With his latest book, Gavin Bishop (Tainui, Ngāti Awa) delivers a powerful tale of the New Zealand Wars and the painful history of colonisation in Aotearoa. Simie Simpson (Te Ati Awa) talks with Gavin about Patu and how it came…
This month, the children’s book community of Aotearoa New Zealand – and anyone who’s every interacted with her, probably – was collectively delighted to learn that illustrator Giselle Clarkson is one of the 2023 Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Laureates….
It feels like everywhere we look, Isobel Joy Te Aho-White’s illustrations are gracing the covers and insides of some of New Zealand’s best picture books. By our count, she illustrated at least 13 books released in the last 18 months….
Story Hemi-Morehouse (of Ngāti Koata and Ngāti Toa Rangatira descent) is an award-winning writer-illustrator who burst onto the NZ literary scene after experimenting with her art during the Covid-19 lockdowns. With nine books already to her name, and more on…
Donovan Bixley lets the cat out of the bag as he completes his Flying Furballs series. Why did you choose war and spies as the basis for your middle-grade series? Most of my books start from doodling things I love…
Heather Hunt has made a name for herself as a go-to illustrator for evocative illustrations for picture books about native manu, especially kiwi! In her latest work – Mr Kiwi Has An Important Job – Heather took on the role…
One of the most exciting new artists to pop up on our radar in the last six months has been Laya Mutton-Rogers, the artist behind the beautiful illustrations in Tio Tiamu | The Smelly Giant, released late last year by…
A vast number of households in Aotearoa with a child of 10 or under will be intimately familiar with the engaging, vibrant work of Brian Lovelock. How many times can a three-year-old want to read Roadworks or Construction in a…
Have you read many comics with Deaf characters using sign language? How about queer characters and environmental themes? Kay O’Neill is a New Zealand cartoonist creating award-winning comics, and today Auckland cartoonist and illustrator Eddie Monotone interviews them for us….
Ross Kinnaird has been a children’s book illustrator for 15 years, and his first and most recent collaborations were both with Dawn McMillan. The first was the acclaimed Why do dogs sniff bottoms? (Reed), and last month saw the publication…