Even if you don’t know Flox… you know Flox. Her iconic artwork has appeared on everything from murals to umbrellas to trains – to picture books! In 2017, she illustrated Malcolm Clarke’s Tu Meke Tūī!, and it was a runaway success….
Dame Fiona Kidman is a legend of letters in Aotearoa. Among her many achievements and accolades, she’s been the recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement (2011), she’s won the top fiction prize in the country (This Mortal…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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….
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.