became a school librarian, and more in this, the final School Librarian of Aotearoa feature for 2018.

Theresa Kewish at Tamahere Model Country School

I love being a school librarian and I am passionate about connecting students with the right book, author or series for them and to switching them onto the joys of reading for pleasure.

When my youngest daughter started school I wanted a job that would fit in with school holidays. I studied and completed a Diploma in Library and Information Studies. Before studying I had no idea a school librarian was hidden inside. I accidentally found a career that I love: making a real difference in the reading habits of children.

I was an avid reader as a child and I still love reading children’s literature now. What inspires me now are the children I work with. There is nothing more rewarding than a child running up to me full of conversation about a book they loved that I recommended. It is inspiring when the students bring me a book or series that they have read and they are wanting me to try it. I do my best to read as many recommendations as I can.

There is nothing more rewarding than a child running up

to me full of conversation about a book they loved that I recommended.

Acting as gateway and guide

As a librarian I try my best to act as a gateway and a guide. I help children choose books that will give them power - the power to change views, understand another’s point of view, be brave or quietly observe. Books that offer a respite from sadness, or a freedom to have an adventure without adult supervision; a dilemma to solve; a problem to ponder; an escape; a fun adventure; a friendship to be made. Books that let them solve a mystery, laugh out loud, learn a moral, learn resilience. Books that are a trigger for the imagination.

Series suggestions, Te Pahu School

These are just a few of the things that children’s literature have the power to achieve. Children’s literature has the power to open the mind to any and all possibilities.

'Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or duty. It should be offered to them as a precious gift.'

— Kate DiCamillo

How true!

A Day in the Life

I work at Tamahere Model Country School on Monday and Wednesday all day and for a half day Tuesday and Thursday.

My typical day starts when I arrive at school at 7.30am to get organised for the day. The first students turn up at 8am to start the STEPS to Literacy programme, designed for learners with processing difficulties. It works well with learners with dyslexia and also those with global learning difficulties. STEPS is highly structured, cumulative, and multisensory programme that takes learners through supported bookwork and computer-based activities. Some of the skills learnt are letter/sound correspondence, reading comprehension, phonetic and orthographic knowledge, decoding, encoding and much more. The next group starts at 8.30am and finishes at 9am.

Picture books at Tamahere Model Country School

On a Monday the local daycare four-year-olds visit. I read them a book or two and they are taught library etiquette and the way to treat books, and just get to know our library. Throughout the week, all 20 classes come to the library for an allotted library visit. During these visits, I try to read a picture book to each class, usually a new book or one that matches an event or day like Waitangi Day. I help the students choose books, we discuss books, and I do reading advisories for the reluctant readers.

I help the students choose books, we discuss books, and I do reading advisories for the reluctant readers.

I also purchase books and resources, and catalogue, process, mend, shelve, issue, and return books. I supervise students, create displays, organise library competitions, orientation classes and activities like the great library hunt, run the 50 Books Challenge (more about that in a moment) and summer reading programme, update my library blogs, keep current with new release literature, create pamphlets and posters and resources for student teachers and the staff, students and library, arrange book character day and book week competitions and displays, sort overdue and lost books, as well as supporting teachers with many aspects of the curriculum. Plus much more of the usual library stuff. I usually finish at 3.30pm.

I work at Te Pahu School on a Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, with similar duties, but beginning at 12.30pm and finishing at 3.30pm. It is quite useful working in two libraries. I normally do the same displays, competitions and so on in both libraries ,so I share resources.

Te Pahu school library non-fiction and reference books

My library shelves

Tamahere Model Country School library is the original school classroom, opened in 1884. The library was very tastefully refurbished in 2009 before I arrived. All of the original features of the building have been retained like the sash windows and match lined interior.

Tamahere Model Country School non-fiction

Recently I campaigned for the picture books and early chapter books to have new browsing shelves. This has been a fantastic change. It is now much easier for the junior students to browse the shelves and this will also lead to the books lasting a lot longer. It is a warm, welcoming building and a delight to be in every day. The building is literally and metaphorically the centre of our school.

Te Pahu School has been recently refurbished and is now a more modern learning environment. It is often used for meetings and gatherings and also as a place for our community to cast votes in election years. It is an honour to work in a school and community that understands and supports the important role a school library and a qualified librarian has in our children's literacy.

It is an honour to work in a school and community that understands and supports the important role a school library and a qualified librarian has in our children's literacy.

The 50 Books Challenge and the Summer Reading Programme

I think the most successful reading promotions that I have held are the 50 Books Challenge and the Summer Reading Programme.

Picture books at Te Pohu School

I run the 50 Books Challenge every second year, alternating between the two schools. Every participant gets a reading log that they fill in. The students need to get each book signed off by an adult. I promote, encourage and support all the students. I have it set up so books read to the students by teachers, parents, grandparents and so on count towards the final total. The challenge is optional but I find many students and even some staff take it up. At the end of the year everyone goes into the draw to win a selection of books. Some years all participants get books depending on my prize book box stocks.

With the Summer Reading Challenge, I realised when I became a school librarian, that at the end of the year after gathering in all the library books and after stocktake the books would sit idle on the shelves for the six weeks over the summer holidays. I also did a bit of research into the effect of the summer slide and how important it is for children to continue reading over the summer break. So I implemented summer reading issuing to both of my school libraries.

Junior fiction shelves at the Tamahere Model Country School

The students are allowed to take up to 12 books out for the whole summer holidays, ranging from early/first chapter books, to junior and senior fiction books. The students and parents love it. I love knowing that the books are being read and not just gathering dust on the library shelves.

I love knowing that the books are being read and not just gathering dust on the library shelves.

The first year I was a bit nervous about how many books would get lost or not returned with such a huge volume of books issued. The nervousness was unfounded. A very miniscule number of books have been lost and those were paid for as usual. I did have to wait one time for a book to circumnavigate New Zealand in a yacht before it got returned and once a book was left with grandparents in Italy, but was dutifully posted back. The students seem to take the job of caring for the books seriously over the summer break. It does make for a very busy first week back at school returning and shelving hundreds and hundreds of books all at once though!

More books on hunting, fewer series

The one change I would like to see change in the New Zealand publishing environment is for there to be many more New Zealand-published books on hunting for boys, both fiction and non-fiction. I am being asked for these really frequently.

Also, sometimes as a purchaser of books on a limited budget I get a tiny bit annoyed on how many series there seem to be. They are becoming more and more prevalent. If I had an unlimited budget it would not be a problem.

A Christmas display at Te Pahu

My Books of the Moment I was trying to think of just one book that I became a proselytiser for but there are too many to choose from because it is such a big part of my job and I do it on a daily basis.

Jessica Townsend. I love those books and recently took a group of students to hear her talk and do a book signing.

But I could easily choose a genre. I love children’s fantasy literature and I love switching students over to the genre by pushing the Inheritance series, Harry Potter, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Percy Jackson, and any and all books with dragons, wizards and magic.

Also, on both of my school library blogs I have pages detailing "What is Mrs Kewish reading and recommending?” The students and parents will go to this for ideas. Here is Tamahere, and here is Te Pahu.

Theresa Kewish

Theresa is a fully-qualified School Librarian, and works at Tamahere Model Country School and Te Pahu School in central Waikato. She is married, with 2 adult daughters and a 16 month old granddaughter. She has lived on the slopes of Pirongia mountain in Te Pahu for 18 years and love the rural living. Her main hobby is classic minis NOT the new BMW ones. She and her husband own a classic mini each. Plus a few more project minis. Mine is a 1980 yellow mini like the one in the old Goodbye Pork Pie movie. She is in the Waikato mini club and take part in mini runs and motorsport. She loves racing her mini in autocross and motorkhana events. She also plays volleyball, and loves camping, doing wasgij puzzles, fishing and rock hounding and of course READING :). She is also in a local book club. She is a collector. She collects many things including children's literature, vintage crochet items, vintage glass fishing bouys and she has around 100 valve bakelite radios.

As we near the end of 2018, our cool and clever illustrator, Giselle Clarkson, reaches Peak Adorkable. Here, she teaches us about some bugs and the stories behind their scientific Latin names.

GISELLE CLARKSON

Gise

Visit her website: www.giselledraws.com

Are your kids intersted in the wilder world? Or do they love to cook? These books have tips on how to save the environment, and what you will find there if you look hard enough, reviewed by mother and journalist Tara Ward.

Animals of Aotearoa by Gillian Candler and Ned Barraud (Potton & Burton)

Animals of Aotearoa is the latest in the popular ‘Explore and Discover’ series about New Zealand flora and fauna, and what a beautiful resource it is. It’s a treasure trove of fascinating facts about New Zealand’s animal world, including native and introduced animals, land and sea birds, marine creatures, insects and invertebrates.

This hardback book groups the animals together by their environment, moving from land to sea and back again. It covers a huge variety of animals, from forest and mountain birds, sharks and rays, crabs and crustaceans, and beetles and bugs. There’s a range of common creatures like the bumblebee and butterfly, as well as rarer finds like the Hector’s dolphin. One or two pages are dedicated to each animal, listing the different species within that group and explaining their unique characteristics.

There’s such a wealth of knowledge here that you’ll return to Animals of Aotearoa time and time again, gaining something new out of each read. Kids will love reading by themselves and enjoying the detailed illustrations, or sharing with an adult to marvel over curious facts like moray eels have a second set of teeth inside their throat, or some native worms can grow over 1 metre long.

This beautiful book is an ideal reference book for children aged 4-8 years, though older kids will find plenty to enjoy in this rich celebration of our natural wildlife.

Animals of Aotearoa

Good from Scratch Kids Cookbook by Michael Van de Elzen (Vancaspar Ltd)

Good from Scratch is the latest recipe book from Michael Van de Elzen, the TV chef on a mission to get kids cooking healthy meals at home.

This cheerful cookbook aims to help children gain confidence and have fun in the kitchen. The recipes are divided up by meal types, from ‘kick-starter breakfasts’ to ‘after school snacks’ and my own personal favourite, ‘The kids are on dinner!” There are fun ideas for sweet treats, party foods and lunchboxes, and each meal has a quirky name like ‘a little bit fancy pasta bake’ or ‘the greatest lemon and pistachio loaf’. Your biggest problem will be working out which dish to cook first!

Your biggest problem will be working out which dish to cook first!

The fantastic thing about Good from Scratch is that kids will understand exactly what’s going into their meals. Each recipe includes plenty of fruit and vegetables, so there’s a great choice of allergy-friendly and vegetarian options. Some flavours in recipes like ‘pulled smoked ham hock soup with white beans and vegetables’ might be a tad sophisticated, but as Michael says in the book’s introduction, 'healthy food doesn’t have to be bland or boring'.

In fact, nothing about Good From Scratch is bland or boring. It’s designed with bright colours and charming graphics, though more photographs of the food preparation would have been a bonus. The large type makes it easy for kids of all ages to read, and the hardback cover will help the book survive the knocks and spills of a busy kitchen. I can see Good from Scratch becoming a family favourite in our house.

With so many tasty treats to choose from, I can see Good from Scratch becoming a family favourite in our house.

Good from Scratch Cookbook

by Michael Van de Elzen

Published by Vankasper Limited RRP: $35.00

New Zealand’s Backyard Beasts by Ned Barraud

There’s a world of wonder on our own doorsteps, and New Zealand’s Backyard Beasts is the perfect way help us to discover it.

This fantastic book inspired my children to jump straight into the garden to see what creatures they could uncover. It’s a large paperback book, perfect for flicking through to find insects and identify mystery creatures. The muted greens, blues and browns of the book’s design echo the colours of our natural environment, and the vibrant and detailed illustrations from the talented Ned Barraud bring these ‘backyard beasts’ to life.

This fantastic book inspired my children to jump straight into the garden to see what creatures they could uncover.

Backyard Beasts features over 20 different types of creepy crawlies, from bees and wasps to aquatic insects and snails. Like Animals of Aotearoa, each animal has a double page spread dedicated to it, which details all the different species and comes with lots of intriguing facts that will strike a match in a child’s imagination.

It’s a fascinating, fact-filled read, with an excellent glossary that explain terms like ‘forciples’, ‘clitellum’ and ‘ootheca’. It’s fair to say that Backyard Beasts will encourage both young and old see their backyard in a whole new way.

New Zealand’s Backyard Beastsby Ned Barraud

Published by Potton & Burton

RRP $20.00

How to Help a Hedgehog and Protect a Polar Bear by Jess French and Angela Keoghan (Nosy Crow / Allen & Unwin)

Who knew dusting your lightbulbs was an easy way to save energy? This is just one of the 70 handy tips in this beautifully illustrated book about protecting the environment, featuring the delightful artwork of New Zealand illustrator Angela Keoghan.

It’s Keoghan’s brilliant illustrations that make this book special. It’s soft pastel tones and charming illustrations of animals in their natural environments and children saving the planet give this book a lovely whimsical feel, almost as if it’s a picture book rather than a non-fiction book filled with facts and information. It’s an absolutely gorgeous book to look at.

Spread from How to Help a Hedgehog and Protect a Polar Bear, by Jess French, illustrated by Angela Keoghan reproduced with permission.

The book aims to make taking care of the environment fun. It features 13 different habitats around the world, from gardens and woodlands to wetlands and mountains, and provides facts about the creatures that live in each habitat. It shows the negative impact climate change has had on these animals and their natural environments, and gives useful advice on how we can lessen the impact.

The book aims to make taking care of the environment fun.

While Kiwi kids might be unfamiliar with some of the wildlife in this UK published book, its simple planet-saving ideas like ‘use biodegradable cleaning products’ or ‘use a recyclable water bottle’ will be easily understood. I love how it encourages children of all ages to feel confident they can make a difference, by making simple, everyday changes wherever they live in the world.

This is a beautiful book for a young conservationist to treasure, perfect for the 5-8 age group.

How to Help a Hedgehog and Protect a Polar Bear

TARA WARD

Tara Ward is a New Plymouth-based freelance writer, reality TV junkie, longtime silent reader, and wrangler of two small people. She writes about television for The Spinoff and promises to never stop banging on about the time she gatecrashed Dr Chris Warner’s 50th birthday party.

Author Swapna Haddow has recently moved to Christchurch from her home in the UK. Her Dave Pigeon books are absolutely hilarious, so we asked her to tell us a bit about the funny books of her childhood. From Sweet Valley, to Roald Dahl, to Sue Townsend's incredible Adrian Mole books, it is a trip down memory lane.

Swapna Haddow

I started this piece thinking I was going to get on my soapbox and shout about how funny books aren’t taken seriously, how they fail to get recognition in awards and in the industry, how it’s funny books that so often engage the most reluctant of readers and keep them reading, how funny can be a safe place for children to understand their own emotions, to provide them refuge from the madness of the world, let them laugh, let us all laugh, and laugh together, how laughing is such a powerful way to unite us and how snobbery about funny books grinds my gears.

There are stats to back this up (apart from that last one about the grinding of gears; that’s been backed up by anyone who knows me and has seen me flare my nostrils and roll my eyes).

So when The Sapling asked me to think about the books that formed my childhood and what got me writing what I write now, I started to look beyond the statistics.

Books have always been an escape for me. And none more so than funny books. It wasn’t just slapstick that had me laughing. Gentle humour, witty humour, dark humour, basically all the humours had me chortling. I still remember the first time I laughed so hard whilst reading I rolled out of bed: it was a quick whip from that sharp-tongued Lila in a Sweet Valley book. (Yes, that’s right. I read Sweet Valley. Every single one of them and I don’t care who knows it.)

I still remember the first time I laughed so hard whilst reading I rolled out of bed: it was a quick whip from that sharp-tongued Lila in a Sweet Valley book.

The Reddy Sisters

Things weren’t always easy at home during my childhood. And it wasn’t particularly pleasant being one of the few brown faces in a white school in the 80s and 90s, but somehow when my mother dropped my sisters and me off at the library, all that would fade to nothing. There was no judgement as I slipped into friendships and ran away on adventures between the pages.

It was the Roald Dahl books that captured my imagination the most. He took the dark and turned it on its head with humour. I related more to his characters than any other’s. Amidst the chaos of my childhood, I felt deeply connected to James’ trauma, Matilda’s frustration and Muggle-Wump’s sense of justice. Oddly, Roald Dahl’s macabre world was a safe space for me to question the things going on in my own life. His humour invited me in. I had a place to laugh. It was OK to laugh in these safe spaces and I got through so much with laughter. This is why it’s so important that humour is central to the books I write.

Amidst the chaos of my childhood, I felt deeply connected to James’ trauma, Matilda’s frustration and Muggle-Wump’s sense of justice.

Roald Dahl was a gateway book to so much more humour. I went on to read Adrian Mole, and by that time I had the good sense to throw a spare duvet down to land on when I rolled out of bed with laughing, again. I discovered puberty and love with Judy Blume, subjects far too taboo to discuss in our Indian household. Her humour pulled me into the pages and her characters were so genuine that many of her novels guided me through those teen years.

Reflecting on my own books, I think there will always be a little bit of that brusque Lila, the virtuous Muggle-Wump and unreliable narrator of Townsend’s Mole in Dave Pigeon because those were the characters I connected with throughout my childhood.

Swapna reading Dave Pigeon at a school

The clever thing about humour and laughing is that it is so uniting. It can give you that instant connection with a character and so importantly co-readers. This is what kept me reading and discovering new books. And I think, ultimately, this is why I love writing humour. I will never tire of letters from families and teachers telling me how much they have laughed, with their children, whilst reading the Dave Pigeon series.

The clever thing about humour and laughing is that it is so uniting.

I’m raising my own little reader at the moment. He’s eight, and the bond we’ve shared over reading funny books together, laughing so hard we’ve both wet our pants whilst rolling off the bed, is priceless. It’s seriously time to reward and recognise those who create these incredible moments.

swapna haddow

www.swapnahaddow.co.uk@SwapnaHaddow

Māori language academic Vini Olsen-Reeder wants Māori-speaking kids and adults to be able to read books - lots of them - in te reo Māori.

Since I started learning te reo Māori in 2008, I think I’ve been subconsciously preparing for the day I have kids. The coolest book I remember having as a kid was a giant pop-up edition of The Wonderful World of Richard Scarry. It was so big it lived in this big old trunk under the bed. So, I want to replicate my childhood as much as I can for my own children. I want to expose them to a rich, colourful world of vocabulary and experience – the same I had as a kid, in English.

Hunting for books is as magical as reading them. I still remember the day I was trawling through my favourite store, Hard to Find, which used to be in Onehunga. I entered a particular room and I think my foot rocked a bendy floorboard. A book fell to the floor and I went over to pick it up. Tapihana: Brothers in Arms, by Russell Caldwell. Tapihana is a transliterated word taken from the word ‘top-sail’. My Danish ancestor Hans adopted Tapsell/ Tapihana as a surname when he arrived and married Hine-i-turama, of Te Arawa descent. Now I know that’s not a kid’s book, but that book is my whakapapa, through and through. I carry Hans’s Māori name, Ieni, as my own. That experience is what buying a book should be, but it isn’t always. I’ve been building a secret stash of fiction books for a little over a decade, for babies, for children, as well as for teenagers and adults.

I’ve been building a secret stash of fiction books for a little over a decade, for babies, for children, as well as for teenagers and adults.

As a Māori language academic, one of my roles is to teach people about access to resources such as books – where to find them, how to get good deals. That’s time where I feel like I can make an impact for the reo at the whānau, home level, without having kids of my own. I can’t tell them how to raise children, because I don’t know. But I can make accessing books as easy as possible for them.

Now I’m not minimising the effort lots of parents probably go to to find great English books for their kids to read, but I’ve taught enough now to know that accessing kids books in te reo Māori is still hard for our whānau. Finding them is the first step, checking the correctness of the language is second, being able to afford them is the third and final cog in the wheel – no opportunity to even think whether the book looks interesting to a child. My friend Louise Whaanga says locating books is easier now than it used to be, and she’s right. But when you compare it to how simple it is to access English books, it’s also really easy to understand why lots of Māori speaking homes still have more English kids' books around the house – they’re cheaper, easier to find and you don’t have to quality control them. You just pick the cool ones the bubbas like and take them home.

Some parts of the teaching gig aren’t easy. One of the most depressing parts is telling families there are literally hundreds of books out there in te reo Māori, but they aren’t allowed them – not to buy, not to borrow, not to read. We’re in desperate need of stuff to read, and it’s been written already, but they aren’t allowed to have it.

One of the most depressing parts is telling families there are literally hundreds of books out there in te reo Māori, but they aren’t allowed them

Maori language literature is, as Dr Darryn Joseph points out, a service industry. Māori language books mostly arise from Ministry of Education tenders. For our kids to even see a book, schools need to buy those books from the Ministry’s closed-access, private bookstore, called Down the Back of the Chair. Once schools have bought the books, teachers need to put those books in front of the kids in the classroom, and use them to read.

How many of those Māori language books end up in schools, in front of students, is something I don’t know. I can make a few guesses, though. 2.5% of the total school population is enrolled in Māori-medium education settings (you can see all of these stats here). 97.5% of the total school population is enrolled in English-medium education settings. Of that percentage, 21.1% has a Māori language component. That means a grand total of 23.6% of the total school population has a Māori language education component in it. If we assume a correlation between having a Māori language component of any degree in a school, and providing Māori language books for students to read, that 23.6% are the only cohort that have a shot at seeing those books.

By this estimate, a whopping 76.4% (or 617,355 students) get nothing meaningful to read in te reo Māori from the school system. For that 76.4%, it’s up to the household to source, or buy, Māori language books for their kids to read. And those are people who can’t get books from places like Down the Back of the Chair.

I think I can probably understand why the Ministry does this, so I’m as empathetic as I am critical. It’s surely bound by law constraints which means it’s only funded to provide educational books to schools, not privately to homes. Probably not for profit too, so they surely can’t sell them in stores. I’m definitely not criticising authors who pick up those contracts, either. They deserve to be paid for their writing, and some books out there in the ether are better than no books at all. So, I’m not out to throw stones. But I also think it’s fair to be sad and about the fact that in 2018, we can’t give our children wholesome reading experiences - when those experience already exist. Those books are out there, being written, but not read. When it comes to revitalising te reo Māori, access to those books is crucial. Crucial, but impossible, for the most part.

When it comes to revitalising te reo Māori, access to those books is crucial. Crucial, but impossible, for the most part.

The Huia Short Short Stories Collection is the only real avenue for adults to find fiction to read. Those books really have tried to change the landscape of Māori language readership. As amazing as they are, there are no Māori language novels for adults to read, so far as I can locate. We might make an exception for Moetū: Sleep Standing, which is historical fiction, and bilingual. All in all though, the Māori language book world looks finite right now, it has an end.

That leaves me with two concerns for my bookshelf: what will my kids read, once they’ve reached the highest reading level the Ministry contracts for? Secondly, if I have nothing to read, and my children don’t see me reading in Māori, why would they value reading in Māori at all? I think that’s why Darryn Joseph said:

‘[Success will be] when the readership and reader population is big enough in Māori that it can sustain some form of adult fiction being produced in te reo Māori. That would be fabulous.’

...if I have nothing to read, and my children don’t see me reading in Māori, why would they value reading in Māori at all?

Adults need fiction too. This doesn’t detract from the autobiographies, historical narratives, short stories and poetry that we have. As Robyn Bargh CNZM, Huia Publisher’s co-founder, correctly points out

I need to point out too, that I’m not the first person to say talk about the need for adult fiction in Māori. As well as Darryn, Krissi Smith

So, how do we fix it? How do we create a full world of imagination, wonder and creative thought for our children, and our adult-children too? Those of us who work in revitalisation aren’t necessarily writers, we’re teachers, academics and parents. Yet, we’re still writing to fulfil that ‘service need’ Darryn talks about, not to create writing that, in his words, is ‘the best piece of literature it can be’. It’s a weird situation, really. There are no books to read. There are no books to read because there’s no one to write them. There’s no one to write them because we don’t know how to write them. We don’t know how to write them because there are no exemplars to follow. There are no exemplars because there are no books to read, to learn from.

This rant has been quite gloomy, but I do see some solutions.

Someone needs to fund a few books for adults to read. And I mean really fund them. This might mean funding great English authors to help and support those with great Māori language proficiency to write. That connectivity of support is one thing we could do to write some really great books for adults to read, and to be inspired by. We also need to buy those books and take steps to ensure those books are accessible to those who can’t buy them.

We need the Ministry of Education to really understand the impact of gatekeeping the Māori language books it funds so tightly. We need it to really critique that idea within its own walls, properly. Does it really need to keep all those books vaulted and gathering dust somewhere? Or, could it actually just release them to the public or, at the very least, not take ownership of copyright, so authors could try to publish publicly elsewhere? Where there’s a will there’s a way, and from my perspective as a pre-parent academic at least, there are lots of ways the Ministry could will if it wanted.

We could fund more translation of some contemporary international literary greats. I know people who are critical of translated work because we don’t need to just have the West re-represented in Māori, to make a great book. I totally accept that, of course! But Murakami is still one of my favourite authors right now – I love reading his English work, natively written in Japanese. I love it. So, if inspiration is at all a reason to sustain judgement, let’s not be too quick to write translation off. Having no books to read is the price we pay for that.

Let’s not be too quick to write translation off.

Having no books to read is the price we pay for that.

Lastly, and this is probably the most important. We need to inspire imagination in our Māori-speaking children. Teach them to be creative, to love literature, to write ideas and be crafty with language. This can be really hard for language purists who want to preserve the linguistic integrity of te reo Māori, and are quick to jump on error. Yet we do so at the expense of letting our kids run free with language, which is how great young people become great literaries. How can that be bad for the life of the language we love so much?

Editors' note: The Reckoning is a regular column where children's literature experts air their thoughts, views and grievances. They're not necessarily the views of the editors or our readers. We would love to hear your response to any of The Reckonings - join in the discussion over on Facebook or Twitter.

Vini Olsen-Reeder

Ko Koopukairoa te maunga,

Ko Waitao te awa,

Ko Rongomainohorangi te whare tipuna,

Ko Tūwairua te wharekai.

Ko Ngā Pōtiki a Tamapahore te iwi,

Ko Te Tauhou te tangata,

Ko Paraire te whānau.

Ko Vincent Ieni Olsen-Reeder ahau.

He kaiako reo ahau ki Te Whare Wānanga o Wikitōria.

He ngoke kai whārangi, he kaituhi, he ngākau nui ki te whai kia noho para kore.

Phoebe Morris is the illustrator of a series of acclaimed picture book biographies written by David Hill, which have included the stories of New Zealanders Jean Batten, Burt Munro, Edmund Hillary and most recently Hero of the Sea: Sir Peter Blake's Mighty Ocean Quests (Penguin Random House NZ). She talks here with her friend, Ekor Bookshop owner, Niki Ward.

Illustrator Phoebe Morris

Why are you an artist?

I don’t think anybody has ever asked me that so directly. I know that making things is something I have always done and needed to do. I haven’t really felt a need to understand it more than that just yet.

'Self-portrait with full licence'

Can you explain your use of realistic versus stylised character design in your illustrations?

I work in a mix of illustration styles, and it is always interesting figuring out which style is most appropriate to use for a given project. Each story demands a degree of realism or stylisation depending on the tone, subject matter and audience. I think omitting detail can often be as important as including it, too.

In the series of biographical picture books I created with David Hill, each famous New Zealander is drawn as a simplified, stylised character. This allows me to inject some more fantastical, metaphorical, or exaggerated elements into the storytelling – like the shadow of a bird under Jean Batten’s plane in Sky High.

There was a fair amount of back and forth to get Sir Peter Blake’s iconic moustache just right for Hero of the Sea, which came out in October.

What artistic style inspires you?

Heaps of different stuff. Traditional picture book illustrators (I once set off an alarm at a gallery in Munich because I got too close to an original Beatrix Potter). Anime, manga and graphic novels (Studio Ghibli, Katsuhiro Otomo). Contemporary artists and illustrators (Jillian Tamaki, Jon Klassen, Shaun Tan), and sculptors (Isamu Noguchi, Brancusi, Louise Bourgeois).

Where do you see New Zealand illustration going? Is it sustainable within New Zealand’s industry?

This is hard to answer because whenever I think about anything in the future now, all I think about is climate change. I worry about it every day. David Attenborough just told us that we’re cooked, and you know when Davey says it that shit is getting serious.

I regularly work on projects for local conservation groups to stave off the guilt and sense of impending doom. That said, I am really looking forward to VR tech kicking off in a big way. I think that it is creating interesting new job roles for anyone working in visual arts and design.

What work are you most proud of? What gave you the most growth?

This is also hard to answer because usually I finish a project and want to get as far away from it as possible, and on to the next one.

I’m proud of the books I’ve worked on so far, and I think finally taking some time to work on my own art has given me the most growth. It’s mainly consisted of a series of black and white ink drawings, one-page stories, and lots of lions for some reason. The style I’ve developed for those pieces has been feeding back into my picture book work too. I’ve been posting all of it on Instagram (@febe_m).

Who would you like to collab with?

Haruki Murakami. Patti Smith. Sza. Bill Murray. Katya Zamolodchikova. David Attenborough – I’m choosing people who are not illustrators so I don’t get even more intimidated by working with them. Unless it’s Lisa Hanawalt. Love you, Lisa. Also, if I could illustrate something for Flying Eye Books or the New Yorker I’d die a happy lady.

What is your favourite music to listen to when you work?

Music made by pals is the best music – mixes by K2K, DJ Kush Boogie, Aw B and albums by local artists like Womb, Secret Knives and Mermaidens. My Spotify Premium account just expired – it’s been a dark time.

Can you talk a little bit about the process of making books like Hero of the Sea?

For this series, I have to determine which parts of the text are illustrated, why, and how. This involves a lot of careful decision-making and planning, maybe a lot more than people realise. These books are also non-fiction, so there is heaps of research involved. I spend a good chunk of time trawling the internet and city library for reference photos while I’m working on the drafts. Then I have to draw and draw for weeks and weeks.

For our upcoming book about paleontologist Joan Wiffen, I’ve been reading heaps of books about prehistoric New Zealand. I’m thinking of sneaking Sam Neill into one of the spreads in homage to 'Jurassic Park'.

What do you want to be doing in five years?

I’ve got lots of my own ideas for picture books, and have already started working on a couple. They are mostly for younger readers. Ideally, in five years I’ll be working on more of those, getting them published, and maybe I’ll finally own a dog. A big wolfy one that looks like it could be an extra in 'Game of Thrones'.

I’d also be keen to work on more conservation projects, and in other roles like art direction. This all assumes that we are not underwater thanks to climate change, in which case I’ll be illustrating instruction manuals about boating.

View more of Phoebe’s illustrations at phoebemorriscreative.com

Niki Ward

Niki Ward is the owner of Ekor Bookshop and Cafe in Wellington.

Kay Benseman and her niece and nephews have been our main reviewers of books in te reo Māori for 2018. Kay tells us her top te reo selections for this gift-giving season.

Kiwi Tahi rāua ko Kiwi Rua, nā Stephanie Thatcher i tuhi, nā Ngaere Roberts ngā kōrero i whakamāori

This tale of two kiwi who wake up their forest friends to play with them all night long, is bright and cheerful and has an easy appeal to young readers. The illustrations are really likeable and we can recognise a number of the cute characters that featured in Stephanie Thatcher’s earlier book (also translated into te reo Māori) Ka Hīkoi a Pūtangitangi / Pūtangitangi Walks.

gender imbalance in children’s literature that their tamariki are exposed to.

Kiwi Tahi rAua ko Kiwi Rua

nā Stephanie Thatcher i tuhi, nā Ngaere Roberts ngā kōrero i whakamāori

Published by Scholastic

RRP $18.00

Te Pohū, nā Sacha Cotter i tuhi, nā Kawata Teepa (Tūhoe) i whakamāori, nā Josh Morgan (Te Aitangā-a-Māhaki, Rongowhakaata) ngā pikitia i tā.

Ka wani kē! What a delight! This new book from Huia Publishers, also released in English as The Bomb, is a funny, insightful tale about one tamaiti’s endeavour to perfect the best bomb ever. The illustrations are equally wonderful, filled with small details and variety, sweeping you up into the story.

Two highlights; the rhyme and rhythm of the original is maintained in the te reo translation, while it’s got lots of kupu hou, it’s a pleasure to read (suitable for mid-primary immersion reading level). I was also happy to see a main character that isn’t confined to gender norms either in behaviour or appearance - how refreshing!

te pohu

nā Kawata Teepa (Tūhoe) i whakamāori, nā Josh Morgan (Te Aitangā-a-Māhaki, Rongowhakaata) ngā pikitia i tā

Published by Huia Publishers

RRP $23.00

Tu Meke Tūī, nā Malcolm Clarke i tuhi, nā Evelyn Tobin i whakamāori

This book introduces readers to the particular strength of the takahē and also showcases the stunning artwork of Flox (a.k.a. Hayley King). Her glorious stencils more often grace walls than the pages of books but they really make this story zing.

Forest and Bird.

Tu Meke Tui

nā Malcolm Clarke i tuhi, nā Evelyn Tobin i whakamāori

Published by Little Love

RRP $20.00

Hāpata, te Kurī Māia o te Moana, nā Robyn Belton i tuhi, nā Ross Calman i whakamāoritia (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Tahu-Ngāti Whāoa)

This is a brilliant te reo Māori version of Robyn Belton’s tale of courage. It’s a New Zealand classic, based on the true story of Herbert, a beloved dog who was lost at sea for over 30 hours and then rescued! Ross Calman's translation is clever and evocative.

My young son loved the tension of the tale and that the main character was a kurī. Throughout the book, he was enthralled and desperate to discover the fate of this brave wee dog. The level of te reo Māori is well-suited to immersion tamariki a few years into kura, or second language learners with intermediate fluency. The vocabulary isn’t particularly complex but there’s the opportunity to learn some new kupu, my two favourites are ‘kōnewhanewha’ and ‘haumūmū’.

HApata, te KurI MAia o te Moana

nā Robyn Belton i tuhi, nā Ross Calman i whakamāoritia

Published by Potton & Burton

RRP $20.00

Paraweta, nā Stephanie Blake i tuhi, nā Karena Kelly i whakamāoritia

What a hilarious, gorgeous translation by Karena Kelly of this popular Gecko Press publication. She has previously translated Julia Donaldson’s wonderful He Wāhi i te Puruma. This is a really fun book that is easy to read and understand and is perfect for beginner te reo speakers and very young children.

I’ve found that certain authors and types of stories seem to more naturally flow in the Māori language, which may depend on how the translator responds to them. Karena Kelly seems to have written this from the perspective of a māmā who regularly shares pukapuka with her own tamaiti. However, I also think that this particular book’s irreverent humour is especially well suited to te reo Māori.

Paraweta

nā Stephanie Blake i tuhi, nā Karena Kelly i whakamāoritia

Published by Gecko Press

RRP $20.00

Te Hīnga Ake a Māui i te Ika Whenua o Aotearoa, he mea kōrero anō nā Donovan Bixley, he mea whakamāori e Darryn Joseph rāua ko Keri Opai

This vibrant and funny book is really appealing to young readers, with endless visual details to pore over, much like Donovan Bixley’s other books. The colour palette of the illustrations and the cartoon-like depiction of the main characters will appeal to any young fans of Disney’s Moana movie. Lots of speech bubbles give it a comic book feel, too.

Bixley has retold the famous pakiwaitara of Māui fishing up Aotearoa with the support of Dr. Darryn Joseph (who also translated this book, along with Keri Opai). He has done this in a manner which honours this very important and illustrious Maori tūpuna and shows his‘real desire to honour the cultural significance and importance of Māui’.

Donovan Bixley hints in the last page of his book that there are more tales of Māui’s exploits to come, let’s hope that these too are published in te reo Māori, their language of origin.

Te Hinga Ake a Maui i te Ika Whenua o Aotearoa

he mea kōrero anō nā Donovan Bixley, he mea whakamāori e Darryn Joseph rāua ko Keri Opai

Published by Upstart Press Ltd

RRP $20.00

Ngā Whetū Matariki Whanakotia, nā Miriama Kamo i tuhi, nā Ngaere Roberts ngā kōrero i whakamāori

This book is a delight to read in te reo Māori and Zak Waipara’s illustrations are evocative without being too moody. It is a playful tale and the colourful pages set the scene for a mystical night time adventure. The te reo Māori translation by Ngaere Roberts really does justice to Miriama Kamo’s storytelling and is easy to read and understand.

I enjoyed this interpretation of the recent inclusion of two more stars to our Matariki constellation; Pōhutukawa and Hiwa-i-te-rangi. The glossary at the back is a really helpful inclusion and the English publication has footnotes for the te reo Māori vocabulary that has been delightfully scattered throughout the story. As Kristin Smith discovered, this story is born out of Kamo’s own childhood experiences with her kaumātua and set on whenua very close to her heart.

Nga Whetu Matariki Whanakotia

nā Miriama Kamo i tuhi, nā Ngaere Roberts ngā kōrero i whakamāori

Published by Scholastic New Zealand

RRP $18.00

Between six and eight percent of children in New Zealand live with allergies, according to Allergy New Zealand, with food allergies being the most common. We have asked Pearl Dsilva to put together a list of books that may help children understand their allergies better.

Allergies can be a challenging concept for children to fathom. It can be distressing that their bodies respond so violently to various allergens. Children with allergies may also be teased for their appearance and suffer lower self-esteem than their peers.

With more children being diagnosed with allergies by the day, it isn’t surprising that there is a surge in the number of books related to food allergies. Books can provide children the reassurance they need to help them understand themselves better and show them that there are others with similar or identical allergies to their own. Books can also make good educational resources for schools and early childhood education services, to help other children become more aware of creating a safe environment for their friends with allergies.

Many of books listed below contain discussion notes to help adults engage children to help them understand allergies better.

The funny picture books in this list will be particularly attractive to children. For instance, in The Doughnut of Doomby Elys Dolan, a peanut butter sandwich saves the day by inducing an allergic reaction in a doughnut with a tendency to eat anything in its way. The book also has some awesome puns which children will enjoy!

All in all, these books empower children to advocate for their own safety and help them see themselves beyond their allergies.

Books that introduce the concept of allergies:

I think I am going to Sneeze: A first look at allergies by Pat Thomas is a picture book that tells children what to expect if they have allergies, such as different causes, how varied the symptoms may be, treatment specific to the allergy and mostly that regardless of the allergy, they can still live with them.

The BugaBees: friends with food allergies by Amy Recob introduces the most commonly known food allergens such as fish, shellfish, eggs, soy, wheat, milk, peanuts and tree nuts. Written in easy rhyme and with anthropomorphic characters, this is a great book to read aloud to very young children. At the end of the book, there are separate pages with discussion points dedicated to each of the allergens.

Jackie Nevard’s series of books based around her son, Thai could be used as an excellent educational medium to support children with allergies in different contexts. The books are beautifully illustrated and contain teaching points through the book. The protagonist, Thai, is always acknowledged through a credit-based lens, celebrating his strengths and dispositions first and then his allergies.

Thai Goes to a Birthday Party introduces Thai as an energetic two-year old who faces a situation typical of children with allergies at a birthday party. Should he eat the usual party food offered? Or look to Mummy for advice on what he can eat? Readers will realise that regardless of the ‘special’ food they are allowed to eat, they can still enjoy birthday parties for the companionship and fun. Thai’s Big Adventure in the City has a similar plot, but also focusses on stranger-danger.

In Thai’s Exciting First Week at School, readers see Thai take on the new challenge of school. Each page beautifully illustrates what he and his friends at school need to know in terms of managing his allergies, including the golden rule of not sharing food with others and symptoms typical of an allergic reaction. There are two other books in the series, titled Thai’s New Friend at Kindy and Thai’s First Ambulance Ride, the latter explaining anaphylaxis, its symptoms and the importance of immediate medical action to deal with it.

Books that discuss common allergens and symptoms characteristic of allergic reactions:

In New Zealand, one of the common triggers for allergies is exposure to cats and other furry animals such as rats, dogs, or guinea pigs. This can be quite distressing for children who have these animals or pets or want one of them as pets. Aaron’s Awful Allergies by Troon Harrison deals with the heartache of having to let pets go due to being allergic to them and the notion that there could be pets beyond the furry ones!

In Ah-Choo! Lana Wayne Koehler & Gloria G Adams playfully deal with the frustration of having a sibling allergic to pets of all sizes and shapes, from A to Z save for one that doesn’t make one sneeze.

One of the early chapter books that children will find fascinating is Carlos Gets the Sneezes

Ghost Attack and Vampire Trouble involve a protagonist who is allergic … to monsters!

Similarly, Kyle Mewburn and Donovan Bixley’s Velocitchy-RaptorThe Forever House (from the Aussie Bites series) by Sofie Laguna and Lola Levine meets Jelly and Bean by Monica Brown deal with allergies to cats and thankfully, have happy endings; the former ending with the protagonist becoming immune to her coveted cat because she has spent so much time with it.

Children who are distressed to discover they are allergic to foods or things they love will enjoy Dolores, a mouse who is allergic to cheese! In Horace and Morris Say Cheese (which makes Dolores sneeze) by James Howe, Dolores discovers there is ‘more to life than cheese’ as she gets inventive with her lunches and shares her new culinary skills with her friends.

Lucy Davey’s The Bee’s Sneeze and The Fidgety Itch revolve around associated symptoms of allergies and although they do not specifically address allergies, are still good books to go to when you want to redirect children from scratching their scritches!

Books that discuss associated conditions:

According to Allergy New Zealand, about 80 percent of asthma cases in young children could be related to allergens. Shelly Weiss’ Ella the Elephant: Educating Children about Asthma and Jonathan London’s The Lion who had Asthma, creatively chronicle typical symptoms of an asthmatic attack and the treatment that is needed to restore normal breathing (an inhaler in the former and a nebulizer in the latter), with a focus on relaxation.

Starship Hospital estimates 15 to 20 percent of children in New Zealand have eczema, with symptoms such as severe itchiness and atypical skin appearance. These children are also more prone to developing allergies. This has been beautifully explained from a child’s perspective in Jack Hughes’ Emmy’s Eczema and in Rosie Wellesley’s The Itchy-saurus. Both books have dinosaurs as protagonists and could work wonderfully for a child suffering from eczema or itchy skin.

Pearl Dsilva

A self-proclaimed Enid Blyton aficionado, Pearl Dsilva can be usually found at the topmost rung of the Ladder on The Faraway Tree, anticipating The Land of Goodies and Take-what-you-want. Pearl is an early childhood education lecturer and children’s literature enthusiast.

Writer and bookseller Adele Broadbent reviews five New Zealand picture books, including everything from cute creatures to a picture book that tackles PTSD, to a lovely Christmas title.

Hollybee Hope wants a Prickly Coat, by Deborah Hinde

Deborah Hinde often shares her cute characters on Instagram, and it was a thrill to see them in action in this picture book. Hollybee Hope wants a Prickly Coat is set at the bottom of a garden that could be anywhere, starring recognisable animals. Hollybee has a problem. Her spines haven’t come through, leaving her back smooth and very un-hedgehog like. How can she be a real hedgehog without spines? Her father assures her they will come, but Hollybee is impatient and wants them now. One day she discovers a bucket with something prickly inside. Can this be the answer? But soon it is more trouble than it’s worth, her friends Basil Bunny and Maddie Mouse coming to her rescue. What about thorns? They are prickly, and will be perfect! But they too have their problems. Feeling glum, Hollybee’s friends decide to take her to see a wise Nana hedgehog, who also lives in the garden. Maybe she can help?

The friends are returning home, happy with the solution, when they hear a sound they all know well. A terrifying sound. The Terror is loose! He is a small terrier, excited to be free and keen to explore. Where can Hollybee and her friends hide? She quickly has the answer, keeping them all safe and scaring off The Terror in the process. The simple story arc of this story from problem identified, possible solutions sought, then a building climax is gentle but exciting, and relatable for children. The dog might be scary to Hollybee and her friends, but Deborah’s choice of a small terrier as opposed to a large dog should ensure young readers aren’t too frightened. Hollybee’s desires to be more than she is at present, can encourage discussions about self-acceptance and accepting differences in yourself and others as a positive thing.

The simple story arc of this story from problem identified, possible solutions sought, then a building climax is gentle but exciting, and relatable for children.

An added extra in the illustrations (as I’ve seen before in Deborah’s books), is a search and find for the ladybird in each double page spread. This is perfect to capture the child not quite ready or keen to sit and listen to the story.

Deborah Hinde is a multi-award winning author and illustrator and has worked with NZ and international publishers on more than 65 books. See here for more about Deborah.

hollybee hope wants a prickly coat

Oink, by David Elliot

Oink is another gorgeous production by the team at Gecko Press, and we are introduced to the main character as soon as we open the book. Pig is undressing, then heads towards the bathroom.

When I realised there was no text in this book, I was further intrigued. I knew that the illustrations were to be the sole focus and I looked forward to interpreting them.

Pig’s face is the key, and David Elliot has masterfully portrayed Pig’s thoughts - Pig is looking forward to his bath. He savours the sight of the filled bath from the open doorway, a towel draped over his front hooves. With the bathroom door firmly closed and his fresh, dry towel hanging neatly over a small bath ladder, he climbs in.

Pig’s face is the key, and David Elliot has masterfully portrayed Pig’s thoughts - Pig is looking forward to his bath.

Pig’s pleasure at lying in a bath all to himself is clear. Then comes a knock. Then again. His treasured peace is broken and he sits up, wondering who could it be? It’s Sheep, with a toy boat tucked under her arm. Disbelief radiates from Pig’s face. This look quickly becomes annoyance, as not only does Sheep climb the ladder intending to join Pig, she knocks his neatly folded dry towel off the ladder to the floor. Sheep wants to play, not relax, and soon has her toy boat sailing thunderous seas within the bath.

Further animals continue to arrive in the bath, until there are more animals in the bath than water, his dry towel soaking in a puddle on the floor. As Pig’s disbelief peaks, the unthinkable happens.Silence is sudden. Horror is obvious. Who did it?

Oink is perfect to be pored over with a young child – slowly interpreting each page by the expressions and actions of the animals. There may be no text, but the animals do speak their own languages in moos, bleats, and calls. These too would be fun to share. The climax made me laugh out loud, (thanks to my inner child) and this touch of toilet humour will delight the reader. Simple, clever and funny.

David Elliot has won multiple awards for his work, including both the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award and the Russell Clark Award for Illustration, in 2017.

oink

by David Elliot

Published by Gecko Press RRP: $25.00

The Lonely Little Tree, by Moya Kirby, illustrated by Terri Rose Baynton

As soon as we open the cover of this book we are greeted with a cheerful swooping tūī. One little tree stands alone at the top of a cliff, at the edge of the sea. She’s lonely, as all her tree friends have been felled and taken from the bluff, leaving only their sad stumps. As the ocean winds flow through and around her, she wonders about her future. A passing bellbird hears her lament and immediately tries to cheer her up.

“Don’t be sad,” said a passing bird, Who was swooping low and overheard. "You can be what you want to be – A forest giant, or a Christmas tree!”

The little tree’s interest is caught, and their conversation attracts other birds. A pūkeko. A kiwi. A tūī, kingfisher and fantail. The tiny flitting fantail is the first to assure the little tree. She could be their Christmas tree. And so begins their project in the age-old NZ can-do DIY way. The birds put their minds together, planning on how to decorate the little tree. Even a spider volunteers her thread for decoration. Rhyming text can be problematic, but in this debut picture book from Moya Kirby, the rhythm is fun and flowing. The positive attitude of the native NZ birds makes this picture book perfect for any young reader or little listener and also a joy to read out loud.

Rhyming text can be problematic, but in this debut picture book from Moya Kirby, the rhythm is fun and flowing.

But how do you show a tree’s feelings? Even without the text, the reader can see the little tree is sad and lonely in the opening of the story. Her feelings of curiosity, happiness and pride then shine through beautifully as her new friends transform her with their gifts. The birds are also simply but clearly drawn and coloured by watercolours, and ample white space has been left to keep the pages uncomplicated for little readers.

But wait… Ruru can see someone coming. Someone with an axe! What should they do? Can they save their little tree friend?

This story was sparked by a drive through an area of felled trees near Gisborne, where Kirby was going to a Christmas party. After a lifetime of writing and performing children’s stories, The Lonely Little Tree is Kirby’s picture book debut.

Terri Rose Baynton is a children’s author and illustrator of several picture books. Her work has also included scriptwriting and storylining for Weta Productions.

the lonely little treeby Moya Kirby, illustrated by Terri Rose Baynton

Published by Scholastic NZ

RRP $19.00

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The Tree Hut, by Joy Davidson, illustrated by Nina Kudinova

The cover of this new picture book grabbed me instantly. A simple rope and rung ladder hangs from the top of a tree. Like the real thing, it invites the reader inside to discover more.

Those of us who have had a tree hut will remember that magical feeling of having a space all to ourselves, and the young boy in this story is no different. Jack has to leave his beloved tree hut behind. His father has a new job in the city and Jack and his parents are moving. He’s not happy leaving and isn’t convinced by his parent’s positive comments about living in the city.

Jack’s worries are compounded when his Mum reminds him of his new school. I liked this piece of dialogue and outcome, as we adults often say things with the best of intentions which can sometimes make worries worse. We might see a new school, friends and experiences as exciting, but many children feel only the uncertainty of change.

We might see a new school, friends and experiences as exciting, but many children feel only the uncertainty of change.

Jack’s heart sinks further when there are no trees in his new ‘courtyard’. He doesn’t like the look of the creepy overgrown house next door either. After school the next day, his mum has left a note. She’s gone next door! A high gate, ancient door knocker and dark passage filled with cobwebs, greet Jack as he follows. A hissing cat is the last straw and he whirls to flee, only to find his new neighbour behind him. But she is there to help.

The illustrations portray the moods and tension of the story wonderfully, but one thing did seem out of place. The house itself is shown as overgrown, filled with cobwebs and dark spaces, but the abandoned tree house, which the neighbour shows him, is free of any vines, bushes and weeds that would be inevitable over a length of time.

The story arc grabs the reader, capturing many fears and changes of childhood. Moving to a new place. Going to a new school. Imagining horrible things in a creepy house next door. However I found some of Jack’s dialogue was a little old fashioned for someone his age, and wonder if the story would be better in third person.

Joy Davidson was the winner of the Joy Cowley Award in 2015, for Witches Cat Wanted, and was also awarded a Storylines Notable book Award. The Tree Hut is her third picture book. Nina Kudinova is an artist and illustrator from Auckland NZ.

the tree hut

When Dad Came Home, by Vanessa Hatley-Owen, illustrated by Rosie Colligan

Perfectly timed for the centenary of Armistice Day, this story takes the reader back in time to 1918 as bands marched down the streets and people celebrated the end of the First World War.

But even though the long war is over, the wait for their loved ones to return home still remains. When Dad Came Home takes the reader into one family home and we meet Rita (aged about 10), her younger brother Thomas and their mum.

When Dad does arrive, he isn’t the husband or father they remember. He is withdrawn, avoiding visitors and his children. He prefers quiet in the house and any unexpected loud noises terrify him.

He is a victim of shell shock, or what we now know as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. At the time, this mental illness was largely misunderstood, and families had to cope with their ‘changed’ men as best they could. When Dad Came Home highlights this illness with the respect it deserves.

Although a sombre subject, there is a thread of lightness spun through this story by first-time author Vanessa Hatley-Owen, linked to Dad’s favourite song. It was played by the celebrating band on the first page and is the thread that holds the family together. While he was away, Mum hummed it while she knitted and baked for him, and Rita would sing it during her chores. Now he is home, this song is something Dad can cling to as he makes his way through his fears and memories, back to his family.

Although a sombre subject, there is a thread of lightness spun through this story by first-time author Vanessa Hatley-Owen, linked to Dad’s favourite song.

Rosie Colligan’s muted colour illustrations took me right into the home, time and feelings of this family. Children’s past times are portrayed in skipping and marbles, Mum is doing physical work while Dad is away, and the formality of visiting other returned service men is felt on the page. Their home is clean and tidy but sparse, and when Dad does arrive, his melancholy and detachment is clear.

The illustration format is varied throughout the story from full double page spreads for the celebrations, to cosy ovals of colour as Dad begins to settle back into civilian life. I particularly liked how the text was displayed on a pile of postcards, although these pages seemed to be quite random.

Vanessa Hatley-Owen has been published in an anthology for children, and by Learning Media. She has also been shortlisted for writing awards. Rosie Colligan is a NZ illustrator based in London. Amongst her work with NZ and international clients, she spent three years with Weta Digital.

when dad came home

adele broadbent

Adele Broadbent is the author of five novels for middle grade readers and several educational titles

October 2017 saw Sunshine Coast local Jessica Townsend hit the big time. Her children’s novel Nevermoor was the biggest-selling Australian children's debut since records began. It swept the world into a frenzy and propelled her into literary stardom. The second instalment, Wundersmith, has been eagerly anticipated and the magic and mystery will hold readers in its grasp until the very last page.

Jessica Townsend at an Auckland school visit

Having passed a series of dangerous trails, 12-year-old Morrigan Crow has been accepted into the prestigious Wundrous Society, along with nine other children with extraordinary talents. Finally, she can escape the shackles of life as a Cursed Child and find her place in the world with new friends. But it seems that prejudice has followed Morrigan to the city of Nevermoor. Her newfound powers as a Wundersmith are too frightening for her new teachers and classmates.

With her Patron Jupiter endlessly away on important Wunsoc business, Morrigan is left alone to navigate her troubled feelings: anger at being left out, and confusion about her true identity. In a series of fast-paced and nail-biting scenes, Morrigan faces real danger, as Wunsoc Members go missing, ghostly creatures made of bones stalk Morrigan and the fragile loyalties of her new friends are tested when someone starts blackmailing members of her peer group, Unit 919. As her burgeoning power grows unchecked, Morrigan is tempted by the most evil Wundersmith in history, the only one who seems to understand her predicament.

As in Townsend’s first novel, lessons and allegories are expertly woven into the plot. Townsend plays on themes of injustice and prejudice, friendship and loyalty, as Morrigan struggles with moral quandaries, discovers that even those in positions of authority can be flawed, and learns to trust her inner compass. This is children’s literature at its best: offering children a chance to grapple with complex issues, and experience troubling scenarios through a character they identify with - within the safety of a fictional story.

This is children’s literature at its best: offering children a chance to grapple with complex issues, and experience troubling scenarios through a character they identify with - within the safety of a fictional story.

Once again, Townsend has created a richly imagined world. Wundersmith has a darker edge than Nevermoor, but absurd humour and Townsend’s trademark wit always offer comic relief. Wundersmith skilfully set up for revelations that may come in future instalments, leaving us hungry to know what ingenious surprises Townsend has planned for readers. Jessica and I sat down to talk in the midst of her busy ANZ tour schedule. She has a real warmth and gregariousness about her coupled with the effervescence we love from her writing. While we had met on her previous tour, I suspect she is like this with everyone. I traveled with her the next day to a booksellers’ breakfast, where she effortlessly connected with others, then onto St Kentigern College where she wowed an auditorium full of boys. It was plain to see that she had them engaged and enthralled with her extraordinary presentation.

R: Nevermoor was a runaway success! How has this changed your life and what have you been able to do that you may not have been able to previously?

J: It has completely transformed my life but also not at all. I have a strange duality to my life now. It has afforded me this fantastic life where I get to be a full-time author.

I get to go on tour, which is the weirdest and coolest thing and it’s such privilege! I get to meet amazing people – and do crazy things like have high tea with a bunch of booksellers in the middle of a tea plantation, which is ridiculous! I shouldn’t get to do that on a work day! But my day to day life is still exactly the same, just me in my PJ’s tapping away on my laptop. It has also allowed me to live in two cities. I now can spend half my time on the Sunshine Coast and half in London, which has always been the dream for me. I love the city of London, but being an introvert, I really love being at home with my family too.

Keeping an auditorium of boys entertained

R: Nevermoor won a gob-smacking seven awards, what has this meant to you?

J: I am so very grateful for the awards. They took me by such surprise; I didn’t even know they existed before I was nominated.

R: This is an industry that has only recently become lead and populated by women. Tell me of your experience of this?

J: I am lucky to have great, smart woman around me who are smoothing the way and bolstering the experience for me. My four editors are women, and I have so much admiration for them. This is an environment where women are thriving and taking the lead, but they want to see other women succeed as both mothers and as working professionals. They want their whole to community to thrive. It is one of the great joys of this industry.

This is an environment where women are thriving and taking the lead, but they want to see other women succeed as both mothers and as working professionals.

R: Nevermoor took you 10 years to write and perfect whereas Wundersmith was written in a year whilst touring. How did you find time to write and do you feel like you achieved all you wanted to?

J: I am extremely optimistic about what I can do, so I am lucky to have an agent to remind that I can’t say ‘yes’ to everything and still write books. It was really important to me that I didn’t end up with ‘book two syndrome’. I had to live up to my own expectations. For this reason, it ended up being seven months late! But I had a really supportive team, and all credit to them for getting it to print on time.

R: Do you have a planning process while writing and did this have to change when writing Wundersmith?

J: I have always had a really clear, plotted road map. Although when writing Wundersmith, characters emerged and things happened/threads emerged that I hadn’t planned. I don’t write chronologically, rather I start with the ‘tent pole moments’ before filling in the detail. My planning document alone for Wundersmith was 10,000 words!

When I came time to locking down ideas and actually writing the book I found it really nerve-wracking. Things like the structure of the Wundrous Society or how a particular character would look. It felt like plucking butterflies out of thin air and pinning them to a chalkboard.

Jess signing for fans at Time Out Bookshop

R: How were you able to expand the world without feeling like you were going too far? Did you trust your own instincts here or did your editors guide you?

J: It is really tricky to balance. There are so many things that I am dying to reveal about the characters and the world of Nevermoor but I know they need to be held back, as they will be integral to the plot in future books. Sometimes I hold too much back, things the reader needs to know. This is where my editors come in – they are my first readers and can be the person I can’t be, because they don’t know what’s coming.

R: Let’s talk about your characters. Do you have a favourite character to write?

J: Oh, so many of them, but I love writing Frank the Vampire Dwarf because he is so outrageous.

I was also excited to write more about Hawthorne and his family. They are fun, they all get along and bolster each other. Hawthorne has the optimism and confidence of a well-loved and supported child but also an innocence in the way he comes at the world. He is great fun to write.

R: Jupiter is a character that everyone loves but he is quite absent in Wundersmith, how did it feel not to write so much about him?

J: In any other story Jupiter would have been the hero. He’s dashing and funny and he’s an explorer! But he’s not the hero in this story, Morrigan is. In Wundersmith, Morrigan needed to take more control of her world and unfortunately for her to do this, Jupiter needed to be more absent. But we will learn more about him, where he came from and some of his secrets in future books.

R: These stories are a bit scary with a macabre overtone, how do you balance the scare factor and do you have age range in mind?

J: The intended age is 8 years plus, but I recognise that teens and adults read these stories too. These are scary stories and they will get a bit darker. But the book opens with the funeral of a child so I feel like there were no false pretenses here. I also think children enjoy being a little scared within safe environments. These were the kind of stories and shows I loved growing up and 80s viewing was particularly sinister. That being said, I am not looking to write horror stories! My aesthetic is really to have lots of scary and lots of silly things sitting alongside each other.

My aesthetic is really to have lots of scary and lots of silly things sitting alongside each other.

R: A number of lessons and allegories run through both Nevermoor and Wundersmith. Do you believe life lessons are an important element of children’s literature?

J: The characters I enjoy writing and reading are complex and contradictory. There seems to be an inclination is children’s fiction to make everything very black and white – for instance the villains are just evil. But the better villains are shades of grey. One of my favourite characters is Mrs Coulter (Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials). She is morally murky but she has motivation for the things she does and can justify them in her mind. I also like heroes that are unsure of themselves – they want to make the right decisions but are never quite sure if they are making the right ones.

The friendships in this story are also complex. Although it is important to show kids who are bullied that they can come out the other side of it,it is equally important to show kids who are bullies but who aren’t necessarily villainous. You can make mistakes, change your behaviour and redeem yourself.

Jessica Townsend and Rachel Eadie

R: Finally, what have been some of the highlights of your trip to NZ?

J: Everything! What a beautiful country, I want to come back every year.

The Booksellers breakfast and high tea at the tea plantation were a highlight. Meeting Jack Tame, he is really into books. The school visits – the kids were so polite and they asked such interesting, intelligent questions. The most surprising thing about schools in NZ is they are allowed to wear sandals – kids would never be allowed to do that in Australia!

Townsend’s book tour continues to Melbourne and then to her hometown in the Sunshine Coast before she can finally get to writing book three. (In her PJs I suspect).

Rachel eadie

Rachel started her career in bookselling 15 years ago at UBS Auckland where she worked as a Key Account Manager for library and institutional sales. She has since worked as a book buyer for UBS Canterbury and Paper Plus Northlands. For the past 7 years she been the Manager and a buyer at Scorpio Books, winning the award for Young Bookseller of the Year in 2016. She is preparing to start a new role working for Penguin Random House NZ in 2019.

Do you want to be sure you're getting top-shelf books for your favourite people this Christmas – or on any gift-giving occasion? We are making it easy for you! Here is our selection of 2018's very best New Zealand books for young adults.

Ash ArisinMandy Hager

Hager’s writing is masterful. She keeps the tension taut throughout, controlling the chaos of explosions, gunshots, kidnappings and more. She makes her moral points and she kicks the world’s arse for letting things get so bad. You can't help but watch in awe. Probably best for 13+, unless you think your preteen can cope with the total disintegration of the status quo.

Ash Arising

by Mandy Hager

Published by Penguin

RRP $20.00

Helen and the Go-Go Ninjas, by Ant Sang and Michael Bennett

Helen and the Go-Go Ninjas is a daring sci-fi adventure, set in a dystopian future in which a breakthrough in medical science has caused the erosion of civilisation as we know it. Eco-activist Helen is kidnapped by a mysterious group known as the Go-Go Ninjas, who have travelled back in time from the year 2355 to interrogate her about the creation of the 'Peace Balls' – giant floating devices that enslave and control people's minds. Unfortunately, Helen knows nothing about them, but she may still have invaluable knowledge from the past that might hold the key to saving the future.

For age 12+, as it is quite violent, with challenging themes.

Helen and the Go-Go Ninjas

by Ant Sang and Michael Bennett

Published by Penguin

RRP $30.00

Monsters of Virtue, by L J. Ritchie

Did you know that New Zealand very nearly passed a law legalising the sterilisation of ‘mental defectives’ in the late 1920s, just prior to the Great Depression? L. J. Ritchie takes this as a jumping-off point for his YA novel, Monsters of Virtue, and constructs a world in which the most perfect children are placed into a special school in a new town named Galtonia. The world he depicts is utterly believable and devastating, and the way in which his teens wrestle with the philosophy they foisted on themselves makes for a tense, interesting read. For 14–19 year olds.

Monsters of Virtue

by L J. Ritchie

Published by Escalator Press

RRP $28.00

Slice of Heaven, by Des O’Leary

This novel, based in a fictional high school in South Auckland, is a stunningly well-wrought story about the lives of a multi-cultural group of boys who are thrown together, while on detention, to form a softball team. It tells the stories behind often misrepresented groups of people, most of whom have come to New Zealand recently for a better life. The prose is crisp and well-edited, and O’Leary is definitely a contender for Best First Book in next year’s Book Awards.

Slice of Heaven

by Des O’Leary

Published by Mākaro Press

RRP $25.00

Legacy, by Whiti Hereaka

This book starts with a typical teenage boy freaking out about whether the girl he likes is into him, but quickly becomes something entirely different, as he time-travels after an accident to find himself taking his great-grandfather’s footsteps in WW1. Because his mother has been studying the great-grandfather’s archives, he knows enough about what is meant to happen to get by, but how is he going to get home? A tense and interesting read, telling the story of the Māori battalion in WW1, within the context of time-travel.

Legacy

by Whiti Hereaka

Published by Huia Publishers

RRP $25.00

The West Coast often arises in New Zealand’s literary narrative as wild and full of wild people. No book that I have read previously has captured my coast. With rain, puddles, and the smell of drying wool – taking your chance and biking to the shops, just to get caught in it again on the way home.

Read this book if you know the Coast, if you want a read you can sink into, with a character who pulls her own weight and loves the place she lives. This is a great read for 12+. (Sarah)

Rain Fall

by Ella West

Published by Allen & Unwin

RRP $19.00

The Empress of Timbra, by Karen Healey and Robyn Fleming

The Empress of Timbra

by Karen Healey and Robyn Fleming

Self published

Hardcover non-fiction or poetry can be a great choice of gift for the special or hard-to-buy-for child in your life. Here are three gorgeous, recent international books, all themed around nature.

I AM THE SEED THAT GREW THE TREE: A POEM FOR EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR selected by Fiona Waters and illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon (Nosy Crow)

Whatever you think of kids using digital devices these days (evil or harmless…?), there is no denying that this mighty tome offers the opposite of those. It’s big, on the verge of cumbersome, but in a satisfying, lug-it-with-all-your-might sort of way. It’s full of poems – one for each day of the year – which, more than anything, ask the reader to slow down and consider something deeply for a moment. And the poems here are connected by their theme of nature – birds and the moon and wind and fruit trees: look outside, reader!

It is intended to be a book that you’d give to a child on a special occasion, like on their tenth birthday, or to celebrate them starting school, or a Christmas when you want to be the favourite uncle. There’s a real cloth spine and a real silky ribbon sewn into the binding. Every spread has between one and three poems, with a gorgeous, evocative illustration of an aspect of the poems – for example, mice cling to stalks of wheat alongside two poems about crops and hay, and a hawk soars above mountains next to two poems named ‘The Hawk’ and ‘The Mountain Peak’.

I need to point out that this is a UK book, so the seasons and animals reflect the natural world of that part of the world, which in a lot of rather important ways is the opposite to New Zealand’s. The early February poems talk about snow and foxes; the mid-July poems mention the warmth of the sun … and foxes. So Kiwi kids might feel upside-down, but we grow up rather used to this, reading so much UK and US literature. You could take it as a chance to talk about geography and the way things are different around the world. (And balance it out by reading heaps and heaps of local books, too, eh.)

The thing about poetry anthologies like this is that sometimes copyright issues mean editors can’t include all their first choices – which can be the reason for fewer contemporary inclusions than you might expect or want. I don’t know what the selection process was for this one, but it’s ended up with quite a lot of poems from, ahem, Old White Dead Guys (Ted Hughes, Robert Frost, Ogden Nash, Shakespeare, Walter de la Mare, William Blake) plus the usual Dead Gals like Emily Dickinson and Christina Rossetti, and lots of wee traditional ‘Anonymous’ rhymes.

There’s an attempt, I think, to balance things out with lively inclusions from Jackie Kay, Benjamin Zephaniah, the always fun Roger McGough, an Apache song, and poems by Canadians and Australians – but in a major anthology in 2018, I would love to see more poems from different parts of the world, more different voices, and most especially more from poets of colour.

For me, even with all its fun and funny poems, the overall effect of the book is rather refined and restrained. But all the poems are great for reading aloud (with a lot of rhyming poems), and there’s loads of joy and wonder among them, and variations in tone, length and approach to language. I mean – it’s a good book, and everyone’s a critic, right? It is a good book, and it’s filling a gap for big gift books of poetry for children.

I Am the Seed that Grew the Tree

Selected by Fiona Waters

Illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon

Published by Nosy Crow RRP: $55.00

THE DAM by David Almond and illustrated by Levi Pinfold (Walker)

The Dam is picture book for older readers (from seven years through to pre-teens, very approximately). The UK author, David Almond, has won pretty much every children’s literature award under the sun, mostly for his novels for children and young teens (including Skellig, one of my favourite books, ever). The Australian illustrator, Levi Pinfold, is multi-awarded, too.

The text here is a masterclass in evocative language and a remarkable example of how it’s possible to tell a story through what’s left out.

We’re launched into things without exposition or explanation:

He woke her early.

‘Bring your fiddle,’ he said.

The illustration shows a girl and a man walking across rural countryside. It’s an incredibly successful and enticing start to the book – where are they going? Why so early? Why must she take her violin? As we turn the pages, the full picture of what’s happening emerges. I love that the book never quite tells us what’s happening, but we also don’t have to work too hard to figure it out, either.

In the story, the man wants his daughter to help say a proper goodbye to the history of their land – paying homage to the generations of families, homes and wildlife of the place – because a dam has been built, and (spoiler alert, I suppose) it is all about to become submerged under the water of a huge manmade lake.

My first instinct was to read this as a request to rally against technology and development – progress kills history, and so on. But, incredibly, that’s not the book’s message, as expressed by the unexpected statement two-thirds of the way through: ‘The lake is beautiful.’

The Dam tips its hat, with deepest reverence, in both directions – to history and progress – and acknowledges that history is a living thing we all play a part in creating. It insists that we don’t forget our past, we must honour our dead, but we also need to appreciate the beauty of what we have right now. My paraphrasing is not doing justice to the multiple sets of goosebumps this book gave me. There are many ‘themes’ in the book – loss, progress, music, hope, life and death. And it’s based on the true story of the UK’s largest artificial lake, Kielder Water in Northumberland, which is so beautifully unlikely.

Pinfold’s illustrations are muted and moody, filled with open space to emphasise the landscape being emptied of people. The way he’s captured the misty morning light is really something, and the considered, subtle details in brighter colours help guide the reader along the book’s emotional path.

I tend to approach ‘serious’ books with my cynicism on my sleeve, but The Dam more than won me over. There’s a lot to think about within its covers, but even more compellingly, a lot to feel, too.

The Dam

Published by Walker

RRP $28.00

Buy now

RIVERS: A VISUAL HISTORY FROM RIVER TO SEA by Peter Goes (Gecko)

First off, it’s impossible to ignore the sheer, glorious presence of this book. It’s huge – when open, it’s over half a metre wide. The cover is irresistible in radiant green and yellow. The paper is thick and uncoated, a delight to trace your finger over as you follow the information across the pages. Reading Rivers is an immersive, physical act – you move in close to the pages to take in the small illustrated details and you tilt your head to read the dozens of fascinating facts that curve around the land and rivers throughout the book. If you’re familiar with the author’s previous hit, Timeline, or Gavin Bishop’s Aotearoa, you’ll have an idea of what you’re in for.

The mastermind of the book, Peter Goes, is a Belgian author/illustrator. This edition is published by New Zealand’s own Gecko Press, with the Dutch text translated into English by Christchurch kids’ lit champ, Bill Nagelkerke.

Rivers tells a history of the planet through its bodies of water. We learn about politics, wars and borders, and how rivers came to cut countries in half – or allow for travel and trade. We find out about sea animals and the effect of humans on their ecosystems. There are ancient water-related myths, geology, natural disasters, and descriptions of civic development. It appears no corner of the world is neglected, with multiple pages dedicated to each continent. New Zealand is included with two pages of information relating to the Waikato river.

It’s all riveting and genuinely enlightening stuff, for a wide range of ages – I’d suggest upper-primary age through to teens and adults. This could be a good gift option for fact-loving children, teens banned from their devices for the holidays, or even university students studying design.

RIVERSby Peter GoesPublished by Gecko Press

RRP $39.99

JANE ARTHUR

Jane Arthur is one of the editors of The Sapling. She has worked in the New Zealand book industry for over 15 years, in bookselling and publishing, and has a Masters of Creative Writing from the IIML at Victoria University. She won the 2018 Sarah Broom Poetry Prize, judged by US poet, Eileen Myles. Jane was born in New Plymouth, and lives in Wellington. She is on the judging panel for the 2019 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.

On 28 November 1893, Māori and European women voted in national elections for the first time in New Zealand, having won a law change on 19 September of that year. Today we introduce two new books for children on the topic of women's suffrage.

Illustration from Kate Sheppard: Leading the way for women, by Maria Gill, illustrated by Marco Ivancic

Kate Sheppard: Leading the way for women, by Maria Gill, illustrated by Marco Ivancic (Scholastic)

'On 28 November 1893, 85 percent of New Zealand’s female population over 21 years – that’s 90,290 – walked to the polling booths and voted for the first time. They were the first women in the world to vote in their country’s elections.’

Experienced non-fiction author Maria Gill has written what appears to be the first picture book biography of Kate Sheppard, the woman who led the campaign in New Zealand to make us the first country in the world to allow women – including Māori women – to vote.

Why has this book not been published before? Why can I not find any sign of a previous children’s biography of Kate Sheppard, one of the most important figures in New Zealand’s history? While I am pleased that this has finally been resolved, I think New Zealand publishers should be looking hard at themselves, not attempting this before 125 years passed since Kate made the history recounted in this book.

This biography does a nice job of giving us a background to Kate’s life, and goes some way towards explaining Kate’s character and passions. She is portrayed as an atypical girl for her time, who preferred to play with the boys, rather than sitting in the parlour being ladylike. Marco Ivancic’s illustration of her booting a football with her brothers is one of the best moments in the illustrations.

I also really enjoyed the design details throughout the book. The front end-papers show the voyage that Kate and the rest of the Malcolm family took when sailing to their new life in New Zealand, where they settled in Christchurch. They did this without her father, who died when she was 14. Soon after moving to Christchurch from Liverpool, she met her future husband on a walk, and while at a music group.

Marco Ivancic’s illustration of her booting a football with her brothers is one of the best moments in the illustrations.

Another design detail is a watermark visible at the bottom of each page spread of legal papers headed ‘The House of Representatives’, which turns out in a later page spread to be one of the many petitions Kate asked her fellow countrywomen to sign.

The story is told primarily in the left-hand column, with a generous spread for illustration beside each snippet. One of Kate’s first rebellions in New Zealand was removing her whale-bone corset, to ride a bicycle. I liked the snippet from the news at the time here, with some snipe noting, ‘I wonder how it is that women who can ride a bicycle day after day couldn’t treadle a sewing machine for an hour, though to the uninitiated the action seems very much the same.’ Jog on, Johnny.

Gill has interwoven dialogue through the story with care, both from Kate’s mouth, and from the mouths of others who interact with her. As Kate goes to a suffragist speech by somebody described as an American woman (this may have been Mary Leavitt, I suspect), she is inspired to help to set up the New Zealand branch of the Temperance Union.

Illustration from Kate Sheppard: Leading the way for women, by Maria Gill, illustrated by Marco Ivancic

It will be interesting to kids of today that the process of getting women the vote was by no means easy. It required male allies, as well as support from tens of thousands of women, at a time when getting a survey and arranging rallies around the country - even one as small as New Zealand - was quite an undertaking.

Nonetheless, she got 9,000 signatories in 1891, which led to a bill that failed at the second hearing; then 20,274 signatures from rallies and marches across NZ in 1892. Then nearly 32,000 for the third attempt, in 1893. All the while Kate wrote pamphlets, urging women to stand up for their rights, and urging MPs to vote for women to receive the vote. ‘Kate counted all the signatures as she pasted the forms onto 233 metres of wallpaper. “Walter, guess how many women signed?” she said, excitedly.’

The fact that suffrage was extended to Māori women is included as a footnote, and I had to corroborate this from other sources to check it was true as the way it was noted sounded like an aside rather than a fact. The book doesn’t note that it wasn’t universal - Chinese women were still excluded.

The fact recounted at the start of this review is startling. If only 85% of our female population turned out to vote every year. What a powerful thing that would be. In the meantime, just enough of us got there to enable a young, feminist Prime Minister to do a deal to get into power.

The facts included at the back of the book are excellent, with a clear timeline, and more facts about female inequality around the world, countered with successes. Maria Gill does her facts well. The endpapers are even better, indicating when exactly, countries all around the world allowed women to vote. Some, very recently indeed. It’s important for kids to know these realities. Great for all ages, in the hands of a parent or teachers.

Kate Sheppard: Leading the way for women

by Maria Gill

illustrated by Marco Ivancic

Scholastic

RRP $28.00

Spread from Eliza and the White Camellia: A Story of Suffrage in New Zealand, by Debbie McCauley, illustrated by Helen Casey, nā Tamati Waaka i whakamāori

Eliza and the White Camellia: A Story of Suffrage in New Zealand, by Debbie McCauley, illustrated by Helen Casey, nā Tamati Waaka i whakamāori

This is a fantastic achievement from Debbie McCauley, combining her own thoroughly researched and interesting family history, with the broader history of New Zealand. This doesn’t only include women’s suffrage, though that plays a large part throughout the main story within the book, but also includes elements of the social history of England, convict history, and the dramatic tale of Minnie Dean.

Eliza and her daughter Emily were founding members of the CWI, the Canterbury Women’s Institute, which worked closely with the women’s temperance unions to spread the word on the evils of alcohol, and the abilities of women to make their own decisions. Their lives were intertwined with that of Kate Sheppard and her family, though with what ended up being 12 children, Eliza perhaps did a little less travel than Kate in support of the cause.

Emily, Eliza’s first daughter, had an illegitimate child, who was adopted at birth, retrieved by Eliza and her husband for a time, then adopted again by Minnie Dean and her husband. She was given back to her family when the penny dropped on Dean and her baby-farming ways, and later on appeared to have lived with Kate Sheppard and her husband for some time.

This is a fantastic achievement from Debbie McCauley, combining her own thoroughly researched and interesting family history, with the broader history of New Zealand.

Debbie’s main story is clear and coherently told in the left-hand margin of the page, and is translated into te reo Māori at the bottom of each page. There is also a really welcome passage on how Māori women worked alongside the European women (many of whom were recent arrivals) to gain suffrage.

Three-quarters of each spread is taken up with a startling array of fact boxes, giving a really thorough background to anybody studying suffrage, or early New Zealand history. McCauley is a skilled researcher. The final pages of the book are taken up with a history of women’s politics in New Zealand, a history of suffrage in other countries, and some inquiry-based teaching notes. There are even some craft ideas to do on suffrage day.

This review is done from a PDF version of the book, which proved rather intractable when I was trying to make it work smoothly, so this review is a bit more of a collection of impressions than I would usually write. However, I do recommend this for Intermediate school groups and junior high school years who are running an enquiry about women’s history in New Zealand. It does an excellent job of explaining the full background of women’s rights, and is full of sources to follow up.

Eliza and the white camellia

by Debbie McCauley

Illustrated by Helen Casey

Nā Tamati Waakai whakamāori

Published by Mauao Publishing

RRP $38

Sarah Forster

Editor of The Sapling, and Communications Manager at Booksellers NZ, Sarah has worked in the book industry for the past 12 years. She ran the Writers in Schools and other education programmes for the NZ Book Council for seven years, and knows exactly how awesome our Kiwi writers and illustrators are. Sarah is from the West Coast, and lives in Wellington.

We are pleased to present a regular monthly series highlighting the work, expertise and enthusiasm of some of the greatest children's booksellers of New Zealand.

Here's McLeods Booksellers of Rotorua, a shop that has existed in various forms since 1896!

McLeods Booksellers is an independent, family-owned business that was formerly A.T. Coates Ltd, which opened in 1896 when Rotorua only had around 500 people.

In 1943, Arthur Coates sold the shop to Ken McLeod and the shop was registered as McLeods Booksellers Ltd. The shop grew and many of the older residents still reminisce about its oak front and lush red carpet. In 1968, Ken McLeod sold the bookshop to Trevor Thorp. In the 1980s Trevor's son David joined the business and now runs it with his wife Lynne Jones. The shop is now at 1148 Pukuatua Street and maintains its old world charm.

What are you recommending this month?

We are recommending the new children's novel by Jessica Townsend, WundersmithKuwi's Rowdy Crowd (Illustrated Publishing), which contains all of her trademark humour, clever plays on kiwiana, and gorgeous illustrations and story.

Tom Moffatt's hilarious new book of short stories, Mind-Swapping Madness (Write Laugh), will be a great one for children and the new David Walliams', The Ice Monster (HarperCollins), looks great too.

Oh Boy: An Epic Storybook of NZ Men is now a great follow-up and companion to Go Girl(both Penguin NZ), covering New Zealand women, for kids. Gavin Bishop's Cook's Cook and Riversby Peter Goes are stunning and informative books published by Gecko Press.

We also love How Winston Delivered Christmas, which is a very cute advent storybook with activities for children to work through.

What new releases are you looking forward to over the next few months?

We are excited about the release of On the Come Up by Angie Thomas, who had huge success with her debut novel, The Hate U Give.

Also, Kelly Wilson's new book for horse lovers, Koolio: the Problem Pony, in the 'Showtym Adventures' series; and Circle, which is the third picture book in the shape series by Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett, and is hilarious in its deadpan way. It is also a great discussion starter for kids on the fear of the unknown and not judging by first appearances.

The Dog Runner by Bren MacDibble, the author of How to Bee, looks promising too. I Am So Clever by Mario Ramos and published by Gecko looks great: it's a picture book featuring the wolf who was also in I Am So Strong and I Am So Handsome.

What do you wish was selling better?

I'm surprised we are not selling more of Illuminatlas (Quarto),which has three coloured lenses that reveal different elements in the landscapes of the world.

And Gavin Bishop's Cook's Cook, which we love, but people don't seem to be all that aware of yet. We will keep hand-selling this one, because it is such a beautifully presented, quirky book with really interesting historical information pertaining to Cook's voyage in it.

Share a nice story you have about matching a book to a customer/reader!

We regularly have people who ask for our recommendations or pick books off the 'Books We Love' stand in the shop and then come back asking for further recommendations because they loved the one they went away with the first time. This is always very satisfying.

We love getting kids into reading, so when we hear back from parents or grandparents that a book we recommended got their child or teen into reading and keen for more books, it is a huge encouragement. This happens often, and especially at Christmas we will have people come in with a list of the children and ages they want to buy for, that we match books to each time.

What do you wish publishers would publish?

There is a real gap in the market for junior fiction and young adult fiction that is written in te reo Māori. We are increasingly asked for these, not just by that age group but also by new learners of Māori, of whom there are plenty.

For years, we have been asked for a children's picture book of Hatupatu and the Bird Woman, which is a famous local legend, so we are waiting for someone to do this too!

Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers?

We are passionate about spreading the message about the benefits of buying locally as opposed to the impersonal online shopping experience, which is taking away from brick and mortar bookshops around the world. The more we can increase awareness in a positive way around localism, the better.

I think it's great for bookshops to work in with other local businesses them to encourage shopping locally, for example we are working in with Portico Gallery and Zippy Central Cafe in December to create a passport that customers can get stamped if they visit our shops to go in the draw to win a prize, as well as having a late night shopping evening with 10% discount on Thursday 6th December. This is an initiative to encourage buying locally as well as creating a fun buzz that week around it.

We get a lot of compliments on our shop from visiting tourists and holidaymakers saying it's so nice to see a 'real' bookshop, which is encouraging as we can offer more than just selling books. It's about the experience of browsing and enjoying the atmosphere of a quality bookshop with staff who are passionate about reading. A bookshop can also be a cultural hub in the community, and we have a lot of author events in the shop and a poetry reading evening proved very popular too.

We regularly have dress-up challenge days with the Arts Village Cafe, which get people talking, and more businesses and locals are showing interest in participating, which is a fun way of engaging with the community. We also held a children's dress-up competition for NZ Bookshop Day, which was super fun, and we had quite a few princesses, a rainbow unicorn, and the cat in the hat gracing our shop for a morning!

McLeods Booksellers

1148 Pukuatua Street

Rotorua

Tel: (07) 348-5388

Do you want to be sure you're getting top-shelf books for your favourite people this Christmas – or on any gift-giving occasion? We are making it easy for you! Here is our selection of 2018's very best New Zealand factual books for children.

Why is that Lake so Blue? by Simon Pollard

For educators and teachers, this book ticks all the boxes: beautiful photos that will start and encourage enquiry; simple, quick-fire factoids to tease the middle learners; and plenty of scientific information to stoke the fires of budding New Zealand naturalists.

The eight chapters all begin with a simple question, then present information in different ways to ensure anyone can find something to capture their interest. This is a book that does its job extremely well, for age 10+.

Why is that lake so Blue?

by Simon Pollard

Published by Te Papa Press

RRP $30.00

Cook’s Cook, by Gavin Bishop

Another lushly illustrated, creatively told story from Gavin Bishop, this title tells the story of the one-handed 'Cook who Cooked for Cook' on the first voyage to New Zealand. While doing this, it also tells a story about the English class system, about Cook himself and his obsessions, and gives us a bit of a cooking history lesson.

As in Gavin's classic The House that Jack Built, a story that is centred on colonial-era Europeans is given another perspective in the illustrations, where the Atua watch from the sky or sea, and Māori voices are given space, even if the sailors aren't listening to them.

Cook’s Cook

by Gavin Bishop

Published by Gecko

RRP $30.00

Whose Home is This? by Gillian Candler and Fraser Williamson

Whose Home is This? is the third in Gillian Candler’s and Fraser Williamson’s set of gorgeous guessing-game books that help children develop their scientific observational skills, coming after Whose Beak is This?andWhose Feet are These?

For each of the 12 native animals featured in each book, Williamson has created two lush, vibrant paintings. The first is a circular peek at a nest or other habitat, and the text below asks, for example, ‘Whose home is this, made from twigs and grass, among the flax bushes by the shore?’ Children can have a guess, and they’ll get some of the answers right first go, but most of us will be surprised by a few. We turn the page for the answer, a second, full-page painting of the creature in its home and context.

These books have it all. They’re beautiful, interactive, thoughtfully written, include respectful use of te reo Māori, and increase children’s scientific skills and knowledge. Get hold of all three.

Whose Home is This?

by Gillian Candler and Fraser Williamson

Published by Potton & Burton

RRP $15.00

Read full review by Thalia Kehoe Rowden

Go Girl, by Barbara Else

Following the international success of Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls, a new book telling stories of the women of Aotearoa, Go Girl feels like a companion, every bit as beautiful as the original.

Else writes of all different types of success, with clear and concise messages for children that go beyond conventional views of achievement. Each story is perfectly paired with an illustration by one of nine stunningly good New Zealand illustrators including the shockingly talented Sarah Laing.

You don’t need to be a little girl to be inspired by these stories, to see yourself, to see a possible future. Whatever that future might be.

Go Girl

by Barbara Else

Published by Penguin

RRP $45.00

Animals of Aotearoa, by Gillian Candler and Ned Barraud

This treasure trove of Kiwi wildlife is bursting with information about sea and land birds, marine creatures and a variety of other native and introduced animals, from the common blue butterfly to the mako shark.

Ned Barraud's colour illustrations are rich with detail, and the language clear and easy to understand. Each creature is named in both te reo Māori and English, and described with curious facts that will strike a match in a child’s imagination. Highly recommended. - Tara Ward, full review coming in December

Animals of Aotearoa

by Gillian Candler and Ned Barraud

Published by Potton & Burton

RRP $35.00

The New Zealand Wars, by Philippa Werry

There’s nothing quite like colonial history to make you want to cover your head in shame or pain.

This is a book adults can get lost in, and children from about nine up can dip in and out, following one of the many stories of places, battles, and people.

The New Zealand Wars

by Philippa Werry

Published by New Holland Publishers

RRP $25.00

Do you want to be sure you're getting top-shelf books for your favourite people this Christmas – or on any gift-giving occasion? We are making it easy for you! Here is our selection of the very best New Zealand junior fiction books of 2018.

The Mapmaker’s Race, by Eirlys Hunter and Kirsten Slade

Eirlys Hunter and Kirsten Slade invite their readers to come on an adventure with the Santander family, across the hills and mountains of a land where the dots of towns have not yet been connected by road nor rail, where there are railway lines that run up fabulous verticals, and steam-powered tractors.

The joy of adventure is palpable in Hunter’s writing, showing a passion for cartography paired with a love of the outdoors. Slade’s beautiful illustrations take us ahead on the journey, and show the emotions of the children as they travel. The tone of the writing and the illustration are matched perfectly. Recommended for ages 7-14.

The Mapmaker's Race

by Eirlys Hunter and Kirsten Slade

Published by Gecko Press

RRP $25.00

Flying Furballs: Kit-napped, by Donovan Bixley

This book sees our hilarious heroes off to rescue C-four, their narcoleptic tech expert. As always with Donovan Bixley, the book is saturated in laugh-out-loud puns and the illustrations are plentiful and work well to keep young readers engaged in the action, even when they aren’t entirely familiar with the setting. The expressions on the faces of the dogs and cats are pure Bixley fun, adding another layer of humour to the text.

One of the lessons that Bixley sneaks into these books is not to judge a character by how they look - not all dogs are DOGZ. Recommended for ages 6-12.

Flying Furballs: Kit-napped

by Donovan Bixley

Published by Upstart Press Ltd

RRP $15.00

Lyla, by Fleur Beale

Fleur Beale's character Lyla is gutsy and determined, and keeps her neighbourhood together while her parents and the teenagers help in other spaces around the city after the Christchurch earthquakes. Beale makes Lyla brave, but not super-human, and keeps our attention in the right places in this fantastic book. This book is a great choice for the older junior fiction / early teen reader, 10-14+.

Lyla

by Fleur Beale

Published by Allen & Unwin

RRP $19.00

The Fire Stallion, by Stacy Gregg

The Fire Stallion is the modern day story of Hilly, a New Zealand girl who ends up on a movie set in Iceland after a tragedy. This is a book with the relationship between a girl and a horse at the centre of the narrative, but the plot offers much more. The unusual location of Iceland offers an entry to a new world, somewhere readers are unlikely to be familiar with.The Fire Stallion is so well written that for a lot of the time, I forgot that I was reading a book pitched at a much younger audience. I’d definitely recommend this book for readers aged 10 and up, as it feels quite sophisticated to me – and it’s certainly not just for the horse lovers. - Rachel Moore

The Fire Stallion

by Stacy Gregg

Published by HarperCollins

RRP $25.00

Whetū Toa and the Magician, by Steph Matuku

Reading Whetū Toa and the Magician reminded me of falling into one of the unexpectedly great Apple books that came from the Lucky Book Club. Our protagonist Whetū and her mum go to look after a Magician’s house while he travels in Europe, and all sorts of unexpected things happen while he is gone, thanks to a tricksy rabbit who wants to be the star of the show. There are some wonderful talking animals, including a sheep with a golden fleece, and animated house contents reminiscent of Beauty & The Beast. Perfect as a read-aloud for kids 5+.

whetu toa and the magician

by Steph Matuku

Published by Huia Publishers

RRP $25.00

Dawn Raid, by Pauline Vaeluaga Smith

Smith has nailed the internal drama of a 13-year-old girl, while ensuring she gets the point of the story without relying on big blocks of explanation. This is a horrific true story of the open racism of the Muldoon Government, but the humour Smith brings into Sofia’s voice ensures it is still suitable for its target age group.

dawn raid

by Pauline (Vaeluaga) Smith

Published by Scholastic

RRP $18.00

'I’m a kindred spirit to Anne of Green Gables’ Anne Shirley. When I feel like crying, you see it in my cheeks, in the flicker in my eyes, and sometimes you see it in my bottom lip.'

Kura Rutherford writes about children's literature’s reflection of our ideas about crying, and suggests it could be a place of both social change and solace.

Do you remember the first time a character cried in a book you were reading?

Mine is a story my mum used to read us, Greyling by Jane Yolen. A man and woman live on a lonely island, and they long for a child. One day the man finds a seal on the beach and brings it home, where the seal transforms into a boy – a long-wished-for son for the couple. They live happily, until one day he dives into the sea to save his father from drowning, and as soon as he enters the water, he becomes a seal again.

As Geoff Dyer says in Blues for Vincent, ‘works of art that affect you deeply are seldom quite as you remember them’, but it’s the weeping I remember most, how the woman wept and how the couple consoled each other after the selkie slipped back into the depths of the stormy ocean.

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In the complex process of reading, we are interpreting and imagining, but we are also clue-hunting.

In the complex process of reading, we are interpreting and imagining, but we are also clue-hunting. Not least, we are hunting for clues about social conventions – learning how to ‘be’. How to be when something happy happens, how to be when we are bored, how to be when grief comes our way … how to be when a feeling comes over us, happy or sad, and makes us want to cry.

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I recently reread Noel Streatfeild’s 1930s children’s classic Ballet Shoes. Reading it as an adult, I was especially struck by Streatfeild’s matter-of-fact portrayal of crying. Cook was crying, simply because ‘Cook liked to cry’, and when young Pauline Fossil burst into tears at the dinner table, ‘everyone was surprised, except Doctor Jakes, who said it was quite a natural thing to do.’

The story reminded me of a moment years ago when I was reading a Berenstain Bears book to my eldest daughter and one of her friends. In the story, Mama Bear, overwhelmed by the family schedule, burst into tears. My daughter’s friend flushed red and jumped out of her chair as if she had just caught someone out in a cricket match.

‘Ha! But mums don’t cry,’ she said, punching the air.

In the story, Mama Bear, overwhelmed by the family schedule, burst into tears. My daughter’s friend flushed red and jumped out of her chair ... ‘Ha! But mums don’t cry,’ she said.

My daughter was quick with her reply. ‘Oh, yes, they do! My mum cries on the phone and on the back step.’

Truth right there. I do cry sometimes.

I’m a kindred spirit to Anne of Green Gables’ Anne Shirley. When I feel like crying, you see it in my cheeks, in the flicker in my eyes, and sometimes you see it in my bottom lip. But when my lips start to quiver, I scan the room for the quickest escape to a phone or back step. Because heaven forbid if my inner-Anne spills out into the world.

Netflix's recent incarnation of Anne of Green Gables

That complicated relationship we have with crying. Because despite medical websites and mental-health advocates telling us that crying is healthy, that the ‘process of opening into yourself, it’s a lock and key’, releasing stress and reducing suffering, we still tend to avoid it at all costs.

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Children’s literature has an integral part to play in helping children understand that there is no shame in crying.

Some children’s classics highlight a culture of emotional restraint, as Laura Ingalls Wilder described in Little Town on the Prairie, where frontier life in the 1880s meant everyone was on guard from the ‘danger of sharing your feelings.’ As Ma said: ‘Grown up people must never let feelings be shown by voice or manner.’ In many ways, I wonder if we still subscribe to this notion.

Some of the classics, like Ballet Shoes, advocate that crying is just part of life.

Yet some of the classics, like Ballet Shoes, advocate that crying is just part of life. Anne Shirley herself, in Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908, takes it another step and tells us it helps us feel better. When Marilla comforts her in the night after Matthew’s death, with a ‘There – there – don’t cry so, dearie. It can’t bring him back. It – it – isn’t right to cry so’, Anne steps in with, ‘Oh, just let me cry, Marilla. The tears don’t hurt me like the ache did. [Just] stay here for a while with me and keep your arm around me ...’

A recent publication, The Girl Who Brought Mischief by Katrina Nannestad, published in 2013, mirrors Anne Shirley’s sentiment. A girl named Inge goes to live with her grandmother on a tiny island, Bornholm in Denmark, after her mother dies. Like Anne, Inge gradually begins to soften her grandmother’s tough exterior, and the climax of the story is the moment when Grandmother gives in to her emotions and cries:

‘Grandmother wraps her arms gently around me. She doesn’t say stupid things like, “You will be ok” or “You need to be brave and strong”. She doesn’t squeeze me tight and pretend that she can protect me from this horrible grief. She just lets me snuggle in to her warm, squishy body and sob. And she helps me along by weeping a little too.’

While it is rare to see a boy cry in a book, New Zealander Vince Ford’s award-winning 1999 series 2Much4U brilliantly captures a local vernacular, and also reminds us that emotional restraint is very much part of our country’s social code. When the young male narrator says, ‘I could feel my face going red and tears starting to well up at the corners of my eyes’, his adult friend slaps him on the shoulder, saying, 'Don’t get worked up, son'.

... Emotional restraint is very much part of our country’s social code.

In the recently published New Zealand adventure story The Mapmakers’ Race by Eirlys Hunter, we might be beginning to see a different picture, though. During their epic adult-free adventure, four-year-old Humphrey cries from exhaustion and homesickness: ‘He was brave, but tears kept trickling down his puffy face'. While this description could go either way, perhaps Hunter is, in the matter-of-fact tone of Streatfeild, telling us that, after all, bravery and crying are not mutually exclusive.

*

Books work on us at so many levels. Anne Shirley was on to something when she set Marilla straight about crying. May Anne keep on working her magic, a century later.

And hopefully, with the help of literature, this generation of children will grow up knowing that crying can help take the ache away – for a while, at least – and that it helps to wrap our arms around each other until the pain goes, and say, ‘It’s okay to cry. I’m listening, and I’m here with you’.

KURA RUTHERFORD

Kura Rutherford is a Hawke’s Bay based editor, writer and librarian. She was brought up in Waiotemarama, Hokianga. She is of Scottish, English and Māori heritage (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa), but to her class she was better known as ‘one of those hippy kids’. In the ‘70s, Kura’s mum and dad were touring the North Island in their bright yellow Bedford bus when the bus broke down at the edge of the Waima Forest, so they settled down there.

Photo of Kura by Sarah Horn

Do you want to be sure you're getting top-shelf books for your favourite people this Christmas – or on any gift-giving occasion? We are making it easy for you! Here is our selection of the very best New Zealand picture books of 2018.

The Bomb, by Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan

What do you do when you’re no good at everyone’s favourite summer activity? In Sacha Cotter’s story of learning to do the perfect bomb, our young hero has to face failure and fear, and find his own path to follow, with the help of the coolest truck-driving Nan in Aotearoa. Told in a down-to-earth mix of prose and chant, with a clear New Zealand voice, The Bomb is original, fresh and wonderful – and comes in its own original te reo Māori edition, too, as Te Pohū.

Josh Morgan’s illustrations are absolutely first-class, evoking a wild summer in vivid colour. The sophisticated design is full of variation and packed with fun details that make it a book you can cheerfully read a hundred times.

The Bomb

by Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan

Published by Huia Publishers

RRP $23.00

I am Jellyfish, by Ruth Paul

Poor Jelly is being teased by Swordfish for not having a reason for existing, as she lives her peaceful existence. But she doesn’t mind – she’s a zen kind of creature. Told in effortless rhyme, this simple, philosophical story shows us that jellyfish do have their uses, and are not to be taken for granted.

Ruth Paul’s illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, using dappled tones, bright colours, and even glow-in-the-dark elements to pop the fish against the background, which heads to absolute black as we dive many fathoms deep. The expressions of the fish are hilarious, particularly the lanternfish, who has the expression of a country yokel in every B-grade Western ever made! Read full review on The Reader

I am jellyfish

by Ruth Paul

Published by Penguin

RRP $20.00

The Stolen Stars of Matariki, by Miriama Kamo

Miriama Kamo’s debut, The Stolen Stars of Matariki, is an assured blend of local geography, political parable, and the supernatural, as two children and their grandparents investigate why the Matariki constellation used to have nine stars and now only has seven.

Zak Waipara’s illustrations combine his distinctive graphic style with evocative colour washes and artistic elements from te Ao Māori. The book comes also comes in a te reo Māori edition, but the English version uses lots of reo, too, which is unobtrusively translated on the page, making the text accessible without simplifying the rich bilingual dialogue within the family.

The Stolen Stars of Matariki

by Miriama Kamo, illustrated by Zak Waipara

Published by Scholastic New Zealand

RRP $18.00

Puffin the Architect, by Kimberly Andrews

This book is a delightful tale of a mum trying to create the right home for her pufflings – but they are proving a little difficult to please. It's a fun romp through different, intricately designed houses, perfect for each client, but what's really breath-taking is the writing. To see a book completed in flawless rhyme, building page by page while subtly reusing and adapting each section to a new house and owner – well, it's rather astounding and worthy of a very long round of applause.

The illustrations are fabulously drawn and coloured, with a lot of detailed work for the plans throughout. The family interactions are endearing, and there's a lot to relate to as the little pufflings fail to appreciate their mum's genius! This is a delightful read for ages 3+, and school-age kids also get plenty out of the detail. Read full review.

Puffin the architect

by Kimberly Andrews

Published by Penguin

RRP $20.00

Dear Donald Trump, by Sophie Siers, illustrated by Anne Villeneuve

This book is gold! Dear Donald Trump tells the story of young Sam, who doesn’t want to share a room with his older brother any more. His brother plays on his phone after lights out, and steals his stuff. He is done with him – and he wants to build a wall. He writes a series of letters to the President to discuss their shared interest in keeping out the enemy.

Dear Donald trump

by Sophie Siers, illustrated by Anne Villeneuve

Published by Millwood Press

RRP $30.00

Oh, So Many Kisses, by Maura Finn, illustrated by Jenny Cooper

This is a snuggly, warm, lovely book that will just make you want to kiss and cuddle the little people around you. The perfect, fresh, bouncy rhyming makes for a book you and your kids will find yourselves reciting through the day.

The illustrations are beautiful watercolour portraits of a diverse range of real families. There's a māmā with moko kauae, another in hijab, babes with disabilities, and a variety of clothing from different cultures and religions. These families look like you might actually know them from kindy.

Oh, So many kisses

by Maura Finn, illustrated by Jenny Cooper

Published by Scholastic New Zealand

RRP $18.00

Oink, by David Elliot

A pig relaxing in a claw-foot bath faces an age-old dilemma in this nearly wordless masterpiece. A succession of knocks at the door bring in rowdy friends. The pig is now decidedly not relaxed (especially when a beach ball bounces off its head!) and clears the room in a classic, subtly scatalogical fashion.

The narrative tension is perfect, the story universally relatable, and the cosy illustrations are hilarious for old and young.

Oink

by David Elliot

Published by Gecko Press

RRP $25.00

Teacher Rachel Moore reviews five New Zealand junior fiction titles, including the first two in a new series by Maureen Crisp, the first in a series by Rhys Darby, a new title from Tom Moffatt, and another fabulous horse adventure book from Stacy Gregg.

Monsieur Charles’ Circus Quest, #1 The Playbill, #2 Magician’s Moustache, by Maureen Crisp, illustrated by Irina Burtseva

The first two books in Maureen Crisp’s Monsieur Charles’ Circus Quest will delight puzzle-loving 7-9-year-olds. Skye and Kestrel, two friends in a travelling circus community, are charged with solving a puzzle challenge that will determine the future of the circus and its performers, and solve a mystery about Kestrel’s missing mother along the way.

Crisp’s writing is full of show, not tell; great for making children think a little deeper about the book. Readers do need to be paying attention, as the solutions to each puzzle will not be handed to them on a platter, they’ll have to work at it a bit. There’s lots of detail about circus life and performances to intrigue readers, and some interesting character name choices (for example, the sons of the Falcon family are Peregrine and Kestrel).

Crisp’s writing is full of show, not tell; great for making children think a little deeper about the book.

The illustrations and overall book design are well done and will engage younger or less-confident readers who are not ready to transition to straight-text chapter books. At 78 pages each they won’t overwhelm a reader with their length, which is really important as children develop their confidence. These would be great to slip into a Christmas stocking next month.

Monsieur Charles’ Circus Quest, #1 The Playbillby Maureen Crisp, illustrated by Irina Burtseva

Published by Marmac

RRP: $12.00

Monsieur Charles’ Circus Quest, #2 magician's moustacheby Maureen Crisp, illustrated by Irina Burtseva

Published by Marmac

RRP: $12.00

This is the first book in what looks like it will be a rollicking good series for readers aged 8 and up. 12-year-old Buttons McGinty has had his parents disappear on him in suspicious circumstances, and next thing he knows he’s on a ship to an educational fortress on a sub-Antarctic island. And life just gets weirder and more mysterious from there.

Rhys Darby will be well known to adults for his comedic screen talents. I have possibly been over-exposed to him, as I had to fight hearing his adult voice narrating the book as I read. Younger readers will likely not have this problem though, and they’ll find Button’s narrative funny, engaging and chatty. Darby captures the voice of a 12-year-old extremely well.

Darby captures the voice of a 12-year-old extremely well.

This is another book to delight puzzle lovers – Morse Code runs through the book, and I can imagine children trying to work out the clues and then transferring their new skill to their own lives, and writing in Morse Code to their friends.

Page spread from The Top Secret Undercover Notes of Buttons McGinty, by Rhys Darby, reproduced with permission

There are lots of funny illustrations, kooky characters, madcap adventures and a good pace to keep readers engaged for the duration. I found the last 50 pages or so gripping, as Darby amps up the action and suspense and takes the story in a direction that I really wasn’t expecting. Readers will be eagerly awaiting the next edition in Button’s story once they get their hands on Notebook One.

The Top Secret Undercover Notes of Buttons McGinty

by Rhys Darby

Published by Scholastic NZ RRP: $17.99

Mind-Swapping Madness, by Tom E. Moffat, illustrated by Paul Beavis

Here is a book that does what it says on the cover – Bonkers Short Stories indeed! There are seven of them, each of them around the theme of mind-swapping, but each totally different.

A faulty fly swat causes a young boy to mind-swap with a fly. A twisted take on the Princess and the Frog fairy tale. An alien body snatcher, a soul-stealing great aunt, a horse with a lesson to teach. A legitimate mind-swapping machine with unintended consequences, and a synchronised sneeze that causes a sibling switch. Each of them is funny, and some of them have a subtle but valuable moral message.

Illustration of a horse with a lesson to teach, illustrated by Paul Beavis

My favourite short stories were Soul Beneficiary, Croak! and Bless You. All three were clever, made me laugh, and had an unexpected twist. The illustrations by Paul Beavis throughout the book are amusing and compliment the stories perfectly.

There aren’t many short story books around for readers of about eight up,, but they’re a perfect medium for younger, reluctant or struggling readers. They offer a good plot arc, a feeling of accomplishment as each story is completed, and the ability to put the book down without losing the thread of a longer narrative. I’d recommend this book for any reader 8+upwards with a good imagination and an even better sense of humour.

mind-swapping madnessby Tom E. Moffatt

Published by

RRP $17.99

The Fire Stallion, by Stacy Gregg

I’m not a “horsey”-person, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from The Fire Stallion, having not read any of Stacy Gregg’s work, apart from her fashion columns in the newspaper a long time ago! She had me won over within three pages.

The Fire Stallion is the modern day story of Hilly, a New Zealand girl who ends up on a movie set in Iceland after a tragedy. Hilly becomes interested in the Icelandic legend of Brunhilda, which is the story being depicted by the movie that being made. Through an intervention that I won’t describe for fear of ruining the plot, Hilly gains special insights into Brunhilda’s story, and these colour her attitude to the movie, leading her to try to influence the script, which has repercussions for her new friendships.

While this is a book with the relationship between a girl and a horse (two girls and two horses, actually) at the centre of the narrative, the story offers much more. The unusual location of Iceland offers an entry to a new world, somewhere readers are unlikely to be familiar with. The twin settings of a modern-day movie set and a Viking village 1,000 years ago are interesting and engaging, and the plot device that link the two was unexpected and enjoyable. And there’s a definite thread of female self-empowerment woven into both stories, which I really enjoyed.

The twin settings of a modern-day movie set and a Viking village 1,000 years ago are interesting and engaging, and the plot device that link the two was unexpected and enjoyable.

The Fire Stallion is so well written that for a lot of the time, I forgot that I was reading a book pitched at a much younger audience. I don’t think I can give much higher praise than that. The dialogue was believable, and the pacing kept the story moving along. The ending was (to 40-something me) a bit predictable and “Hollywood”, but 10-year-old me would have loved it.

I’d definitely recommend this book for readers aged 10 and up, as it feels quite sophisticated to me – and it’s certainly not just for the horse lovers. It’s a really good read.

the fire stallion

rachel moore

Rachel Moore is a experienced primary school teacher who lives on the Kāpiti Coast. Some of her earliest memories are of bedtime stories read with her dad, and she has made it her mission to try to pass on her love of books to every child she meets. Her childhood literary heroes are Jo March, Lucy Pevensie, Matilda Wormwood and Elizabeth Bennet. When she grows up, Rachel hopes she'll be able to live in a house big enough for all her books.

From the city centre of New Plymouth, follow the main road north until you reach Beach Street. Hang a left and head down the road a few hundred meters until the grey-blue sea comes into view. If the conditions are right, somewhere along the dunes above Fitzroy beach with a long-lens camera in hand, you might come across Huia Publisher’s latest debut author, Steph Matuku.

It’s not the most obvious place you’d expect to find a busy writer. In my mind, authors are tucked away in little studios surrounded by pensive trees or deep in the basement of the library ferreting through the archives. There’s no doubt Steph's done the hard yards to get to where she is today, but she approaches her writing much like she does surf-photography: as if it’s no big deal.

Photograph by Steph Matuku, used with permission, all rights reserved

I’ve been following Steph’s author-journey since she was awarded a Te Papa Tupu mentorship in 2016. At first, I read her monthly blog updates on the Māori Literature Trust because I was interested in the mentoring process. But after awhile I began seeking out everything she wrote just because she's bloody entertaining to read. She writes with ease and realness. There’s no pretence or posturing. You get the sense Steph is exactly who she is in person as she sounds on the page: down-to-earth, relatable, sharp.

The Sapling and on E-Tangata, are often quoted and re-shared on social media by fellow writers and fans who’ve connected not just with her ideas, but with the authenticity of her voice.

Photograph by Steph Matuku, used with permission, all rights reserved

It’s this kind of versatility that undoubtedly led to Steph releasing two very different books last month: one, a young-adult novel called Flight of The Fantail and the second a chapter book for early readers called Whetū Toa and the Magician. Let’s be clear: you have to be pretty special to release not one, but two books on your first hit-out. Most aspiring writers would be stoked with one publishable manuscript let alone two. Steph’s just happy to avoid the pressure most authors feel around publication of their second book; she’s already got all that out of the way.

Flight of the Fantail took roughly six years on its journey from the drafts folder to the beautiful, misty-green covered soft-back it is today. My eleven-year-old swooped on it as soon as it arrived and the first thing she said (while earnestly stroking the cover) was 'it feels so nice!’ Indeed, it’s a beautiful book. But there’s plenty of substance between the covers.

The story opens like a scene from an action film. You’re dropped into a remote National Park on a school bus filled with teenagers, flying at speed around corners. Think Waioweka Gorge, only steeper and narrower. Rocks skitter down the cliff into the snaking, slate-grey water below. By the time the bus goes over, three pages in, you’re invested. You’re part of this unit and you’re going to need all your wits about you to survive.

Flight of The Fantail has been marketed as Sci-Fi, but I think it would be more accurate to say that it’s an action-thriller. It’s about survival, in the classic ‘Lord of the Flies’ sense of the word. There's mysterious elements, but the story isn’t happening on another planet. You’re not being asked to suspend reality so much as tilt your worldview sideways a bit.

Flight of The Fantail has been marketed as Sci-Fi, but I think it would be more accurate to say that it’s an action-thriller. It’s about survival, in the classic Lord of the Flies sense of the word.

This is something I asked Steph about when I pitched up at Fitzroy Beach to chat with her in person. We met at the top of the sand dunes beside the coffee cart to discuss books and writing while keeping a steady eye on the rolling West coast surf.

Steph told me that she feels like the genre label of ’Sci-Fi' is a bit of a spoiler and I have to agree with her. I had been expecting dystopian or futuristic or fantasy but what I got was something quite different. It reminded me of a conversation that I had with my daughter’s school teacher about Māori mythology and whether it fits the category ‘Sci-Fi’.

Whether it does or doesn't is irrelevant. Māori stories are rooted in a Māori worldview; the arbitrary application of a Pākehā label after the fact doesn’t tell us anything. On a practical level, I know labels make it easier for teachers and librarians and publishers to get books into the hands of their target audience. But from a reader’s perspective, labels can be reductionist. They tend to shape our expectations before we begin.

Photograph by Steph Matuku, used with permission, all rights reserved

Stripped of the labels, Flight of The Fantail draws on Māori concepts to move the plot in intriguing, sometimes unexpected directions. But frankly, that feels like a spoiler, too. The same way Flight of The Fantail doesn’t easily slide under the Sci-Fi label, neither should it be reduced to the label of ‘Māori story’. Flight of The Fantail is just a good old-fashioned page-turner. The characters have the same realness to them that Steph brings to all her writing. I laughed out loud several times, once so suddenly that I woke the dog. With two teenagers in my household, I also recognised the kids. I could relate to the way they spoke and related to each other.

Steph says that the humour worked its way into the story naturally. ‘I don’t think you can force humour. As I’m writing, I will often stop and read certain passages aloud to myself to hear how they sound. I used to work in radio for 15 years so I got into the habit of listening to how people talk and the natural rhythms of language. You can hear when dialogue is forced.’

‘I don’t think you can force humour. As I’m writing, I will often stop and read certain passages aloud to myself to hear how they sound...'

Another refreshing point, particularly in the YA genre, is that none of the teens were experiencing an identity crisis on the basis of their ethnicity or gender or sexuality. I even had to check with Steph about the ethnicity of one of the characters because I wasn’t sure. We ended up having a funny conversation about how I’d visualised certain characters versus what she’d had in mind when she wrote them. I think this shows Steph is writing interesting, multi-dimensional characters - not caricatures. Steph says that the characters developed their personalities on the page as she wrote the story. She had an idea of what they looked like, but not what made them tick. ‘In a way, all of the characters have a little bit of me in them. The banter is me arguing with myself.’

Whetū Toa and the Magician is something else entirely. After Flight of The Fantail, it was like flicking the channel to something light and easy and nutritious. I landed softly in the beanbag and didn’t move for an hour. My kids wandered in and out several times and asked why I kept snorting. I read them a few passages and they laughed out loud, too. Whetū is the star of the show but it’s the talking animals that win you over. Their personalities match their names in a way that reminded me of Charlotte’s Web. My only complaint is that it was over too soon, but Steph assures me that in between the surf-photography she’s working on a sequel.

The fact that Whetū Toa and The Magician only took Steph three months to write shows how quietly talented she is. Like the surf photography - which she only took up in July this year - she just got on and sussed it out. The hobby began as a way to organically grow her social media presence so she could promote her books on the side. She’s a kūmara - self-promotion doesn’t come easily to her. But the strategy worked almost too well. Her Instagram feed now looks like she’s a professional photographer who dabbles in a bit of writing. Local surfers follow her posts, eager to see if she’s snapped them tucked inside a barrel against a crisp blue Taranaki sky.

Photograph by Steph Matuku, used with permission, all rights reserved

Steph laughs when she tells me this, as if being good at something she enjoys is just a happy coincidence. Having followed her blogs now for two years, I happen to know that behind the camera lens and down at the computer screen in the wee hours of morning there is plenty of hard work and hand-wringing going on. It takes determination and focus to achieve what she has in this short time.

But the best thing about Steph is that nothing is over-dramatised, either on the page or in real-life. What you set out to look for is exactly what you find.

Steph Matuku's surf photography can be found here on Instagram. And you can find her website here.

flight of the fantail

by Steph Matuku

Published by Huia Publishers

RRP: $30.00

whetu toa and the magician

by Steph Matuku Published by Huia Publishers

RRP: $25.00

nadine anne hura

Nadine Anne Hura (Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi) has a background in journalism, education policy and kaupapa Māori research. Her essays explore themes of identity, biculturalism, politics and parenting, and are collected on her website.

What fictional death have you never got over? That's the question asked of our editor Jane Arthur by poet Chris Tse, guest curator of the 'In Memoriam' event at last weekend's LitCrawl in Wellington, a literary festival with a difference. Jane chose Charlotte from E.B. White's enduring classic, Charlotte's Web

O arachnid

O literate departed

Carlotta, Lottie, Charlie

Charlotte A. Cavatica

O Charlotte and your wordy web

O you, barn spider, who were at least four times better than any human,

having four times more legs than most of us. And hundreds more babies.

Five hundred and fourteen babies, Charlotte.

Five hundred and fourteen motherless babes.

O arachnid

O literate, beloved departed

The first time we met was because of friendship,

because you heard you were needed.

You weren’t there, then you were,

telling the lonely pig you’d be his friend.

You were kind but blunt

when telling the pig he couldn’t spin a web,

when he thought if you could,

of course he could,

in the way that men do.

O, sister.

O Charlotte, you never tiptoed around the realities of life –

that we need to eat, that we die.

But still, you knew great change

can be made by one small woman

and so you determined to save that pig’s life.

And the way you did it was with kindness and trickery,

for, quoting you,

'If I can fool a bug… I can surely fool a man.'

You used to say:

'I’m in this thing pretty deep now – I might as well go the limit.'

You used to say:

'I can’t arrange my family duties to suit the management of the County Fair.'

Many of us know all too well what you meant, Charlotte.

You saved a life and still the world didn’t go easier on you.

You saved a life through your pregnant exhaustion, and yet.

It’s hard for mothers.

Charlotte, you were persuasive and pacifist.

You used words to sway rats and men.

You built webs and built webs and built webs and built webs.

You gave literally all you had.

And in spite of everything, no one even noticed you.

I’m here to say, in front of this gathering, I did. We did! The kids did.

You said, 'I think I’m languishing, to tell you the truth.'

And then:

Five hundred and fourteen babies, Charlotte.

Five hundred and fourteen motherless babes.

You died alone.

The others left you at the County Fair and returned to the farm, as you wished.

You died, content and alone.

O Charlotte

O arachnid

O literate beloved

’Tis better to have loved and lost

you, Charlotte,

than a living, flesh-and-bones love – sorry,

but our grief for you ends quickly

in a paper flash

when we open the cover of your story

and resurrect you again

and again and again.

Maybe one of the spiders I kill without thinking

is a descendant of yours.

Charlotte, I’ll think of you and the lessons you taught

about life, death and sacrifice

next time I squash an arachnid,

O literate, late beloved.

Jane Arthur

Jane Arthur is one of the editors of The Sapling. She has worked in the New Zealand book industry for over 15 years, in bookselling and publishing, and has a Masters of Creative Writing from the IIML at Victoria University. She won the 2018 Sarah Broom Poetry Prize, judged by US poet, Eileen Myles. Jane was born in New Plymouth, and lives in Wellington.

Early Childhood teacher Sara Croft reviews four New Zealand picture books. Two take us on the sea, and the other two feature a plethora of hilarious birds.

There’s a Tui in our Teapot - he tūī kei rō tīpāta, by Dawn McMillan, illustrated by Nikki Slade Robinson & translated by Ngaere Roberts

It’s breakfast time and the birds are making mischief inside Nan’s house. A tūī is in the teapot, takahē is by the toaster and a pūkeko is in the pantry looking for eggs. Packets are ripped open, milk is spilling over and now hoiho is in the fridge! There is bedlam and mess everywhere! The story reminds me of Hairy Maclary’s antics and children will love seeing the chaos unfold.

Dawn McMillan knows what will enchant young readers and has made another wonderful addition to our New Zealand bookshelves. The English text is a melodic poem and the rhyming prose skips us along as we turn the page to find what happens next.

The simple text lets the pictures tell the story and Nikki delivers again in her bright illustrations. There is so much emotion and character conveyed in her work. Make sure you look closely at the little details, especially the wonderful alliteration on the cereal boxes and all the birds Nan wears as she walks downstairs to save the day!

Nan and her birds, from A Tūī in our Teacup

As the name suggests, this is a bilingual book and it is refreshing to have both the English and te reo Māori together on each page. It is frustrating when you find the translation in a bilingual book pushed to the back (it makes for awkward reading!). Also, the layout in There's a Tūī in our Teapot allows children to enjoy the illustrations which are so important for young children to grasp meaning, no matter which text you decide to read.

Each bird has been called by their Māori names in both the English and Māori text (even the birds where the English names might be more commonly used). However, it is a shame, and a bit baffling, that the macrons are missing from the Māori bird names in the English version.

New Zealand birds are popular characters in our stories and they are so much fun. Dawn and Nikki have captured their antics in this quick-paced and hilarious story. There's a Tūī in our Teapot is a delightful storybook which will make everyone giggle at the silliness of some of our favourite New Zealand birds.

There’s a Tui in our teaPOT – he tui kei ro tipata

Published by Oratia Publishing

RRP: $24.99

Kuwi is on a mission to enjoy a cup of tea and some peace at the end of a busy day. But … Huwi is still full of energy and makes lots of rowdy noise as he plays with his friends! Every parent will relate to frazzled Mum Kuwi. Her cup of tea slowly cools as she moves about the house trying to find a quiet place to relax.

Like any young child, Huwi follows his Mum from room to room with another loud game to play. Farting whio join Huwi and Kuwi in the bathtub, Huwi and a troop of tap-dancing tomtits are training outside and karate-kicking kōkako are doing cartwheels in the kitchen when Kuwi heats up her cup of kawakawa tea. Children will love joining in with the rowdy onomatopoeia and laughing at the games Huwi plays with his friends. Will Kuwi ever get to enjoy her cup of tea and some quiet?

Kat Merewether has the ability to take a seemingly ordinary moment in every young family and find the adventure in it. She perfectly captures all the emotion and drama at the end of a busy day through her fun alliteration and beautiful illustrations. The book is full of modern kiwiana (all with a Kuwi twist of course!). Take the time to go on a treasure hunt to find the little details in the pictures that will delight both big and small readers.

Kuwi’s Rowdy Crowdis a wonderfully New Zealand book, full of kiwi creatures and adventures. Kat Merewether has created another picture book full of humour and whimsy that elevates an everyday moment into the magical. It is destined to be another kiwi classic.

kuwi's rowdy crowd

by Kat Merewether

Published by Illustrated Publishing RRP: $19.99

Hero of the Sea: Sir Peter Blake’s mighty ocean quests, by David Hill, illustrated by Phoebe Morris

This is the next picture book in a series of biographies of heroic New Zealanders created by David Hill and Phoebe Morris. This book is about the life of Sir Peter Blake, a New Zealand hero who is a wonderful role model for our young children. Sir Peter is portrayed as a multidimensional character – full of hopes and dreams, with successes and failures and with a ‘loud happy laugh’. We follow Sir Peter Blake from his childhood when he builds a yacht in his shed, through his sailing career and to his death in the Amazon.

Sir Peter is portrayed as a multidimensional character – full of hopes and dreams, with successes and failures and with a ‘loud happy laugh’.

Sir Peter is known for his lucky red socks which he attributed to helping him win the America’s Cup in 1995. Our children giggled to see the zoo’s elephants wearing their own red socks and the picture showing Sir Peter in the bath as he found out he was to be knighted for his sailing success! The biography captures the lasting impact of Sir Peter’s life. Sir Peter’s love of sailing sparked his passion for environmental awareness and we read about his efforts to educate the world about the beauty around us. We learn about the Spirit of Adventure and Sir Peter Blake’s efforts to nurture youth leadership through sailing.

Spread from Hero of the Sea, by David Hill, illustrated by Phoebe Morris. Reproduced with Puffin's permission.

Also, it is good to see that author David Hill not only names Peter’s wife, Pippa, but also shares her character and achievements with us too – making sure her contribution is valued equally. David Hill’s skilful retelling of Sir Peter Blake’s life is beautifully accompanied by the illustrations. Phoebe Morris pulls us in and takes us on the adventure with Sir Peter Blake. We are transported from the turbulent seas during the Whitbread race, to the grandeur of the Amazon and the wonder of Antarctica. This is a delightful book that will be enjoyed by adults and children alike. This is a wonderful addition to a series of books which bring our history and famous characters alive for our children. We look forward to the next biography but hope to see more diversity portrayed to inspire the next generation of kiwi kids. Perhaps Dame Whina Cooper, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, or Helen Clark would make for great picture biography!

Hero of the Sea: Sir Peter Blake’s mighty ocean questsby David Hill, illustrated by Phoebe Morris

Published by Puffin

RRP $25.00

We’ve got a boat, by Jay Laga’aia and illustrated by Donovan Bixley

Jay Laga’aia has written a musical retelling of the 2017 America’s Cup in a uniquely kiwi tall tale that takes in all the drama of a high speed race. The reader is immediately transported onto the New Zealand boat and the anticipation builds as we follow the race. Will New Zealand be successful and lift the Auld Mug high again?

The author has woven te ao Māori throughout the story, honouring the rich sailing history of our indigenous people alongside our modern day achievements. It empowers the mana of all our children to read a bicultural story that values our cultures alongside one another.

Poetic licence has been used to create a dynamic and fast-paced story (I don’t remember any buffalo grass being used to tie the hulls together!). But the key parts of the 2017 America’s Cup race have been retold to ensure it is historically accurate. For those children who are interested, photos and information are shared at the end about the famous 1995 and 2017 victories.

We've got a Boat

The story is perfectly accompanied by the song sung by Jay too – our children particularly loved the haka woven into the song! Just like the text, it is fast-paced and soon everyone will be humming along to the chorus.

Donovan Bixley brings along some of his favourite characters and his signature style to the story. He has personified the animals in his characteristic way, revealing the emotions, drama and excitement. Each page becomes a treasure hunt to find the little details hidden inside. Can you find the French patching their boat with a band aid, Peter Burling so calmly skippering our crew and some famous lyrics floating past in a bottle? Bixley always makes sure the adult reader will enjoy reading his picture books as much as our children!

It is refreshing to see a different sport take centre stage in our literature. Jay Laga’aia takes us on an upbeat adventure that will be sure to inspire passion for the next America’s Cup challenge.

we've got a boat

sara croft

Sara teaches young children and it is a great excuse to indulge her love of picture books and to pass on a love of words, reading and stories to the next generation. She has an extensive library which is forever growing (often quite literally with a hammer and nails to add a new shelf!). Her children and young adult collection sit alongside cookbooks, a wide range of non-fiction, and books which make her laugh or think. She is always seeking out the perfect picture book to share with her young audience – preferably books which tell Aotearoa’s stories.

The images and the story of Margaret Mahy’s “A Lion in the Meadow” have almost become a part of the collective consciousness of children who grow up in Aotearoa. This year, the Māori language translation of the book: “He Raiona i roto i ngā Otaota” by Piripi Walker, was released. Krissi Smith was lucky enough to chat to Piripi about this classic book which has been given new life in te reo Māori!

(Read this interview in te reo Māori here.)

Tēnā koe Piripi! Despite the many benefits of this digital world, it’s meant that we’ve wound up having a face-to-screen kōrero, rather than a face-to-face one! Which is all a bit weird. To set that right for ourselves, and for our readers as well, I wanted to give you a heart-felt greeting as someone who descends from the highlands of Scotland (Ngāti Kōtimana). Where do you belong to?

I’m from Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Te Arawa, and I’m from Ngāti Kōtimana too.

Really? Maybe we’ve got a Scottish whakapapa connection, hehe. So, now we know where you are from, how about where your reo Māori is from? Did you grow up in a Māori speaking community?

I didn’t grow up speaking Māori, no. My Māori grandmother did use te reo though, as I was growing up, and her mother was a native speaker. I started learning at Hiruhārama, on the Whanganui river, when I was 17. I stayed with of one of the kuia of the pā – I was with her in her kitchen. She was the kuia of that region who was responsible for carrying the tikanga associated with tangihanga. I was her helper – I’d fish for eels and chop the veges. I also learned te reo while I was at the Gear Meatworks.

After that, when I was 22, I studied te reo Māori at Victoria University under Hirini Moko Mead and the rest. I also got involved in the language revitalisation efforts of Ngāti Raukawa, Te Ātiawa and Ngāti Toa Rangatira that was called Whakatupuranga Rua Mano / Generation 2000. Then when I went home to work on our marae I was taught more by my elders about the reo of my own iwi.

You’ve told me about some other kid’s books you’ve translated, such as that absolute treasure written and illustrated by Gavin Bishop: Koinei te Whare nā Haki i Hanga, as well as several books by Gay Hay and more. I also know that you were one of the editors of the ground-breaking dictionary: He Pātaka Kupu. Are you also a writer?

Yes, I’ve written some books about the history of my iwi.

And what about this book that you’ve just been working on. Whose idea was it to translate He Raiona i roto i ngā Otaota?

It was the team at Hachette (the publishers).

And what were your thoughts about the English language version by Whaea Margaret Mahy? Had you already read the book to your own kids?

Yeah, I read it to them when they were young. It’s a beautiful book, kids really enjoy it. Children love lions and tigers – they’re big, they might eat you, they’re scary, they’re exciting!

This book is such big deal to so many people – why do you think people love it so much?

Margaret Mahy’s words are just beautiful. She was incredibly talented at writing stories, able to put words together like you would hear in a whakataukī. The illustrations are also wonderful.

Like I said, lions are scary, whereas your home is completely safe. Outside, in the meadow, by the trees, there are things which might scare a child but also these are places that a child will want to go and explore. Inside it’s safe, but outside is another world. This is how all kids are, they cling to Mum and they know they’re safe, but they go away from Mum and there’s potential danger. This book gives children the opportunity to explore those exciting “outside” spaces in their imagination.

I really enjoyed your translation of this book. Thank you! One thing I noticed was the way that you followed the path that Margaret Mahy set out when she wrote the English words. Beautiful, clear, simple language for the most part, with a sprinkling of more challenging and exciting words as a garnish. Like in this sentence: 'Ka pakaru mai tetahi raiona nui whakaharahara, raiona ngengere, raiona kumikumi nui ki roto.' How did that process work for you?

That’s it really, I committed to follow in the footsteps of Margaret: making most of the words simple and clear, and then a few difficult ones here and there. So that kids who are reading the book will come across a few new terms. I always say each sentence aloud to myself before I write it down so that I know the rhythm is right before I put it to paper.

This a rule really, for all mahi Māori, the same as for composing pātere or haka, so that you know the flow of the sentence will stand up well when it’s delivered aloud. It’s even the same as carving a waka, or tattooing a moko, or carving a table or chair – you make sure it’s even so it doesn’t wobble.

Do you see any special challenges in the job of translating children’s books?

The most important thing is that the words are simple. So that a child can look at it once, or hear it once and understand what that word means, what that sentence is about. It’s important to write with words that are used in everyday spoken language. Not a bunch of brand new words.

Secondly, the sentences should all sound pleasant – both to the child and to the parent who is reading it.

Thirdly, it should be fun and exciting to say the words aloud. The Māori words should be really beautiful to read aloud or to sing. Those are the types of words I chose for this book.

Something I really love about this book is the way the story interweaves the 'real' world with the 'magical' world. Margaret Mahy is well-known for this style of storytelling and, interestingly, so are a lot of Māori writers and storytellers. Would you agree with that?

Yes, I do agree with that. Also, children are forever pulling from both worlds in their imaginations and that is the source of their many games.

I’m a mum – my daughter is seven, and Māori language books are a real taonga in our house. Do you have grandchildren? Do they read the book?

I have seven mokopuna. I read this book to the Māori-speaking ones. The original is such a well-known book to children everywhere.

To finish up – who are your favourite Māori writers of children’s books? And what was your favourite book when you were a kid?

Te Rangihaeata is my absolute favourite writer for Māori children – all the stories about Māui – and I also love Te Rangikāheke of Te Arawa – everything from the tales of Kae and Tutunui to the ones about Hatupatu and Kurangaituku.

It’s important that our Māori children can grow up knowing the pūrākau about their atua, tūpuna, taniwha and about Hawaiki as well. That this isn’t something that is lost. These stories have all been given new life in the literature of the 1800s. It’s possible for us to dig them up again, to learn them again, to say them aloud again and to read them to our children. By knowing these pūrākau, parts of our Māoritanga return to us once again so that our children grow up as Māori.

Wow, thank you so much for these words, e te rangatira! 'E tupu Māori ai ā tātou tamariki' 'So that our children grow up as Māori' – that’s the kōrero to end on, I think.

HE RAIONA I ROTO I NGĀ OTAOTA

nā Margaret Mahy

ko ngā whakaahua nā Jenny Williams

he mea whakamāori nā Piripi Walker

Hachette

RRP $22

Kristin Smith

Kua roa a Krissi e noho ana i Te Whanganui a Tara nei, i roto rawa i te rohe o Te Āti Awa nō runga i te rangi. Heoi, nō Kōterani kē ōna tīpuna - he tangata mau panekoti, he tangata noho maunga, he tangata whai huruhuru! Kotahi tāna tamāhine haututū - ko Nina Manaia te tou tīrairaka. Nō Rongomaiwahine, nō Ngāti Kahungunu, nō Te Āti Haunui a Pāpārangi hoki tāna hoa wahine. Kua waimarie ia i tana mōhio ki te reo Māori, he taonga nui i kohaina mai i ōna pouako, i ōna tuākana, i ōna hoa anō hoki. I ēnei rā, he kaiako reo Māori ia, he kaituhi, he kaiwhakahaere tānga hoki ki Te Whare Ture Hapori o Te Whanganui a Tara me Te Awa Kairangi. Engari, ko tana tino hiahia i tēnei wā, ko te takoto noa i te moenga mō te rā katoa, pānui pukapuka ai.

Ko ngā pikitia me ngā kōrero o Lion in the Meadow nā Margaret Mahy, he mea tuhi ki te rae o te tamaiti i tipu ake i Aotearoa nei. I tēnei tau, i puta mai ki te ao He Raiona i roto i ngā Otaota nā Piripi Walker i whakamāori. I kōrero tahi a Krissi Smith rāua ko Piripi Walker mō te pukapuka tawhito kua ara mai anō hei pukapuka hou i te reo rangatira!

(You can read this interview in English tomorrow.)

Tēnā koe Piripi! Ahakoa ngā painga o tēnei ao matihiko, ehara tēnei i te kōrero kanohi ki te kanohi, he kōrero kanohi ki te rorohiko me kī! Nā, kāore anō tāua kia tino mōhio ko wai tāua. Kia tika ai taua āhuatanga, ā, hei whakamōhiotanga ki ngā kaipānui – he uri tēnei nō Ngāti Kōtimana e tuku mihi ana ki a koe. Ā kāti, nō hea koe?

Nō Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, nō Te Arawa, nō Ngāti Kōtimana anō hoki.

Nē rā! He whanaunga Kōtimana pea tāua. Hei tāpiri atu ki tērā, nō hea tō reo Māori? I tipu ake koe i te hapori kōrero Māori?

Kāore au i tipu ake i roto i te reo Māori. Taku kuia Māori, he kupu Māori anō āna i taku tupunga ake, ko tana māmā hoki he mōhio tūturu ki te kōrero Māori. I tīmata au ki te ako i Hiruhārama i te awa o Whanganui, i noho au i te kāuta o tētahi kuia i te pā, 17 ōku tau. Koia te kuia pupuru i ngā tikanga mō te tangihanga i tōna takiwā. Ko au tana tamaiti hī tuna, tapahi otaota. I ako hoki au i te reo i te whare patu mīti o te Gear Meat. Nō muri, ka haere au ki te whare wānanga o Wikitōria 22 ōku tau, ki te whai i te reo Māori i reira, i raro i a Hirini Moko Mead mā. I tērā wā hoki ka uru au ki ngā mahi whakaora reo o Ngāti Raukawa, o Te Ātiawa, o Ngā Toarangatira, e kīia nei ko Whakatupuranga Rua Mano. Ka hoki ki te mahi i runga i ngā marae ka ākona au e ngā pakeke ki ngā āhuatanga o tōku iwi.

Kua whakamōhio mai koe, nāu anō i whakamāori ētahi atu pukapuka tamariki pērā i te taonga nā Gavin Bishop i tuhi/whakaahua Koinei te Whare nā Haki i Hanga, me ētahi pukapuka nā Gay Hay me ētahi atu anō hoki. Ā, e mōhio ana au ko koe tētahi o ngā ētita mō te papakupu rongonui: He Pātaka Kupu. He kaituhi hoki koe?

Āe, kua tuhi pukapuka au mō ngā hītori o taku iwi.

Nā, kia tae mai tāua ki tēnei pukapuka tonu! Nō wai te whakaaro kia whakamāoritia He Raiona i roto i ngā Otaota?

Nā te hunga i Hachette (arā ko ngā kaiwhakatā i te pukapuka nei)

Ā, e pēhea ana ō whakaaro mō te pukapuka reo Pākehā nei, nā Whaea Margaret Mahy? Kua pānuitia kētia A Lion in the Meadow e koe, e āu nā tamariki?

Āe, kua pānuitia e au ki aku tamariki tokowhā i ngā rā o te tamarikitanga. He pukapuka ātaahua, he pai ki te tamariki. He mea pai ki te tamariki te raiona me te taika, he nui, he kai tangata, he whakamataku, he whakamīharo.

E arohaina tonutia ana tēnei pukapuka e te iti me te rahi – ki ōu ake whakaaro, he aha te take i pēnei ai te nui o te aroha?

He ātaahua ngā kupu a Margaret Mahy, te tino ringa rehe ki te tuhi pakiwaitara, he whakataukī tonu te rite. Waihoki ngā whakaahua, he rawe. I kī ake rā au, he whakamataku tēnei mea te raiona. He haumaru katoa a roto i te whare, kei waho kei ngā otaota, kei ngā rākau ētahi mea e mataku ai te tamaiti, e hiahia ai ia ki te toro haere. A roto, he haumaru, a waho, he ao kē anō. Koinei te āhua o te tamaiti ahakoa ko wai, ki te piri ki a Whaea kua haumaru, tawhiti i a Whaea he mōrearea a reira. I tēnei pukapuka ka āhei te hinengaro o te tamaiti ki te tipiwhenua atu ki te ao o waho.

Mīharo katoa ana au i tō whakamāori i te pukapuka nei. Ka nui te mihi! Ki taku nei titiro, i whai koe i te ara nā Margaret Mahy i whakatakoto – arā ko te ngawari o ngā rerenga kōrero i te nuinga o te wā, me te ruirui i ngā kupu whakaniko hei kīnaki. Pērā i tēnei rerenga: “Ka pakaru mai tetahi raiona nui whakaharahara, raiona ngengere, raiona kumikumi nui ki roto.” I pēhea te huarahi i whāia e koe kia tutuki pai ai tēnei mahi?

Koia nā, i ngana au ki te whai i ta Mākareta: te nuinga o ngā kupu he ngāwari, ētahi anō he uaua. Kia tūtaki hoki te tamaiti ki ētahi kupu tino hou. Ka whakahua ā-waha tonu au i ngā rerenga katoa i mua i te tuhinga ki te pepa, kia pai tonu te manawataki o te rerenga kātahi anō ka tuhia ki te pepa. He ture tēnei i ngā mahi Māori, tito pātere, haka, kia tū tika te tangi o te rerenga ina puta ki te takiwā. He pēnei i te tārai waka, i te tā moko, i te tārai tēpu, tūru rānei, kia taurite, kei tukoki.

He wero kei roto i te mahi whakamāori i ngā pukapuka tamariki?

Te mea nui kia māmā ngā kupu. Kotahi anake te kitenga, te rongonga, kua mārama te tamaiti ki te tikanga o taua kupu, o taua rerenga. Te mea nui, kia hoki ki ngā kupu e kōrerotia ana i te reo o ia rā. Kaua ngā kupu tauhou. Tuarua, kia pārekareka ngā rerenga ki te taringa o te tamaiti, waihoki te matua panui pukapuka. Tuatoru, kia ngahau ki te whakahua, he ātaahua ngā kupu Māori ki te whakahua, ki te waiata. Ko ērā kupu ka kōwhiritia e au.

Ki a au nei, ko tētahi āhuatanga rawe e kitea ai i tēnei pukapuka ko te whiriwhiri o te ao tūturu me te ao moemoeā. He kaha nō Margaret Mahy te tuhi pēnei, heoi, he kaha hoki nō ngā kaikōrero me ngā kaituhi i te ao Māori hoki. Kei te whakaae koe?

Āe rā, kei te whakaae, kāore he mutunga o te pohewa o te tamaiti, ko te puna tērā o ngā tākaro tamariki maha.

He māmā au – e whitu ngā tau o taku tamāhine, ā, he tino taonga ngā pukapuka reo Māori i tō māua whare. He tamariki, he mokopuna rānei āu? Pānui ai rātou i te pukapuka nei?

Tokowhitu aku mokopuna. Panui ai au i tēnei pukapuka ki ngā mea kōrero Māori. He pukapuka rongonui Te Raiona ki ngā tamariki katoa o te motu.

He kōrero whakakapi – ko wai ō tino kaituhi pukapuka tamariki he Māori rātou? Waihoki, he aha tō tino pukapuka i a koe e tamariki ana?

Taku tino kaituhi mā ngā tamariki Māori ko Te Rangihaeata, ngā kōrero mō Māui, me te Rangikāheke o Te Arawa, ana pakiwaitara katoa, mai i a Kae rāua ko Tutunui, ki a Hatupatu me Kurangaituku. He mea pai kia whakatupua ngā tamariki Māori kia rongo rātou i ngā pūrākau atua, tūpuna, taniwha, Hawaiki hoki. Ehara i te mea kua ngaro. Kua whakarauorangia te katoa i roto i ngā tuhinga o tērā atu rau tau. Ka taea ēnei te hauhake mai anō, te ako anō, me te whakaputa ā-waha, ā-pānui pukapuka rānei ki ā tātou tamariki. Mā te mōhio ki ēnei pūrākau ka hoki mai anō tētahi wāhi o te Māoritanga, e tupu Māori ai ā tātou tamariki.

Whū! Tēnā koe i ēnei kōrero āu, e te rangatira! 'E tupu Māori ai ā tātou tamariki' – koinā te kōrero!

HE RAIONA I ROTO I NGĀ OTAOTA

nā Margaret Mahy

ko ngā whakaahua nā Jenny Williams

he mea whakamāori nā Piripi Walker

Hachette

RRP $22

Kristin Smith

Kua roa a Krissi e noho ana i Te Whanganui a Tara nei, i roto rawa i te rohe o Te Āti Awa nō runga i te rangi. Heoi, nō Kōterani kē ōna tīpuna - he tangata mau panekoti, he tangata noho maunga, he tangata whai huruhuru! Kotahi tāna tamāhine haututū - ko Nina Manaia te tou tīrairaka. Nō Rongomaiwahine, nō Ngāti Kahungunu, nō Te Āti Haunui a Pāpārangi hoki tāna hoa wahine. Kua waimarie ia i tana mōhio ki te reo Māori, he taonga nui i kohaina mai i ōna pouako, i ōna tuākana, i ōna hoa anō hoki. I ēnei rā, he kaiako reo Māori ia, he kaituhi, he kaiwhakahaere tānga hoki ki Te Whare Ture Hapori o Te Whanganui a Tara me Te Awa Kairangi. Engari, ko tana tino hiahia i tēnei wā, ko te takoto noa i te moenga mō te rā katoa, pānui pukapuka ai.

Two of New Zealand's most celebrated, funny and prolific author-illustrators let us eavesdrop on a chat they had recently. Here are Ruth Paul and Donovan Bixley, sharing their thoughts about making money, embarrassing art, hard work and hats.

They have both had stellar years. Ruth's I Am Jellyfish (Penguin Random House) won the Best Picture Book Award, she's illustrating the new picture book series by the bestselling Stacy Gregg, Mini Whinny (Scholastic), and is the author/illustrator of Little Hector and the Big Blue Whale (Penguin). Donovan has three new books out for Christmas: We've Got a Boat with Jay Laga'aia (Scholastic), How Māui Fished Up the North Island: Tales of Aotearoa(Upstart, advised by Darren Joseph), and the stunning Mozart: The Man Behind the Music

Donovan wearing not-his-usual hat and a serendipitous T-shirt; Ruth as carrot, promoting Mini Whinny

Ruth: My first question. It strikes me that you have a fine head of hair. Is the hat hiding anything?

Donovan: Surprisingly, given the rest of the males in my family have no hair, no, it’s not covering my bald head.

R: So?

D: Kids usually ask if I’m a magician. I like to think that I keep a little bit of magic inside my hat. Like a cave of wonders, there are strange ideas hidden in the dark, just waiting to be discovered.

As authors and illustrators we all start out with a blank piece of paper and then scribbled lines and words just come out – we draw things out of our imagination – and before you know it whole universes appear, where there was once nothing. To most people in the world, that’s a kind of magic – it certainly seems so to me, because whenever I finish a book often think, Did I do that?

Actually, I hardly ever look at my work once I’ve finished it, which is why it’s always surprising when I see it again ... How about you? Do you go back over your old work?

R: I like some pieces of art from my old books, some of the stories, but mostly I feel like I’ve moved on. Do you have a spare hat? Unfortunately I have an enormous head.

D: Yeah, I have tons of hats if you ever need one, from China, Indonesia, Mexico, Nepal, Turkey, Iceland, Africa. I’ve been collecting them since I was a boy, and my dad would always bring something home from exotic places cos he travelled around the world being a geothermal engineer. I’m a real hat-wearer.

R: A sombrero might fit me. Now, we both write and illustrate books, and we’ve both also just released books we’ve illustrated for other writers. Which way of working do you prefer?

D: I love words, although the process of writing can be quite painful compared to illustrating. Pictures come more easily to me. However, there’s a tremendous joy in conceiving whole projects and bringing your own ideas to the world.

R: Describe the different processes for me.

D: Well, every day working on Māuiwas like going off to some magical world, and I loved every minute of it. With my own books I can layer in so many elements and really nerd-out over the research. But I do find I get overwhelmed by having to be solely responsible. With ‘Flying Furballs’ I have a long, ongoing series plot to wrangle and 21 principal characters to look after. I’ve created this self-inflicted pressure for producing the next book and the next and the next ... and deadlines are no fun, but they get things completed! Having said all that, I do love having the total vision of my own projects.

When I work with an author I take what they give me, unquestioned. On my own projects, I’m constantly adjusting and tweaking the relationship between words and pictures right up until I upload it to the printers.

R: This is sounding familiar.

D: But, as I indicated above, I found it quite a relief to only be responsible for the illustrations. I love the fact that other authors bring you totally new material out of your zone. I feel I get the best of both worlds.

Also, someone to share the promotion with is great!

Sometimes when I’m working on my own projects, I’m so involved from conception to delivery that I worry that I’m missing a trick – overlooking some really obvious flaw, or worrying that I just can’t see the wood for the trees. And you?

Ruth (in blue) with Stacy Gregg, the author of Mini Whinny

R: My split personality likes being both author and illustrator. I leave one half to slug it out with the other in the hope of arriving at a workable solution. But I’ve also loved working with Stacy Gregg on Mini Whinny because it felt like a real collaboration, not just an illustration job.

Now for a question I often get asked: do you have a real job as well?

D: Haha. I support a family of five pretty much solely on my earnings from advances and six- monthly royalties. Which I have been doing for about seven years now. It makes budgeting and surviving a bit nerve-wracking. Having to make a living from the thing you love doing certainly has an effect on your enjoyment, because sometimes you feel like you’re just a conveyer belt. I have constant mental struggles being a full time author and illustrator.

R: Welcome to the club. I wouldn’t have been able to work on books and raise kids over the years without alternative part-time work and my partner having a real job, so big ups to you for achieving the seemingly impossible. I did note a trip to Italy, though, in your Instagram feed recently. Did you win Lotto?

D: No, unfortunately not (yes, even doing your dream job you still dream of winning Lotto) — but amazingly I was the recipient of the Mallinson Rendel Illustrators Award from the New Zealand Arts Foundation. That’s one of those awesome lifetime achievement awards that just come out of the blue. Literally, I thought it was a Nigerian scam when they first contacted me and said I’d been awarded fifteen grand. For once, it was money that landed when the car or the roof didn’t need fixing.

Donovan Bixley: Da Vinci fan-boy

I used the award to go to Italy because I’ve been working on a book on Leonardo for the last 20 years. I got to spend 45 minutes alone with his astounding paintings in the Uffizi in Florence, and I also had a private tour of the world-famous Music Museum in Bologna, where Mozart was the youngest person to be accepted into their famous academy of Maestros at age 14! Such an inspiring place, with connections to so many of my books.

Now, Leonardo’s a guy who can draw horses. I LOOOVE drawing horses. Your horses are super-duper cute, but … can you ride one?

R: (*falls off chair laughing, an indication of her stability on a horse*) I can’t draw horses! What’s with all those legs? Actually, I find drawing really hard, full-stop, and I prefer to ride bikes because they don’t have wicked intentions. For me, illustrating is a process of scribble, splodge and repeat (repeat, repeat) until it looks right. What do you find the hardest thing to draw?

D: Feet are hard.

R: You must have loved illustrating Fuzzy Doodle, then!

D: Fuzzy Doodle was a wonderful splodgy experiment … but everything’s hard in a way. Drawing a WW1 biplane is pretty hard, but I totally love WW1 biplanes so it’s all good, where-as I hate drawing modern cars and trucks — must be because I was always asked to draw trucks by the school bully when I was a kid.

R: I can’t believe you said that! Donovan Bixley finds drawing hard! For someone who draws like an angel, it is nice to know you are mortal like the rest of us.

D: My angel name would be Donotello.

R: My angel name would be Roofael. We could be Ninja Turtles. Which might have helped when that dude bullied you to draw trucks – I mean, toughen up, Donotello. I’ve heard of worse things …

D: Speaking of angels, I was once contacted by someone believing he was the reincarnation of Mozart’s best friend. Fortunately, he said I portrayed his good mate exactly as he remembered. Any weird correspondence for you?

R: Only the earthly kind from remarkably polite children. My best was the one that said, ‘Dear Ruth Paul, I love you, you were amazing at our school, we had so much fun (etc etc) but I wouldn’t know because I wasn’t there.’

D: That almost qualifies as other-worldly. Until I started visiting pre-schools, I never realised how good I was at drawing when I was little — my parents have a photo of me doing a pretty good brontosaurus at age three.

R: You and Shaun Tan!

D: But I have a REALLY embarrassing moment when I won a colouring competition … when I was 13 and all the other entrants were seven. What’s your most embarrassing artistic moment?

R: Mmmm. I won a poster competition for the Catholic Church when I was in primary school. The slogan was ‘Come Follow Me’, so I’d drawn all these feet in groovy ’70s shoes following a pair of Roman sandals (guess who they belonged to), and it was printed and put up in all the churches, and felt great until someone pointed out that all the big toes were on the same side. Meaning, I’d drawn only left feet. Biology has never been my strong point.

D: (*coughs, spraying tea out of nose and mouth like something from Dinosaur Rescue*) Oh, the shame. I wake up with night sweats, worrying that I’ve done things like that whenever I send a book off to print.

R: Yup, but my Dad graciously saved the day – and my ego – by telling me that Catholics were sometimes known as ‘left footers’ because of the way they genuflect in Church. It’s all about the spin, Donotello.

And on that perfect combination of God and Science, which pretty much explains the strange alchemy of a picture book, I’ll bow out and say goodbye to the Maestro. Thank you for playing. Let’s do it again sometime!

Ruth Paul

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Flight of the Fantail is a debut YA novel by Steph Matuku, published by Huia. We are pleased to publish the first chapter to whet your appetite for this spooky homegrown mystery.

A busload of high school students crashes in bush in a remote part of Aotearoa New Zealand. Only a few of the teenagers survive; they find their phones don’t work, there’s no food, and they’ve only got their wits to keep them alive. There’s also something strange happening here. Why are the teenagers having nosebleeds and behaving erratically, and why is the rescue effort slow to arrive? To make it out, they have to discover what’s really going on and who or what is behind it all.

Chapter 1

The old bus swung around a tight bend on the winding mountain road, and the class erupted into thrilled shrieks and raucous laughter.

Devin’s bag on the seat next to her tipped, spilling toiletries everywhere. She hurriedly stuffed the bottles and tubes back inside, but she wasn’t fast enough. Idelle had already snaked her hand through the gap in the seats and made a triumphant snatch. She inspected her prize, a mocking grin on her perfectly made-up face, her long brown curls still glamorously obedient even after a sweaty six-hour bus ride.

‘Chemical-free deodorant?’

Next to Idelle, Chantelle tittered behind a manicured hand.

‘It’s not strong enough,’ Idelle smirked. ‘You still stink.’

‘Give it back.’ Devin held out her hand half-heartedly. It was a token gesture rather than a demand, and Idelle and Devin knew it.

‘Say please.’

‘Please.’

‘Sweet as, Stinky.’

Idelle threw the bottle high over Devin’s head. It sailed through the air, smacked Mrs Harlow’s sunburnt shoulder and plopped into her lap. She twisted round and glared down the aisle.

‘Whose is this?’

‘You can tell it’s Devin’s, Miss,’ shouted Idelle, ‘because it doesn’t work.’

Chantelle collapsed in a fit of sycophantic giggles.

‘Sorry, Miss,’ said Devin automatically. It was pointless narking on Idelle. She’d just get mad.

Mrs Harlow heaved up out of her seat and strode down the aisle, the innocent deodorant held in front of her like a weapon. Devin waited, resigned. Mrs Harlow went straight past her and stuck her face into Idelle’s. Idelle squeaked in surprise and quickly tried to cover up with a winning smile.

‘If I catch you playing silly buggers one more time, Idelle Watkinson, you are off this trip. I don’t care if we have Search and Rescue airlift you out or we throw you in the back of some pig-hunter’s ute. It’s all the same to me. You got that?’

The winning smile turned into a scowl. ‘Yes, Miss.’

Mrs Harlow dropped the deodorant onto Devin’s bag and went back to her seat.

Idelle stuck her tongue out at her back.

Eva was watching from across the aisle, a sardonic smile on her face.

‘What d’you think you’re looking at?’ Idelle demanded.

Eva gave Idelle a lazy once-over. ‘I’m not sure,’ she drawled. ‘A slut?’

Mandy, sitting beside Eva, laughed. ‘A stupid slut?’

‘A stupid, ugly slut?’

‘A stupid, ugly, boring slut?’

Chantelle stood up, her face as red as her skimpy tank top. ‘You better shut up, you … you …’ She lowered her voice to a hiss, casting a quick glance in Mrs Harlow’s direction. ‘You muggly futt!’

‘Or what?’

Eva surged to her feet, eyes flashing. Her short black hair was sticking up where she had been leaning against the window, and there was a red mark on her cheek.

A voice yelled, ‘Chick fight! Chick fight!’

It was Jahmin, conducting with an invisible baton and urging the other cheeseballs around him to join in. Eva made her fingers into the shape of a gun and shot Jahmin through his frizzy ginger head.

He cheerfully blew her a kiss, nudging Liam next to him. But Liam was scowling across the aisle, either at Rocky or Eugene, Eva couldn’t tell. Both boys were oblivious anyway. Rocky was jabbing at his phone, frowning, while Eugene was happily chanting along with everyone else, the upturned collar of his denim jacket not quite concealing the bruise along his jaw.

Chantelle waved, blushing prettily. Eva rolled her eyes and sat down again.

‘Shut up!’ Mrs Harlow roared.

The chanting ground to a halt.

The bus climbed higher and higher. Mrs Harlow left her seat to have a quick muttered conversation with the driver. The narrow road wasn’t tar-sealed, and the long, hot, dry summer had left the surface cracked and dusty.

Eva’s stomach did an uneasy flip-flop as the bus swung close to the crumbling edge, giving her a glimpse of a river, creek, whatever,glinting between scrubby bush and the feathery tops of tree ferns far below.

She pasted a bright smile on her face. ‘Hope you packed your wings.’

Mandy gently squeezed her hand. ‘We’ll fly together, babe.’

‘Love you.’

‘Love you too, you muggly futt.’

Eva laughed. ‘What the hell even is that?’

‘Clearly something totally amazing.’

‘Oh, clearly.’

Mandy started plaiting her long blonde hair, leaning forward to look past Eva so she could use the window as a mirror. Several clumps of loose clay fell from the cliff face to the road. The bus lurched and Mrs Harlow, who was returning to her seat, stumbled, clutching wildly at the seats.

The new kid, Theo, gave a muffled ‘Ooof!’ as Mrs Harlow knocked him in the face with a large breast. His book and glasses flew to the floor, and Idelle and Chantelle nearly fell off their seats with hysterics as Mrs Harlow tried to regain her footing, looking remarkably like a cartoon character skating on a banana peel.

Suddenly, there was a high-pitched whine from the ancient bus engine and a high-pitched scream from Awhina. Awhina was always top of the class, always perfectly co-ordinated in immaculate vintage clothing, and never, ever screamed. She leaped at the bus driver in a swirl of blue paisley, and grabbed his shoulders. She screamed again, ‘Help! Help me!’

The bus pitched violently sideways and scraped against the cliff. It ricocheted off and swung back again. Now everyone was screaming, bags and belongings falling everywhere. With a startled cry, Mandy tumbled out of her seat and into the aisle. From her position on the floor, she could see the bus driver slumped sideways, his eyes closed and blood trickling from his nose. Awhina was trying desperately to grab the steering wheel, but the driver was in the way.

Mandy crawled down the aisle towards them. Fighting for balance as the bus swung this way and that, she seized the big man around his shoulders and yanked him back as hard as she could. It was like wrestling with a sack of spuds. Awhina snatched at the wheel and managed to get some control.

‘Can’t you stop it?’ Mandy cried.

‘His bloody foot’s stuck!’

Mandy looked down and saw the driver’s foot wedged against the accelerator.

‘The brake! Hit the brake!’

‘I can’t!’

There was a tight bend ahead. The bus was going too fast. There was nothing they could do.

As the bus left the road in a clatter of gravel and soared through the air, Mandy turned to find Eva. She wasn’t screaming. She looked bewildered and beautiful.

Mandy closed her eyes. Eva was the last person she ever saw.

Reproduced from Flight of the Fantail by Steph Matuku, published by Huia, 2018

Flight of the Fantail

by Steph MatukuPublished by Huia

RRP $30.00

The spookiest night of the year is here again. Before you send your little ghouls, witches and Wilberforces out, see how much you know about scary NZ stories for kids of all ages.

Test yourself, share with a friend, and let us know on Facebook or Twitter how you do!

1. Who is the author of The Were-Nana, illustrated by Sarah Nelisiwe Anderson?

A. Joy Cowley

B. Melinda Szymanik

C. Jennifer Beck D. Dawn McMillan

2. NZ Author Sue Copsey has a spooky series of junior fiction books, the second of which is called The Ghosts of Tarawera. What is the first?

A. The Ghosts of Young Nick's Shoulders

B. The Zombies of Young Nick’s Head

C. The Ghouls of Young Nick’s Head D. The Ghosts of Young Nick’s Head

3. The House on the Hill, by Kyle Mewburn and Sarah Davis is based on which classic gothic poem?

A. The Raven, by Edgar Allen Poe

B. Haunted, by Siegfried Sassoon

C. The Haunted Oak, by Paul Laurence DunbarD. Ghost House, by Robert Frost

4. Joy H. Davidson won the Joy Cowley Picture Book Manuscript award in 2015 for the manuscript for which picture book, named below?

A. Witch’s Hat wanted ... find a pin

B. Witch’s Cat wanted ... knock on the door

C. Witch’s Hat needed ... apply within

D. Witch’s Cat wanted ... apply within

5. What lures a witch to David’s garden, in the Margaret Mahy classic ?

A. The smell of baking cakes

B. The smell of baking bread

C. The sound of howling wolvesD. The sound of a yowling cat

6. Who is the author/artist behind Ghoulish Get-ups? (Scholastic NZ, 2014)

A. Heather McQuillan

B. Kathy White

C. Fifi Colston D. Donovan Bixley

7. Tripswitch, by Gaelyn Gordon saw three young girls held hostage by their Aunt Lureene, who is a witch. What was it about the three girls that held their magical powers?

A. Their hands B. Their hair C. Their eyes D. Their toenails

8. Which book by Maurice Gee includes the terrifying Wilberforces?

A. The Halfmen of O

B.The Motherstone

C.Under the Mountain

D. Gool

9. Who is the author of Night Vision, in which a young girl sees a murder committed in the forest at night?

A. David Hair

B. Des Hunt

C. Tania Roxborogh D. Ella West

10. In this brand new YA title by Steph Matuku, a bus load of high school students crashes in the bush, and can’t find their way out. What is it called?

A. Tui in a Teapot

B. Flight of the Fantail

C. Kea keeper

D. Bus in the Bush

Answers

1. B. Melinda Szymanik

2. D. The Ghosts of Young Nick’s Head

3. A. The Raven, by Edgar Allen Poe

4. D. Witch’s Cat wanted ... apply within

5. A. The smell of baking cakes

6. C. Fifi Colston

7. B. Their hair

8. C. Under the Mountain

9. D. Ella West

10. B. Flight of the Fantail

Our editor, Jane Arthur, looks into what goes into designing a picture book, and talks with the illustrator and designer of the new release from Huia Publishers, The Bomb|Te Pohū

Two editions, two cover designs: The Bomb and Te Pohū

Usually, the cover of a picture book boasts two names: that of the author and the illustrator. Because a picture book is made up of two things – the words and the pictures. Right?

Well, not entirely.

There’s a third element, and it’s the thread holding everything together: design. The best picture book design is invisible – when done right, it lets the words and pictures have the spotlight, with nothing clunky or out-of-place. It is integral to making a book with a cohesive visual rhythm, pacing that surprises or reassures in all the right places, a balance of white space and full-page images (or not). A well-designed book has a font that is readable and has the right ‘character’ for the story, paper stock that feels nice and shows colours true to the illustrator’s vision, and a cover that makes you pick up the book and want to look inside.

The best picture book design is invisible – when done right, it lets the words and pictures have the spotlight ...

The team at Huia Publishers have agreed to let their new book, The Bomb

Left: Illustrator Josh Morgan (Te Aitangā-a-Māhaki, Rongowhakaata). Right: Designer Te Kani Price (Tūwharetoa, Whakatohea).

The roles of ‘illustrator’ and ‘designer’ can be blurred at times. Who decides what goes where on each page? Who decides what goes in and what’s left out?

Sometimes, the designer might guide the illustrator from the start, suggesting layouts and ideas for what elements of the story to illustrate. That is what happened with some of Josh and Sacha’s previous books (which include Keys|Ngā Kī and The Marble-Maker|Te Kaihanga Māpere). Josh explains that with those books, ‘Huia provided some suggestions as to what the illustrations could be, and which I could launch off from.’

But The Bomb was different. ‘This time around, soon after Sacha wrote the first draft of the story, she and I started to work on some rough thumbnails and even created a ridiculously mini book dummy (don’t know what I was thinking). The image shows how ridiculously small the book is! It did help give an idea of the flow of the book.’

Josh and Sacha's 'ridiculously mini book dummy'

From here, the team at Huia gave feedback, which in turn lead to more brainstorming of ideas. ‘This is where the idea for the equations written across the page came about and the iconic image of the kid smearing the “war paint” like Rambo. I think some wonderful moments came about from everyone riffing and sharing their vision!’ says Josh. Designer Te Kani agrees that the process works best when it is collaborative.

'I think some wonderful moments came about from everyone riffing and sharing their vision!’ says Josh.

One of the most important qualities of a picture book is that of its pacing. Think about Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy, and the tension created by the pause in the page-turn at ‘when suddenly out of the shadows they saw …’ Boo! Picture book design can be pretty emotionally manipulative – in the best way, of course. Pacing creates emotion, rhythm and intrigue. It’s managed by things like timing of page-turns, the use of white (or empty) space on the page, and the use of compositional order and grids (and breaking rules).

The Bomb has an assortment of full-bleed/full-spread, vignettes with and without background, close-ups and long-shots, pages that act almost like comic strips… The whole package is done so well that the reader probably won’t notice any of it, because they’ll be so swept up in reading the story (and pictures).

With The Bomb, Josh explains that considerations of ‘balance, contrast and cohesion’ were important right from the start. ‘Structurally, I tried to break the spreads down into little segments or “scenes” where the spreads go from full pages down to vignettes, or vice versa, building in the opposite way. It was important the next page didn’t look like the last page.’

Working out the layout early in the process

It’s an energetic, fun and funny story full of personality, so Josh knew the visuals had to match. ‘We did want a lot of variety, and for the book to feel idiosyncratic.’

One way the team achieved this was to take inspiration from books and films. One example, says Josh, is ‘the town scene with the little truck driving around, and scenes with little spot illustrations of characters, [which] are very Wes Anderson.’ A number of the visual elements and layouts in the book pay homage to ‘the idiosyncratic, humorous yet sincere films of Anderson, Taika Waititi, Aardman and Laika Studios, amongst others,’ Josh reveals.

Sometimes, despite dozens of good ideas or wonderful illustrations, things need to be pared back or focussed for the betterment of the final product. Te Kani sums it up by saying, ‘What’s kept in basically comes down to: does it support the narrative in some way or does it help strengthen the overall tone of the story?’

Josh admits that some things didn’t make The Bomb’s final cut: ‘There were a few things that didn’t make it, such as Nan’s house. This would have been a setting change too many.’ Te Kani explains that they found a way to evoke Nan’s character in other ways. ‘Taking the reader out of the setting at the water took them out of the story a little bit. We’d already fleshed Nan out in the prologue/endpapers/prelim story.’

There’s often a way for good designers and illustrators to squeeze in lots of visual detail ... without detracting or distracting from the narrative.

There’s often a way for good designers and illustrators to squeeze in lots of visual detail, though, without detracting or distracting from the narrative. Te Kani praises Josh’s talent at creating ‘quirky details and little subplots in the backgrounds. There’s a whole layer of treasures hidden in the illustrations, like the octopus that gets up to a whole lot of mischief, or the logging truck and dried flowers, which are an ode to Sacha’s truck driving nan.’ In fact, The Bomb was expanded from a picture book's usual 32 pages to 36, to allow extra space to fully tell the story through the illustrations.

Another of Josh’s specific talents is evident in the way The Bomb shows a unique, authentic side of Aotearoa in both the story and the illustrations. Te Kani inspires a closer look of the book by noting, ‘With all of our illustrated books, Huia looks to highlight Aotearoa, its uniqueness and how we see ourselves as Māori. This translates to a lot of the details and mannerisms that Josh has been able to visualise.’

Starting to finalise the layout of the opening pages

One important and very tricksy part of a physical book, and one that is too often overlooked, is the gutter. It’s where the pages meet in the middle of the spread, and whole sections of illustrations are sucked into its black void… Grab some picture books off your shelf and take a look at how they’ve designed the layout around the gutter – and you’ll see that sometimes it’s more successful than others.

The Bomb’s team were very aware of the pitfalls and quirks of the gutter.

The Bomb’s team were very aware of the pitfalls and quirks of the gutter. Josh admits, ‘Sometimes I am shocked at how much can be sucked into the gutter black hole!’ Te Kani says the biggest gutter-related challenge comes when designing a full-page spread with illustrations that cross the centre line, and that the trick is in ‘having enough detail that can visually connect the two pages, but none of the essential elements go too close to that void.’ A tip from Josh: ‘A general rule of thumb is to try not to have any of the characters go through the gutter. The scene of Nan driving the kid around was one where I had to really consider how the truck would work in across the gutter making sure no details were lost in the centre.’

The finished design of the opening pages

Beyond the gutter, there are heaps of decisions to make about the book’s physical properties. What size and shape – small and skinny, or big and square? What type of paper – uncoated and natural-feeling (lovely, but it sucks the brightness out of colours), or shiny (makes colours ‘pop’ but can look lower quality)? A paperback or a hardcover? Fancy extras on the cover, like glossy laminate on the title, or embossing, or shiny foil bits, or straight matt-laminate all over? ‘Size, format and finishing comes down to the overall desired effect that best serves the story, fits the budget and market requirements,’ explains Te Kani.

Ultimately, all of this work, collaboration and attention to detail have at its heart one goal: to tell a good story. The design and illustration and, in the case of The Bomb, even the text, will evolve and work together to make the story really shine.