Picture Books

Interview: Kate Preece on Ten Nosey Weka 

Carly Thomas talks with Ten Nosey Weka author Kate Preece about creating a picture book that’s part of the ta rē Moriori revival. A new children’s picture book by Kate Preece sits on the bookshop shelf alongside others. Its beautiful…

Review: Three picture books with messages for their readers

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…

For fox’s sake: An Interview With Juliette MacIver

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…

Reviews: Bumper Batch of Nature Books

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: children’s publishing on Aotearoa’s natural world is flourishing. Linda Jane Keegan reviews a stack of the latest in wildlife books, including a healthy dose of bird books. She also highlights a…

The Reckoning: Flagging Rainbow Storytime

Last month drag performers Coco and Erika Flash took Brian Tamaki to court over his protests and public comments against rainbow storytimes which caused them to cancel their storytime tours. Education researcher Kate Morgan writes about the importance of children…

Reviews: Pasifika Picture Books

Mele Tonga-Grant reviews three fantastic Pacific themed titles. They are a love letter to our future, Matariki in a Sāmoan context, and a celebration of our differences. Gagana Sāmoa is sprinkled throughout two of the books and the third is…

Reviews: Five Fresh Picture Books

Tia Haira reviews a varied selection of picture books, covering te ao Māori, an auto-driver in Chennai, manatee antics, experiencing eczema, and the joy of being yourself. Because I’m Māori | He Māori Ahau, by Nicolla Hemi-Morehouse, illustrated by Story…

Reviews: Four Picture Books

School librarian Zac McCallum reads and reviews four recent Scholastic picture books. There’s something here for fans of vehicles, cats, dogs, and sleeping (it’s possible the fans of sleeping might be adults). As a school librarian at a full primary…

Reviews: Three reo Māori pukapuka

These are reviews of new picture books, by Lady Kataraina Pōkai. What do we think? You must read these books! Read these reviews in te reo Māori here. The Dream Factory, Rere Atu Taku Poi! | Let My Poi Fly!,…

Ngā Arotakenga: Toru reo Māori pukapuka

He arotakenga pukapuka ēnei, mō ngā pukapuka pikitia hou, nā Lady Kataraina Pōkai. He aha ō mātou whakaaro? Me pānui koutou i ēnei pukapuka! These reviews are available in reo Pākehā/English here. The Dream Factory, Rere Atu Taku Poi! |…