Josh Morgan

Reviews: Five Picture Books

Annelies Judson brings us another batch of reviews of some of the latest picture books to hit the shelves. Lucy and the Dark, written by Melinda Szymanik and illustrated by Vasanti Unka I’m front-footing this review because it deserves to…

Book List: Books that feature play

In the last couple of months, we have seen the effects of COVID-19 wreak havoc worldwide. The mental health of both children and adults has been badly affected as we learn to cope with ‘the new normal’. One positive thing…

A Treasury of Taonga: He Paki Taonga i a Māui

He Paki Taonga i a Māui and its English companion, Māui’s Taonga Tales, are the first children’s books of their kind. With children aged 7-12 in mind, they bring to life taonga from Te Papa museum using kōrero o nehera…

He takoha nui, He Paki Taonga i a Māui!

Kāhore anō kia kitea tētahi pukapuka pēnei i te ao. He kohinga kōrero hei whakaoreore i ngā ngākau o ngā tamariki mai i ngā tau e 7 ki te 12. Mā te pukapuka nei ka ora tonu ngā taonga nō…

The winners of the 2019 Book Awards are …

Fresh off the ceremony at Te Papa Tongarewa, the results are in and your New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults winners are… The Margaret Mahy Book of the Year and the Picture Book Award The Bomb Written…

Book List: Ethnic Representation in Picture Books

There are more ethnicities in New Zealand than countries in the world. So why is it so difficult to find New Zealand picture books that represent this diversity? Nida Fiazi searches out some exceptional New Zealand and international picture books…

Book Awards: the illustration finalists

As part of our ongoing finalist coverage of this year’s New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, we have some glorious snippets to look at from the five Russell Clark Award for Illustration finalists! There are covers, decadent…

Book Awards: The Picture Book Finalists

As part of our coverage of this year’s NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, we’ve asked the publishers of the picture book finalists to explain why that story caught their imaginations and demanded to be told in published…

Picture Books for Resilience and Persistence

Helping children deal with obstacles and setbacks is a core part of parenting and teaching. Today education lecturer and writer Frank Wilson suggests some picture books that can help model these skills – while also being fantastic reads. If you…

Best Picture Books for New New Zealanders

Hearing the wonderful news that six more towns are going to be Refugee Resettlement centres, we got thinking about what books might provide the best and friendliest introduction to a new life in Aotearoa New Zealand. Here’s our starting list…