Features

Perfect gifts for the littlies

The Sapling is dedicated to bringing you the best books from Aotearoa for gifting this holidays, and this year we are doing a little differently. If you are signed up to our newsletter, you’ll receive ALL of our recommendations at…

The Festival of lights: celebrating Diwali through books

Today is Diwali, the Indian festival of lights! And given that 3.9% of Aotearoa’s population has an Indian background, it seems fitting to share a booklist of children’s books around the festival. This fantastic collection is courtesy of the lovely…

te haerenga o reo pepi – the next chapter

The Reo Pēpi series is one of the real success stories in the Aotearoa world of publishing for littlies. The popularity of these labour-of-love board books can be credited as having a major role in kicking off a new wave…

The Margaret Mahy Questionnaire: Rhys Darby

Holy moly! We’ve got a Mahy Questionnaire from none other than the creator of Buttons McGinty, Rhys Darby! Of course, you may recognise him from the fact that he’s, well, world-famous in New Zealand AND beyond, but a whole lot…

The Giselle Clarkson Comic: Number 30

It’s the most wonderful time of the month! Another Giselle Clarkson comic. Today our resident illustrator extraordinaire takes us through her process – and struggles – with visual references. And if you haven’t seen it yet, Giselle’s latest collaboration is…

Book Quiz: World Famous Beyond NZ

Welcome back to another Sapling quiz! Today, we’re testing your knowledge of New Zealanders who have picked up international prizes for their work in the children’s publishing space. Give it a go! Test yourself, share with a friend, and let…

Book List: this world – but not as we know it

This year’s winner of the Nielsen Bookshop of the Year Award at the NZ Book Industry Awards was Hawke’s Bay’s own Wardini Books – and we’ve persuaded co-owner Louise Ward to give us some of her top picks in a genre….

THE SAMPLING: DEADHEAD

Glenn Wood’s new young adult read brings to life some classic horror fiction with brains, a guts full of humour, gory detail and graphic replays, or should that be reanimations, at the end of each chapter. Read on, if you dare.

Mahy Questionnaire: Ruth Paul

Here’s a fresh instalment of your favourite Margaret Mahy Questionnaire, featuring award-winning author-illustrator Ruth Paul! Her most recent picture book, the third in the Little Hector series, Little Hector Meets Mini Maui, is out now! Without further ado, here’s Ruth…

The Reckoning: Fighting reluctance with humour

Chances are if you’ve had a young reader in your life in the past decade or so, you’ll have a Dawn McMillan book or two somewhere on your bookshelves. Does I Need A New Bum! ring any bells? Or perhaps…