October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 31

Here endeth the month in which a group of New Zealand children's literature people shared NZ books for children or teens.

The bingo card challenge for today is: 

share a New Zealand book for children or teens that you learned about during this challenge. 

After 20+ years in children's librarianship, with a few of them spend in children's literature charities, and judging panels - that's a hard ask. 

And, as the participants dropped off - as they do - the spread and chance of finding a rare gem has lessened. 

So - this is offered as pretty much the only book I hadn't heard of. 

Here upon the tide 

By Blair McMillan. 

Bateman Books, 2023.
ISBN 9781776890613

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 30

Share a NZ book for children or teens you saw at a launch, event, or book signing
Hideout 
Written by Lorraine Orman. 
Longacre Press, 2007. 
ISBN 9781877361814. 

I'm sure I've been to more launches and events - but I wanted to highlight my friend Lorraine's book. 

 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 29

Share a NZ book for children or teens you wish you'd read earlier. 
Pōtiki. 
Written by Patricia Grace. 
First published Penguin, 1986. 

Maybe I'm mis-remembering, but I *think* Pōtiki was an assigned book at high school. (In which case, it counts as for teens.) 

If it wasn't, it represents what NZ literature came to mean for me: books I was supposed to read - the 'good for you' books - which were forced on me, at a time when I wasn't ready for them. 

To be honest, it could have been Witi Ihimaera's Pounamu, pounamu. 

But, to teenaged me, they all had the flavour of good-for-you vegetable reading. 

Now, reading them, I appreciate them so much more. I am older, and my world view has grown. 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 28

Share a NZ book for 15 to 18 year olds. 
Smiling Jack. 
Written by Ken Catran. 
HarperCollins, 2010. 
ISBN 9781869508128.  

So chilling and terrifying. 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 27

Share a NZ book for children or teens: that you borrowed from the library
Miles and Jones. 1, The anaconda attack. 
Written by Sam Smith. 
Illustrated by César Lador. 
Little Moa 2024. 
ISBN 9781869715564. 

Tongue-in-cheek, self-referential, completely over-the-top.... with a cliffhanger ending! Where is the sequel?! 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 26

Share a NZ book for children or teens: that is a seasonal read (any season). 
Remember that November. 
Written by Jennifer Beck. 
Illustrated by Lindy Fisher. 
Huia 2012.
ISBN 9781775500100. 

Remember Parihaka. 

 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 25

Share a NZ book for children or teens: published this year
The hunt for the whistle: a cleft adventure. 
Illustrated by Scott Pearson. 
Huia, 2024. 
ISBN 9781775508236. 

I think this is a well-meaning book. 

I also think you can tell that is is written for a purpose, and by a committee. 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 24

Share a NZ book for children or teens that you bought in a local bookshop. 
Atua: Māori Gods and heroes
By Gavin Bishop. 
Puffin 2021. 
ISBN 9780143775690. 

How could I not? 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 23

Share a NZ book for children or teens by an author you discovered this year. 
The three little tardigrades: a slightly scientific fairy tale. 
Written and illustrated by Sandra Fay. 
Godwin Books / Henry Holt and Company 2024. 
ISBN 9781250776099. 

Ok, the author has only released two books. And they were published overseas.

This one was a chance discovery. I picked it because... tardigrades! 

And, so good! 

PS I'm currently listening to a podcast about tardigrades, ie Invincible Moss Piglets. 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 22

Share a NZ book for children or teens by an illustrator whose work you enjoy: 
Vasanti Unka. 

I first came across Vasanti's work with The Bean's Story (text Tatiana Aslund; Scholastic 2007).

I used it for talks I gave on picture book design. 

Then, each book I saw added to my admiration.

Vasanti has a style that is all hers - but not the same. 

Each book's style is distinctly its own.

Vasanti has also illustrated: 

• Hill & Hole (text Kyle Mewburn; Puffin 2010). 
• The Boring Book (Puffin 2013). 
• Stripes! No, Spots! (Puffin 2015). 
• Who Stole the Rainbow (Puffin 2018). 
• I am the Universe (Puffin 2020). 
• My Elephant is Blue (text Melinda Syzmanik; Puffin 2021). 
• Lucy and the Dark (text Melinda Syzmanik; Puffin 2023). 

    

    

         

    

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 21

Share a NZ book for children or teens that deserves more attention: 
When the Kehua Calls / When the Kēhua Calls
Written by Kingi McKinnon.
First published by Scholastic, 2002. 
ISBN 1869435222. 
Republished by Scholastic, 2024.
ISBN 9781775437734. 

    

I was so pleased to see this has been republished! It blew my mind - and creeped me out - when I read it all those years ago. 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 20

Share a NZ book for children or teens that you have read recently: 
My Aunt Mary Went Shopping
Written by Roger Hall.
Illustrated by Daron Parton. 
Scholastic, 2014. 
ISBN  9781775432159. 
Published, with illustrations by Trevor Pye, by Ashton Scholastic in 1990. 

    

I requested this because, from the depths of my memory, it seemed like the perfect book to share with local daycares. A few have been asking me to support their children's speech therapy work - without it looking like that's what I'm doing.

And, this playful, tongue-twisting cumulative tale, would be perfect. And, it is! 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 19

Share a NZ book for children or teens: that you are going to read next: 
 A lot of silly: a book of rhymes and nonsense. 
Written by Joy Cowley. 
Illustrated by David Barrow. 
Gecko Press, 2024.
ISBN 9781776575978. 

The fact this is a Joy Cowley collection is enough to sell it. 

But, the publicity around the book - and the launch - just make it even more irresistible. 

There was this article - content warnings in place - about her life, and this book. 

And, then this wonderful piece, after the launch. 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 18

Share a book for NZ children or teens: 
Set on an island in Aotearoa New Zealand. 
Papa's island. 
Written by Melani Drewery. 
Illustrated by Fifi Colston.  
Reed NZ, 2006. 
ISBN 9781869485948. 

Set in Matiu / Somes Island, in the Wellington Harbour. 

During both World Wars, Matiu / Somes Island was used as an internment camp for 'enemy aliens'. 

This story is based on one family's experience of that, in World War Two. 

You can read a bit about the defence history of Matiu / Somes Island on the Department of Conservation website. 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 17

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens: 
Picked by a young reader in your life. 
Duffy and the Bullies 
Written by Jeff Szusterman. 
Illustrated by Ant Sang. 
Created from an original play by Lauren Jackson.
Oratia Media, 2024. 
ISBN 9781990042560. 

 

This was highly recommended by a couple of great-niblings*, who attend a Duffy school and have their own copies. 

*a gender-neutral term for siblings' children. 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 16

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens: 
for ages 12 to 15 years. 
The Tomorrow Code.
By Brian Falkner. 
Walker Books Australia, 2008. 
ISBN 9781921150340. 

Brian has written many amazing books for this age group (as well as younger, and older), but I chose this one, because it is so much a book set in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, and north. The locations and settings are an integral part of the story. 

 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 15

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens: with a laugh-out-loud moment. 
Dazzlehands. 
Written by Sacha Cotter. 
Illustrated by Josh Morgan.
Huia Publishers, 2023. 
ISBN 9781775507185. 
Also published as: 
Rinagkōreko
Translated in to te reo Māori by Kawata Teepa. 

How much do I love this book? 

So much! 

I mentioned it, briefly, when looking at picture books about Dance during World Kid Lit Month this year. 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 14

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens: by an author or illustrator you'll always read. 

Dame Lynley Dodd! 

Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack is one of my favourites.  

I've recently bought some Lynley Dodd books for myself - and we have quite a collection of withdrawn library copies at work - because of so many reasons.

One of them is her use of language! 

I've been asked by local daycares to incorporate some speech therapy exercises into our storytime visits. But, without them seeming like speech therapy exercises.

And, Lynley's books are perfect. 

Drowsily

Bumptious

Bustly

Hustly

Shemozzle

Hullabaloo

Fiendish

Blusterous

Her use of the page turn - and building suspension. 

Dame Lynley Dodd has a masterly and deft touch. 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 13

Share a New Zealand book for children or teenagers: written for ages 8 to 12 years old. 
Stellar Star
Written by Bridget Feehan. 
Scholastic NZ, 2005. 
ISBN 1869436741. 

Gosh, has it really been 20 years since this was published?! I'm really feeling my age! 

It must be time for a re-read. 

And, it would be interesting to see how it stands up. It felt pretty timeless when I read it the first time. 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 12

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens: with a black-and-white illustration. 
The Silent One
Written by Joy Cowley.
Illustrated by Sherryl Jordan. 

Whitcoulls, 1981; ISBN 0723306303. 

Also published: Puffin, 1986; Puffin NZ, 2000. 

And, made into a movie in 1985. 

    

    

There were so many I could choose from - but I thought I'd share a blast from the past. 

Check out Joy's author picture!

And, this was one of Sherryl Jordan's first publications. We are so blessed that she focused on writing in the years to come. 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 11

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens: you would gift for a new baby. 
A treasure of NZ poems for children. 
Editor: Paula Green. 
Illustrator: Jenny Cooper. 
Publication: Random House New Zealand Children's, 2014; ISBN 9781775533566. 
Republished: Random House New Zealand, 2017; ISBN 9780143772194. 

I am a believer that newborn babies will listen to anything, as long as you read it with love.

What better than a treasury of poetry. 

I grew up with A. A. Milne poems, and I'm pleased that children from Aotearoa have this, and other, books of poetry about THEIR world, to grow up with and recite from. 

If you need any poetry recommendations, then Paula Green's website should be your first port of call. 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day Ten

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens: 
for older children or teenagers, written in te reo Māori. 
Te pakanga a Ngāti Rānaki me Te Ranga-Tipua. 
Translation of Avengers vs the X-Men. 
Authors: Jason Aaron, Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, Jonathon Hickman.
Translator: Te Korou Whangataua. 
Illustrators: John Romita, Oliver Coipel, Adam Kubert. 
Publication: Auckland University Press, 2021; ISBN 9781869409166. 

I was pleasantly surprised when this arrived at my library site! 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day Nine

Share a New Zealand children or teen book: that is a debut. 
Reach 
Written by: Hugh Brown.
Publication: HarperCollins, 2012; ISBN 9781869509569. 

Inaugural winner of the Storylines Tessa Duder Award, for an unpublished work of fiction for young adults aged 13 and above. 

Forgive me if you've heard this story before, but... 

On the way home from a Storylines Management Committee meeting, I was ranting about how there were all these awards for picture books, and junior fiction, and why wasn't young adult more recognised. 

My friend and I then brainstormed who we could name it after. The choice seemed obvious, when we discussed it.

A month on, and we're at another meeting. It comes to Any Other Business, and I say: nzbookgirl and I were talking about how we needed to have an award for an unpublished young adult novel. The person sitting beside me was nodding. Then I said, and we thought we could name it the Tessa Duder Award. At which point the person sitting beside me - Tessa Duder - put her hand on her heart and said 'oh'. 

It was a coincidence that Tessa was beside me. 

It was also a coincidence that the first award winner was on a topic very personal to Tessa: grandparents raising grandchildren. 

All of that means that Reach holds a special space in my heart, and my bookshelves. 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day Eight

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens: with a double page illustration. 
Witch's cat wanted: apply within
Author: Joy J. Davidson. 
Illustrator: Nikki Slade Robinson. 
Publication: Scholastic, 2016; ISBN 9781775433729. 

As the joint owner of two rescued black cats - this book has additional love from me. I mean, I loved it the first time I read it, but now it means a little bit more. 

I was reminded of this book, thanks to Jasper's propensity to look like a witch's cat when he hunches up. 

Weekend reading: 6 October

Every few weekends, I binge read the children's books I've checked out of the library and brought home.

Some are because I'm checking if they'll work for storytime. 

Some are new from Aotearoa creators.

Some are just because.... 

This weekend's reads were: 

A couple of old favourites, which I own: 

• Old Pig by Margaret Wild and Ron Brooks. Allen & Unwin, 1995. 
• The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek by Jenny Wagner and Ron Brooks. Longman, 1973. 

The Bunyip lived in my memory for years, before I owned a copy. Friends bought me a copy, in Australia, in about 1993. And the staff of the bookshop had never heard of it. They had one copy tucked away. 

    

Other books read this weekend: 

• The book of rules by Brian Gehrlein and Thomas Knight. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2021.  
• Sent with love from my other nephew. 

    

Non-fiction / dinosaurs: 

• Name that thing by Gareth Moore and Ryan O'Rourke. Magic Cat Publishing, 2023. 
• Fly by David Lindon and Sara Boccaccini Meadows. Magic Cat Publishing, 2024. 
• Aotearoa Klaxon sounds! 
• Fighting with love: the legacy of John Lewis by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome. Simon & Schuster, 2024. 
• This is one of those books I wish there were illustration notes for. 

        

        

Dinosaurs: 

• Dinosaur knowledge genius by Dr Chris Barker and Riley Black. Dorling Kindersley, 2024. 
• Side note: I'm a little disappointed that they have used a gendered pronoun for the T. Rex Sue. 
• My encyclopedia of very important dinosaurs. Senior editor: Kritika Gupta. Dorling Kindersley, 2024. 
• Note: this is a very thick book that is obviously aimed at younger readers. I'm not sure how many of them would pick it up, because the size is daunting. 
• We went to find a T. rex by Catherine Cawthorne and Aysha Awwad. Hodder, 2024. 
• Stegosaurus makes its way home by Elizabeth Gilbert Bedia and Marie Bollmann. Dorling Kindersley, 2024. 
• Horridus and the hidden valley by Chris Flynn and Aaron Cushley. Museums Victoria, 2022. 
• One day on our prehistoric planet: with a diplodocus by Ella Bailey. Flying Eye Books, 2024. 

        

A double dose of Margaret Mahy! 

•  17 kings and 42 elephants by Margaret Mahy and Alba Gil Celdrán. Little Moa, 2024. 
• Footsteps through the fog by Margaret Mahy and Gavin Bishop. Penguin, 2012. 

 

Books that made me cry: 

• The garden of broken things by Freya Blackwood. Angus & Robertson, 2024. 
• Everywhere with you by Carlie Sorosiak and Devon Holzwarth. Walker, 2022. 

        

Other picture books: 

• Little Owl's new friend by Debi Gliori and Alison Brown. Bloomsbury, 2022. 
• Paul the peacock by Tilly Matthews. Happy Yak, 2024. 
• Hunt for the whistle: a cleft adventure illustrated by Scott Pearson. Huia, 2024. NZ title.  
• "This story was developed with the generous assistance of Allison Brown (Cleft New Zealand Te Manatōpū Ngutu Riwha o Aotearoa), Genevieve Boyer (Cleft New Zealand Te Manatōpū Ngutu Riwha o Aotearoa) and the Youth Advisory Group." 
• And, alas, it reads like a story by committee, and one trying desperately to share their message. 
• In the words of a panel I was on: worthy, but not notable. 
• Jibber-jabber by Randall Enos. Creative Editions, 2018. 
• I've been asked by a couple of my local day cares / early childhood centres, for stories / rhymes that would help with speech therapy exercises. This might be on the list. I have to think about encouraging audience participation with it. 
• Ada, are you ready? by Daishu Ma. Walker Books, 2024. 
• Lali's feather by Farhana Zia and Stephanie Fizer Coleman. Peachtree, 2020. Vox book read by Farhana Zia. 
• I like how the non-English words are incorporated into the story, without explanation. 
• The bread pet: a sourdough story by Kate DePalma and Nelleke Verhoeff. Barefoot Books, 2020. 
• When Glitter met Glue by Karen Kilpatrick and Germán Blanco. Henry Holt, 2022. 
• Hello Horse by Vivan French and Catherine Rayner. Walker Books, 2018. 
• The dictionary story by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston. Walker Books, 2024. 
• My big fantastic family by Adam & Charlotte Guillain, and Ali Pye. Nosy Crow, 2021. 
• What do you wish for by Jaen Godwin and Anna Walker. Penguin / Viking, 2018. 
• Godfrey is a frog by Alex Latimer. Oxford University Press, 2024. 
• The crossodile by Rachel Morrisroe and Ella Okstad. Puffin, 2024. 
• Bee you by Smriti Prasadam-Halls and Clare Fennell. Andersen Press, 2024. 
• Fart Zoo by Leigh Hodgkinson. Walker Books, 2024. 
• The Daily Sniff by Jane Cabrera. Holiday House, 2023. 
• Witch's cat wanted: apply within by Joy H. Davidson and Nikki Slade Robinson. Scholastic NZ, 2016. NZ title. 
• I liked this when I first read it. And, I still like it. Especially now I am co-human to two black rescue cats. 

    

    

    

    

What is there to say about this? 

The remarkables: the most incredible children I have met - so far! 

Written and illustrated by Clotilde Perrin. 

Translated from the French by Daniel Hahn.

Gecko Press, 2024. 

Original title: Les incroyables.