This week writer and former Sapling co-editor Thalia Kehoe Rowden has some thoughts about a number of books that could do with better rhyme and rhythm, but is delighted with one new title. In a country that has produced such…
Writer and neurodiversity coach Anissa Ljanta has put together a starter pack on neurodivergence for children, teens, educators and parents. It’s a lonely thing to feel like you don’t fit in, are always in trouble at school, or chronically struggle…
If you, like our quizmaster, live in a part of Aotearoa affected by the floods, you too may have found starting off February with seaside swimming a bleak prospect. Luckily the world of Aotearoa literature for kids has plenty of…
Children’s book illustrator, author and artist Trevor Pye passed away on 17 January 2023. Born in Te Awamutu in 1952, Trevor worked as an art teacher, artist, lecturer and children’s book illustrator. His illustrations appear in over 200 books, alongside…
Leila Austin reviews five picture books bursting with brightness, colour, and energy. Boingo and the Golden Balloon, by Dylan Coburn Storyboard artist and art director Dylan Coburn’s first solo picture book sets out to introduce young children to the concept…
Lunar New Year is the traditional celebration marking the start of a new year in the lunar-solar calendar, and is one of the most important events in several Asian cultures. It is also referred to as Chinese New Year, but…
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…
Ant Sang has been a part of New Zealand’s comic scene for decades, with the graphic novels The Dhama Punks and Shaolin Burning to his name. Beyond that, his art will be familiar to many people from the cartoon bro’Town…
Former teacher, feminist book blogger and parent, Annelies Judson gives an insightful commentary on this batch of very Kiwi picture books. My Mum is the Queen of the Road by Jennifer Beck & Lisa Allen My Mum Is The Queen…
The Sapling editor and picture book author Linda Jane Keegan gives a summary and her two cents on 20 bird books released this year. Some might suggest (okay, they have suggested, multiple times) that there are too many bird books…