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Author interview: Golriz Ghahraman

Green MP Golriz Ghahraman made history as the first refugee to be sworn into the New Zealand parliament. She has just published her first book, Know Your Place, detailing her journey to, and life in, Aotearoa. Editor Nida Fiazi catches…

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…

Jackie Clark: Books My [Kindy] Kids Read

Jackie Clark is a woman who gets stuff done. She may be familiar to readers of The Sapling as the founder of The Aunties, a charitable organisation providing material and emotional resources to vulnerable people, around 500 whānau a year,…

Frances McBeath: Building bridges with Joy

Co-founder of The Sapling Jane Arthur has a long-standing interest in educational publishing – so when the opportunity came along to pick the brain of Clean Slate Press’ Frances McBeath, it was the perfect match. Read on to learn more…

Book Awards: the illustration finalists

This year’s NZCYA Awards coverage kicks off with the Russell Clark Award for Illustration Award finalists! We have some exclusive insights into the process of illustrating each book, including working sketches, storyboards, decadent interior spreads, and even a photograph of…

Early New Zealand Comics for Children

Hannah Benbow is the comics and cartoons librarian at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington – and she draws on that expertise in this essay looking into the early days of comics in the ‘children’s pages’ of Aotearoa newspapers of…

Book Reviews: Kiwi and a monster mum

If there is one thing we can be sure of in New Zealand publishing, it’s that there will be at least a dozen kiwi books published over the year. This batch of reviews includes three books including kiwi that are…

The finalists of the NZ kids’ book awards are…

The annual New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults are a highly anticipated part of the Aotearoa literary calendar, for folks of all ages who have a passion for books for young people. They acknowledge excellence in writing,…

The Mahy Questionnaire: Kat Quin

Here’s a fresh instalment of the Margaret Mahy Questionnaire, featuring author-illustrator Kat Quin. Read on for her takes on changeovers, rattlebang cars and sonsense nongs! 1. Describe yourself in three words I’m still learning. 2. During the height of adolescence,…

Aotearoa Book Memories: Dreamhunter

It’s a feeling all booksellers know too well. A book is one of your eternal favourites, you have perfected your sales spiel, you’ve pressed it into the hands of many a shopper. And then one day, the replenishment order you…