Ross Kinnaird has been a children’s book illustrator for 15 years, and his first and most recent collaborations were both with Dawn McMillan. The first was the acclaimed Why do dogs sniff bottoms? (Reed), and last month saw the publication…
Australian author and editor Davina Bell is an exceptional storyteller for kids aged 2 to 12. Her broad range of books include picture books like Under the Love Umbrella (Scribble) and her most recent All of the Factors of Why…
We love comics, and we love the artists behind them! So for this month’s Giselle Clarkson comic, we have something a little different for you: an illustrated interview! Sarah Laing – author/artist/designer extraordinaire – has a new book out with…
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 The Twizel Bookshop. The Twizel Bookshop is a very very small (12 square metres) shop in…
One of the titles released in the wake of the 250th anniversary commemorations of Cook’s arrival in Aotearoa is The Adventures of Tupaia – a riveting read that does a great deal of storytelling through its illustrations. Becky Popham talked…
Amanda Noblett (Tainui, Waikato, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Pākehā) plays the kuia in Te Kuia me te Pūngāwerewere, Taki Rua Productions’ Te Reo Māori Season play that is touring the country at the moment. Guest editor Kura Rutherford caught up with…
In celebration of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, our 2019 guest editor Kura Rutherford spoke to actor, writer, and activist Rawiri Paratene (Ngāpuhi) about the books from his youth that shaped him. Their conversation also ranged to his career…
Sāmoan illustrator Michel Mulipola recently sat down with Tokelauan/Sāmoan artist Moses Viliamu at the Whitireia Polytechnic Porirua Campus. In this discussion, the two creatives shared their experiences as Pasifika artists and illustrating their respective Pasifika Heroes books –Sāmoan Heroes and…
Paula Green is one of New Zealand’s most (probably the most) energetic and passionate ambassadors for poetry ever. She has published (as writer or editor) nearly 20 books and runs two fascinating blogs, NZ Poetry Shelf (for adults) and NZ…
The Sapling has asked two first-time middle-grade authors, Felicity Williams and Weng Wai Chan, to interview one another about their first novels and how they went about getting them published. F: The route to publication is enormously difficult. ‘Take a…