World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 0-6: Asia

The line.

Written by Swapna Haddow. Illustrated by Farah Shah.

Scholastic, 2026. Picture book.

A powerful story about Partition, with a hopeful message at its heart. "I would draw lines that would lasso us to our neighbours and keep us close for all time. I would draw lines that made us feel safe together." When a line divides the country of India, a little girl and her family are forced to leave their home. On her journey, the girl thinks about what she would do differently if she was in charge of a line with so much power. She would draw lines that brought people together, despite their differences. Her lines would make people friends. Her lines would make the world a better place. Bringing together award-winning Indian author, Swapna Haddow, with British-Pakistani illustrator, Farah Shah, representing both sides of Partition The hopeful message of the story and warmth of the illustrations handle the subject matter with care, suitable for a young audience. Based around a historic event, but with important themes that are still very relevant today Includes a spread at the back of the book with facts about the Partition of India.

How we see lines – are they separators, or connectors. There are a number of recent books about The Partition – perhaps because it is coming up to the 80^th anniversary.

Written while Swapna was the University of Otago College of Education/Creative New Zealand Children’s Writer in Residence. 

#WorldKidLitMonth

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 7-12: Asia

The line they drew through us.

Written by Hiba Noor Khan.

Andersen Press, 2025.

Fiction.

Three best friends are born on the same day under miraculous circumstances. But by their twelfth birthday, Jahan, Ravi and Lakshmi's lives are about to change forever. The British announce Indian independence and draw lines of Partition that tear apart the country, and the friends. One of them flees, one of them disappears, and the other is left wondering, could a miracle bring them back together?

Heart-breaking. Touches of the mystical.

Stories of British genocide / cruelty / horrific behaviour are embedded into the story.

My caveat is the introduction, which makes it seem as though Bangladesh was created at the same time as the Partition in 1947. Which, to me, feels like a negation of the trauma and horror of the Liberation War of 1971 – and all that led up to it. 

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. 

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.