Annelies Judson attended the Storylines Awards Day and shares her reflections on the event. It is 10.45 am on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I am at the National Library in Tāmaki Makaurau. In the entrance area, people are given a…
Erica Harrison and Hannah Tunnicliffe met at the school gate, and discovered a shared passion for children’s books. They chat with Annelies Judson about their new collaboration, Detective Stanley and the Mystery at the Museum. I meet Erica Harrison and…
Annelies Judson speaks with Elena de Roo about children’s poetry, getting published and the camaraderie of the children’s literature community In my mind, Elena de Roo is almost a mythical mother figure, with her gentle voice and generous nature. Her…
Briar Lawry reviews new books from some of the shining stars of Aotearoa kids lit, and Annelies Judson reviews a collaboration with Cleft New Zealand. The Witch of Maketu and the Bleating Lambs, by Anika Moa, illustrated by Rebecca ter…
Annelies Judson reviews three picture books for older readers, and identifies a subgenre in NZ Kids Lit. I recently wrote a review where I talked about ‘Aotearoa Natural Disaster Animal Books’. Another strong subgenre in the Aotearoa children’s literature world…
Annelies Judson reviews three recent picture books designed to soothe and inspire young readers. The Lucky Little Pig, by Stacey Smith, illustrated by Deborah Hinde The Lucky Little Pig is another in an unofficial series of “Aotearoa Natural Disaster Animal…
Annelies Judson explores the Wellington edition of Books Alive, the schools programme that accompanies the NZCYA awards. It’s a beautiful morning in the capital and lines of children, like wriggling eels, are making their way into the National Library. Once…
Effervescent wordsmith Juliette MacIver has just released her new picture book, Little Axel’s Axolotl, a whimsical story about a very loved axolotl that dreams of adventure. In classic MacIver style, it is full of brilliant soundplay and interesting vocabulary, and…
Earlier this month the Auckland Writers Festival saw record-breaking attendance levels. Pukapuka Adventures—the children’s hub of the event—took over Level 5 of the Aotea centre and was brimming with activity. Attendee Annelies Judson describes her experience on the Saturday with…
This batch of reviews is brought to you by Annelies Judson, who shares her thoughts on two picture books (one new and one that’s celebrating its tenth year with us). Maria Gill’s Queen of the Cosmos: Beatrice Hill Tinsley is…