The Giselle Clarkson Comic: Number 35
In our first comic of the year, Giselle Clarkson explores one of the best—and scariest—parts about being a children’s illustrator: school visits.
Features
The Reckoning: Decolonising pukapuka on Te Tiriti, Part 2 of 2
Following Part 1 of the discussion about the lack of children’s picture books focused on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Barry McLernon (Te Āti Awa & Pākehā Scottish, Dutch ancestry) and Kay Benseman (Pākehā German, Irish, Scottish, Spanish, English ancestry) kōrero…
Tribute: Trevor Pye (1952-2023)
Children’s book illustrator, author and artist Trevor Pye passed away on 17 January 2023. Born in Te Awamutu in 1952, Trevor worked as an art teacher, artist, lecturer and children’s book illustrator. His illustrations appear in over 200 books, alongside…
The Reckoning: Decolonising pukapuka on Te Tiriti, Part 1 of 2
In the first of a two-part series with Kay Benseman (Pākehā German, Irish, Scottish, Spanish, English ancestry) and Barry McLernon (Te Āti Awa & Pākehā Scottish, Dutch ancestry) about Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Kay shares her thoughts about the lack…
Quiz: The Lost Year
From late 2021 till late 2022, The Sapling lay dormant, waiting to unfurl once more. The hiatus gave our team much-needed time to regroup and plan the way forward. But it also meant that we missed some major children’s literature…
Reviews: New Middle-Grade Releases
Sarah Forster shares her thoughts on two middle-grade novels set in post-apocalyptic utopian worlds, packed with plenty of adventure, miracle technology, and imaginings of the future. Kidnap at Mystery Island, by Carol Garden I love the cover of this futuristic…
The responsibility of accurate yaks: An interview with Ant Sang
Ant Sang has been a part of New Zealand’s comic scene for decades, with the graphic novels The Dhama Punks and Shaolin Burning to his name. Beyond that, his art will be familiar to many people from the cartoon bro’Town…
Reviews: Five Aotearoa Picture Books
Former teacher, feminist book blogger and parent, Annelies Judson gives an insightful commentary on this batch of very Kiwi picture books. My Mum is the Queen of the Road by Jennifer Beck & Lisa Allen My Mum Is The Queen…
Reviews: Four Non-Fiction Nature Books
Linda Jane Keegan is back with another round of non-fiction reviews, this time with a selection of picture books all about the unique flora and fauna that we share our environment with. Where is it in town? by Ned Barraud…
The Reckoning: On the search for bilingual Chinese/English picture books
Chinese-Kiwi author and illustrator Nessie Sharpe struggled to find bilingual picture books that represented mixed-culture families like hers—so she wrote her own. I was watching the kids playing tea parties one rainy afternoon. They were serving each other wooden cupcakes…