Features

Crafts with Fifi: Hatch your own Marvellous Marvin!

Long-time readers of The Sapling will remember that in our first year, we had a regular crafting feature from the super talented Fifi Colston. This December, Fifi’s illustrations brought Nadia Lim’s debut picture book to life – and so to celebrate,…

Musicians Make Amazing Picture Books

Many of our wonderful picture book writers are both musicians and writers. Diana Neild, writer of Daddy Monster A-B-C and the Piggity-Wiggity series (if you don’t know these, look them up!) and June Pitman-Hayes, writer of Kia ora! You can…

SPCA summer Reading Challenge

Read for animals this summer with the SPCA Reading Challenge, run by Read NZ. It all started when we asked a group of self-described reluctant readers: what would it take to make reading more fun for you? They were of…

Bookshop List: Good Books from Good books

Good Books is one of the youngest bookshops in the country, only springing to life this past spring. But they have already developed a passionate following, not least because the staff there are some familiar faces to those in the…

Quiz: Kupu pukapuka i te reo Māori

The time has once again come for another Sapling quiz! Today we’re testing your knowledge of ētahi kupu pukapuka i te reo Māori – some book words in Māori! Good luck… Test yourself, share with a friend, and let us…

Terrific gifts for Teens

The Sapling is dedicated to bringing you the best books from Aotearoa for gifting this holidays. It’s our final batch of recommendations for the holiday season, and we’re finishing with a bang! Check out these top-notch titles for the teens…

Book List: Detectives, Spies, & other Sneaky Sorts

Picture this. You’re a bookseller, being asked for recommendations for a ten-year-old kid who loves reading but needs something new. You pause in front of the shelf before grabbing three books to suggest – and as you give your spiel…

Fantastic gifts for kids aged 8-12

The Sapling is dedicated to bringing you the best books from Aotearoa for gifting this holidays. This week we’ve got some rad recommendations for the 8-12 year olds in your life. The Inkberg Enigma, by Jonathon King (Gecko Press) Miro…

Great gifts for kids aged 5-7

The Sapling is dedicated to bringing you the best books from Aotearoa for gifting this holidays. This week we bring you the coolest books for kids aged roughly 5-7. The midnight adventures of Ruru and Kiwi, by Clare Scott, illustrated…