The Sapling

From the Shop Floor: Unity 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. Tilly Lloyd of the famous Unity Books in Wellington shares some of their capital goings-on….

Book Awards: The Junior Fiction Finalists

As part of our coverage of this year’s NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, we asked the five Wright Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction finalists four questions about their book and characters. The finalists are: Lyla,…

THE SAMPLING: Secret World of Butterflies

We are very pleased to have permission to publish the first three spreads of the Giselle Clarkson-illustrated picture book, Secret World of Butterflies, written by Courtney Sina Meredith (Allen & Unwin NZ/Auckland Museum).

The finalists of the NZ kids’ book awards are…

The NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults are a unique celebration of the contribution New Zealand’s children’s authors and illustrators make to building national identity and cultural heritage. Awards in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and…

Book Quiz: How well do you know your dogs?

Since Beatrix Potter and before, animals have been a staple subject of children’s literature. How well do you know your literary dogs, from the canon of Aotearoa New Zealand picture books? Test yourself, share with a friend, and let us…

From the Shop Floor: Wardini Books

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 relative newcomer, the vibrant Wardini Books in Havelock North. About five years ago, Gareth…

Quiz: Can you judge these books by their covers?

Here are ten well-known New Zealand children’s books. But can you recognise them from just a small part of their covers? Advanced readers, try to get the authors, illustrators and publishers, too! Answers are at the bottom of the page….

THE SAMPLING: 1918: Broken Poppies

1918: Broken Poppies is the fifth and final book in Scholastic NZ’s ‘Kiwis at War’ series, which commemorates New Zealand’s involvement in the First World War. Author Des Hunt based this book on the experiences of two of his uncles who fought in WWI.

From the Shop Floor: Dorothy Butler's

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 Auckland’s iconic The Dorothy Butler Children’s Bookshop.  The Dorothy Butler Children’s Bookshop has a…