Alistair Hughes searches for the formula for good science communication for kids. Ernest, Lord Rutherford is famously credited with proclaiming: ‘If you can’t explain your physics to a barmaid, it is probably not very good physics.’ These days hospitality workers…
Steve Mushin with his book, Ultrawild, was the winner of the best children’s non-fiction book at the NZCYA Awards in August. Ultrawild is an entertaining thought experiment around the concept of rewilding to save the planet. Linda Jane Keegan reviewed…
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…
There are so many awesome non-fiction pukapuka coming out every year. This batch of assorted non-fiction covers nature crafts, endangered dolphins, and hauora. Linda Jane Keegan gives a rundown of what to expect in each. Play Wild: Nature Crafts for…
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…
Linda Jane Keegan reviews two books that are rooted in nature connectivity. Ultrawild is a thought experiment encompassing environmental science, engineering, and outrageous ideas for how to save the planet, and The Beach Activity Book is an assortment of water-themed…
This is the second year of New Zealand Bug of the Year. Step aside, Bird of the Year, the Entomological Society of New Zealand is keen to get our nation more interested in the lesser known heroes of our environment….
Summer is upon us and school holidays are imminent. Linda Jane Keegan has compiled a list of some of the best Aotearoa-flavoured activity books to help keep you and your tamariki occupied. They can be puzzled and artsy in the…
Sapling editor and self-confessed nature nerd, Linda Jane Keegan, reviews an amazing selection of books about the world around us. Look up close at tiny creatures from land to sea, to far, far away into the night sky. These would…
Comics and graphic novels are a wonderful medium for kids and adults alike. Science communicator Katherine Hurst talks us through how science is portrayed in comic form and gives some great examples. It’s 2023, so hopefully there’s nobody out there…