From late 2021 till late 2022, The Sapling lay dormant, waiting to unfurl once more. The hiatus gave our team much-needed time to regroup and plan the way forward. But it also meant that we missed some major children’s literature moments. This quiz honours some of those moments—local and international.
1. Gavin Bishop took out the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year award at the NZCYA Awards in 2022 for the stunning Atua. But it wasn’t his first time picking up the supreme award—how many times has he won it previously?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
2. Which beloved children’s author passed away in August 2022 at the age of 88?
A. Eric Carle
B. Raymond Briggs
C. Judith Kerr
D. Beverly Cleary
3. Kimberly Andrews followed on from Puffin the Architect, Hound the Detective and Moose the Pilot with which creative career critter?
A. Heron the Dancer
B. Sheep the Playwright
C. Goose the Artist
D. Porpoise the Designer
4. Which Paula of letters edited the Roar Squeak Purr poetry collection that was released this year?
A. Paula Green
B. Paula Morris
C. Paula Hawkins
D. Paula Boock
5. What’s the name of the rabbit whose latest antics feature in the new Gecko Press book Wooolf!
A. Jack
B. Simon
C. Oliver
D. Pete
6. A queen of New Zealand young adult fiction was the Auckland Writers Festival Honoured Writer—but which one?
A. Fleur Beale
B. Sherryl Jordan
C. Mandy Hager
D. Tessa Duder
7. NYT best-seller (and New Zealand wunderkind) Chloe Gong released her third book inspired by which Shakespeare play?
A. Twelfth Night
B. Macbeth
C. As You Like It
D. The Tempest
8. Which writer/illustrator combo wrote the gorgeous and informative Sylvia and the Birds?
A. Ashleigh Young and Minrui Yang
B. Johanna Emeney and Sarah Laing
C. Anna Jackson and Giselle Clarkson
D. Stacy Gregg and Ruth Paul
9. In Lauren Keenan’s junior fiction book, Amorangi and Millie take a trip through what?
A. Time
B. Space
C. Memory lane
D. The wilderness
10. Which two super-powered teams featured in the Kotahi Rau Pukapuka publication of Te Pakanga a Ngāti Rānaki me Te Ranga-Tipua?
A. The Guardians of the Galaxy and The Incredibles
B. The Justice League and The Teen Titans
C. The X-Men and The Avengers
D. The Watchmen and The Autobots
Answers
1. D. 4
2. B. Raymond Briggs
3. C. Goose the Artist
4. A. Paula Green
5. B. Simon
6. D. Tessa Duder
7. C. As You Like It
8. B. Johanna Emeney and Sarah Laing
9. A. Time
10. C. The X-Men and The Avengers