Interviews

Illustrator Feature: Laya Mutton-Rogers

One of the most exciting new artists to pop up on our radar in the last six months has been Laya Mutton-Rogers, the artist behind the beautiful illustrations in Tio Tiamu | The Smelly Giant, released late last year by…

Illustrator Interview: Brian Lovelock

A vast number of households in Aotearoa with a child of 10 or under will be intimately familiar with the engaging, vibrant work of Brian Lovelock. How many times can a three-year-old want to read Roadworks or Construction in a…

Gavin Bishop and Selina Tusitala Marsh

Last year two incredible books fell into our laps from titans of the New Zealand literary scene. Both have been recognised nationally and internationally as top talents, so naturally we wanted to see the magic of their two brilliant brains…

The Mahy Questionnaire: Mary-Anne Scott

Here’s our first Mahy Questionnaire of the year, featuring author, musician, and columnist Mary-Anne Scott. She tells us tall tales about her spontaneously honking horn, and how she transforms into an electrical kitchen appliance. 1. Describe yourself in three words…

The Shop Floor: OPO | Green Dolphin Bookshop

We are pleased to present a regular series highlighting the work, expertise and enthusiasm of some of the greatest children’s booksellers of New Zealand. Here’s Green Dolphin Books, a second-hand bookshop in Auckland with a glorious dedicated children’s section. Opo:…

Co-interview: Janet Hunt and Gillian Candler

Gillian Candler and Janet Hunt are writers of factual books for children and adults about New Zealand nature. They have never met, but they quickly found plenty in common when asked by The Sapling to interview each other. We asked…

A Treasury of Taonga: He Paki Taonga i a Māui

He Paki Taonga i a Māui and its English companion, Māui’s Taonga Tales, are the first children’s books of their kind. With children aged 7-12 in mind, they bring to life taonga from Te Papa museum using kōrero o nehera…

He takoha nui, He Paki Taonga i a Māui!

Kāhore anō kia kitea tētahi pukapuka pēnei i te ao. He kohinga kōrero hei whakaoreore i ngā ngākau o ngā tamariki mai i ngā tau e 7 ki te 12. Mā te pukapuka nei ka ora tonu ngā taonga nō…

The Shop Floor: Schrödinger’s Books

We are pleased to present a regular series highlighting the work, expertise and enthusiasm of some of the greatest children’s booksellers of New Zealand. Here’s Schrödinger’s Books, a vibrant new addition to the Wellington region’s book scene. Schrödinger’s Books was…

Kay O’Neill: Blue Skies and Happy Dragons

Have you read many comics with Deaf characters using sign language? How about queer characters and environmental themes? Kay O’Neill is a New Zealand cartoonist creating award-winning comics, and today Auckland cartoonist and illustrator Eddie Monotone interviews them for us….