Catherine Robertson is a prolific writer of well-loved novels for adults, as well as being the co-owner of Wellington bookshop GOOD BOOKS. This year, Cyclone Gabrielle prompted her to write her first book for children, Pearl in a Whirl, brilliantly…
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,…
By Margaret Mahy Margaret Mahy’s classic is given a new lease of life with this new edition of the book, beautifully illustrated by the 2021 winner of the Margaret Mahy Illustration Prize, Minrui Yang. Check out an excerpt below! There’s…
Thalia Kehoe Rowden reviews four new books aiming to help children process their feelings and understand their place in the world. Pearl in a Whirl, written by Catherine Roberton and illustrated by Fifi Colston A good book for a good…
It’s the penultimate instalment in our coverage of each category in the NZCYA Awards, and today we’re focusing on the finalists in the Best First Book Award category! Hear from the authors below as they tell us about their writing…
Matariki falls on July 14 this year—the second year Aotearoa has celebrated the Māori New Year as a public holiday. We’ve compiled a quick list of some recent Matariki reads published during The Sapling’s hiatus. Nani Jo Me Ngā…
A conversation with Moira Wairama and Margaret Tolland Bee Trudgeon has a heartfelt and heartwarming kōrero with Moira Wairama and Margaret Tolland about the creation of their new book, Nani Jo me ngā Mokopuna Porohīanga—Nanny Jo and the Wild Mokopuna,…
Editor Linda Jane Keegan took the picture book finalists to Tākaka Primary School to get the opinions from some of the junior classes. They were very receptive and engaged, and loved sharing their thoughts on the books (and anything else…
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…
It feels like everywhere we look, Isobel Joy Te Aho-White’s illustrations are gracing the covers and insides of some of New Zealand’s best picture books. By our count, she illustrated at least 13 books released in the last 18 months….