Marco Ivančić

Book Awards: The Elsie Locke Non-Fiction Finalists

We at The Sapling always love a good behind-the-scenes look into our favourite books, and we know you do too! So, as part of our coverage of this year’s NZCYA Awards, we’ve asked the authors of the Elsie Locke for…

Book reviews: New non fiction

Author Linda Jane Keegan reviews some new non-fiction from Aotearoa that puts the spotlight on stories of war and disasters, and two books that look at the natural world, from seasons to snappers! Snapper—The Real Story, by Annemarie Florian &…

New books for the 125th suffrage anniversary

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…

Book Awards: the illustration finalists

As part of our finalist coverage of this year’s NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, we have some exclusive insights into the process of each of the five Russell Clark Award for Illustration Award finalists. They’ve given us…

Writer Interview: Maria Gill and Glyn Harper

Glyn Harper’s and Maria Gill’s latest books are both part of the final year of publishing in commemoration of the centenary of WWI. Bobby the littlest war hero, for 4- to 8-year-old children, is about a canary in the tunnels…

Book Reviews: Picture Books and Non-Fiction

Esther Kiernan reviews four very different recent releases from Aotearoa, taking in a few centuries, and the breadth of New Zealand and beyond. Mr Gloomingdale’s Christmas, written and illustrated by Andy Conlan Mr Skinny, Mr Greedy, Mr Bump – no,…

Book List: NZ books about war and pacifism

Anzac Day brings with it a fever pitch of publishing of war books for both children and adults. This has been especially true during the centenary commemorations of World War I. People are horrified by war, but also fascinated, and…