Linda Tuhiwai Smith is renowned in her field – indigenous education – and now has authored a series of picture books dealing with social issues, the Whatumanawa collection, available in both te reo Māori and reo Pākehā. They are serious,…
A lithe superhero with infinite power in the hands slides beneath to the underworld, guided by the hypnotising eyes of a Pīwakawaka. A tuatara locks it in a death grip, but she manages to break free by finger-spelling the magic…
Dementia is a heart-breaking condition that many families have to struggle with. Children’s librarian Bee Trudgeon puts together a list of books that can help our tamariki understand and manage being around someone with dementia. I recently came across a…
How to help our kids understand consent and set (and respect!) boundaries? It’s a surprisingly controversial topic. Guest writer Bee Trudgeon reflects on this area of contention and sets out to find some books that can help facilitate this conversation;…
Gone are the days of beating around the bush and euphemisms about the birds and the bees. Here guest writer Susan gives us the rundown on books for kids about puberty, sex, bodies, gender, and relationships. Susan is a journalist,…
Books aren’t the only place to find stories. Some of the most important and meaningful stories are passed down through generations, strengthening our connections to land, whānau, whakapapa. Kura Rutherford shares what family storytelling means to her. I first experienced…
How many children’s books have you read that tell stories of family violence and abuse? Today author, speaker and survivor of family violence, Tim Tipene, argues for more books that show the reality of life for far too many children…
Ahead of Father’s Day, four Kiwi Dads let us in on what their family reading lives are like. Here are some excerpts from previous The Sapling articles by music journalist Nick Bollinger; founder of the Ngaio Marsh Awards and writer…
We asked Thalia Kehoe Rowden to put together a list of picture books showing a range of family set-ups, from one-parent families to families with two dads; anything but ‘Mum, Dad and the kids’. Here are some great suggestions to…
Music journalist Nick Bollinger shares a moving account of the place books had in his three daughters’ childhoods and his own parenthood. When I was a child, my favourite thing was being read to. I can still remember the smell…