October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 20.

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens that is historical – either fiction or non-fiction

 

Kupe and the great octopus of Muturangi.

Retold and illustrated by Mat Tait.

Allen & Unwin, 2026.

Kupe's voyage to Aotearoa! Kupe found that a huge, fearsome wheke (octopus) was taking all the fish in the ocean and the people of Hawaiki had nothing to eat. So Kupe chased that wheke across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa (the Pacific Ocean). Finally Hine-te-Aparangi, Kupe's wife, saw land and a long white cloud: Aotearoa! Find out what happened when the wheke and Kupe had a massive battle.

Whether you consider this retelling fiction or nonfiction depends on your world view and inculturation.

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 19.

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens that features river / ocean

 

Swim: the story of Hinemoa and Tūtānekai.

Retold by Chris Szekely.

Illustrated by Andrew Burdan.

Published simultaneously in Māori as: Tāhoe: he pakiwaitara mo Hinemoa rāua ko Tūtānekai.

Huia, 2013.

This Te Arawa Māori traditional story tells of two lovers forbidden to meet who find a way to be together. In the legend, Hinemoa lives by Lake Rotorua and Tūtānekai on the island, Mokoia. Hinemoa falls in love when Tūtānekai plays the flute, but Hinemoa's father considers him unsuitable. They vow to be together, and every night on the island, Tūtānekai plays his flute to guide Hinemoa to him. With no canoe, Hinemoa must swim the lake with mystical creatures in it to be with Tūtānekai.

Just a glorious book. Luscious illustrations.

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 14.

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens that features different illustration media (ie not usual, eg collage / assemblage)

The bean's story.

Written by Tatiana Aslund.

Artwork by Vasanti Unka.

Scholastic, 2007.

The life cycle of a bean is presented using the traditional story structure of the The house that Jack built, with extended fold-out page at the back of the book which holds a surprise.

I wish this was still in print!

Weekend Reads round-up: 4 October: part three

Bread is love.

Written by Pooja Makhijani.

Illustrated by Lavanya Naidu.

Roaring Brook Press, 2026.

Picture book.

Bread is nearly universal. This is a wonderfully warm celebration of bread and traditions. And acknowledgment that it doesn’t always work as planned, but is lovely all the same.

Possible read-alikes:  

• Curry means more by Maria Marianayagam and Geeta Ladi.
• The bakery dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz.
• To stir with love by Kate Mildenhall.
• A pinch of love by Barry Timms and Tisha Lee.
• Monster baker by Laura Lavoie and Vanessa Morales. 

Kupe and the great octopus of Muturangi.

Written and illustrated by Mat Tait.

Allen & Unwin, 2026.

Also published in te reo Māori as Kupe me te Wheke nui a Muturangi.

Illustrated nonfiction.

A retelling of Kupe and the discovery of Aotearoa.

Possible read-likes:

• Whenua and Wāhine by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White.
• Aotearoa: the New Zealand story by Gavin Bishop.
• Weaving earth and sky by Robert Sullivan and Gavin Bishop. 

Meerkat mayhem.

Written by Mem Fox.

Illustrated by Judy Horacek.

Puffin Books, 2024.

Australian.

Picture book.

Very reminiscent of Winnie-the-Pooh getting stuck in Rabbit’s doorway, but with more sarcasm.

Possible read-alikes:

• Torla & Smorla and the deeper than average hole by Kes Gray and Chris Jevons.
• Meerkat splash by Aura Parker.
• The good deed dogs by Emma Chichester Clark.
• Dude. Be nice by Sarah Scheerger with Brent & Jamie Camalich; and Alex Macnaughton.
• I fell in a hole by Claire Zorn.
• Sam & Dave dig a hole by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen.

 

Sarabeth's garage.

Written by Melanie Florence.

Illustrated by Nadia Alam.

Tundra, 2026.

Picture book.

Gender roles and old-fashioned views. Which are gloriously upended and ignored at the end.

Possible read-alikes:

• Maisy’s garage by Lucy Cousins.
• Zog and the flying doctors by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
• Fred gets dressed by Peter Brown.
• Princesses can fix it! by Tracy Marchini and Julia Christians.
• Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole.
• Boys don't fry by Kimberly Lee and Charlene Chua.

 

The pandas who promised.

Written by Rachel Bright.

Illustrated by Jim Field.

Orchard Books, 2023. 

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

Promises and temptations – and red pandas!

Possible read-alikes:

• How this book got red by Margaret Chiu Greanias and Melissa Iwai.
• I'm not sleepy by Raahat Kaduji. 
• Oona by Kelly DiPucchio and Raissa Figueroa.  

Little Owl's opposites.

Written and illustrated by Divya Srinivasan.

Viking, 2026.

Board book.

Opposites explored while out in the forest.

Possible read-alikes:

• Animal opposites at the zoo by Emilie Tavaearii.
• Little Fish's opposites by Lucy Cousins.
• Opposites with Owl and Bird by Rebecca Purcell.
• Sweet dreams by Becky Davies and Hannah Abbo.

 

Squabble and squeak.

Written and illustrated by Raahat Kaduji.

Alison Green Books, 2026.

Picture book.

Noise and neighbours, and danger!

Possible read-alikes:

• Crash! Bang! Wallop! by Neil Clark.
• Marcie and Giraffe by Kim Gregory.
• Tomorrow I'm in charge! by Jörg Mühle; translated by Melody Shaw.
• Tiger's perfectly different day by Alison Murray. 

Snake brought cake: a New Zealand birthday zooprise!

Written by Sam Smith.

Illustrated by Daron Parton.

Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand, 2022.

Aotearoa.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

Fun and games, literally, at the zoo.

Possible read-alikes:

• Don't scare the dentist by qualified dentist and licensed comedian Sam Smith and Daron Parton. 
• One blue gnu by Danna Smith and Ana Zurita. 
• What’s the time, Mr Wolf by Debi Gliori. 
• Bin chicken feeding time at the zoo by Kate and Jol Temple, and Ronojoy Ghosh. 
• Good night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann. 
• Penguin's party problems by Alice Horn. 

The witch who couldn't spell.

Written by Jess Galatola.

Illustrated by Lu Baker.

Larrikin House, 2026.

Picture book.

Didactic.

How would a child, struggling with spelling / dyslexia, like this book? It’s all well and good saying that working on correctly her spelling mistakes will make it better – when that doesn’t work for you.

Possible read-alikes / instead-ofs:

• Stacey's remarkable books by Stacey Abrams and Kitt Thomas.
• Witchicorn by Angela Woolfe and Sarah Jennings.
• Broom for two by Jennifer Maruno and Scot Ritchie.
• Loops by Jashar Awan. 
• A spider named Itsy by Steve Light.
• The fastest tortoise in town by Howard Calvert and Karen Obuhanych.

The big one.

Written by Dashka Slater.

Illustrated by Myo Yim.

Random House, 2026.

Picture book.

Dreams can come true, in unexpected ways.

Possible read-alikes:

• On Nanna's boat by Anna Pignataro and Max Hamilton.
• The big fish by Pamela Allen.
• The susurrus by Genevieve Young-Evans and Cate James.
• Whoosh! by Sam Usher. 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 7.

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens that is a graphic novel

 

Folk remedy: the hidden world of the yōkai. (Book 1).

Written and illustrated by Jem Yoshioka.

Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2025.

After twelve-year-old Maple Morimura reads a book detailing her family's relationship to the spirits and supernatural beings called yōkai, she unexpectedly travels to a hidden spirit world with a mischievous Yōkai named Ember.

Shortlisted for the Russell Clark Award for Illustration, in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, 2026.Shortlisted for the NZSA Best First Book Award in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, 2026.

Ends on a cliffhanger!

Jem dedicated her first book to her grandmother, Taeko, who travelled from Japan to Aotearoa New Zealand.

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

 

Girls who slay monsters: daring deeds of the Irish goddesses.

Written by Ellen Ryan.

Illustrated by Shona Shirley Macdonald.

HarperCollinsIreland, 2022.

Unsung stories from ancient Irish myths re-imagined for nine-to-twelve year olds.

There was a time when tales of Ireland’s mythical goddesses—their astonishing powers, bravery, and unbreakable bonds with nature—were famous, in Ireland and beyond. But over time, these stories were lost, often replaced or rewritten to make room for male warriors and kings.

Until Now.

Girls Who Slay Monsters brings these heroes of Irish mythology back to vibrant, magical life. From Éire, Ireland’s fierce namesake, and Bé Binn, a giant who overcame her bullies, to Badb, a gleefully gruesome death prophet, and Bé Mannair, a gender-fluid spy who challenged an entire army. These are goddesses of many shapes, skin shades and sizes, from every corner of ancient Ireland, whose daring still inspires today.

Stand by their sides as they wield magic, fight monsters, and protect the powerless — and you might just discover that you, too, are a force of nature.

Inspirational and empowering stories of goddesses, so many I’ve never heard of.

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

  

Charlie Tangaroa and the god of war.

Written by T.K. Roxborogh.

Illustrated by Laya Mutton-Rogers.

Huia Publishers, 2024.

Like every year, the summer brings new people to Tolaga Bay. It's been a full year since Charlie saved his hometown from destruction at the hands of gods, warring sea creatures and natural disasters. Charlie and his younger brother, Robbie, are enjoying their normal lives - fishing off the wharf and helping out at their mum's store - that is, until a visiting scientist is stabbed at the local campground, days before a meeting between local iwi and the government. So begins Charlie's quest to uncover a mystery taking place in the hills above the town.

A middle book in a series can be ho-hum. Thankfully, this is not the case here.

The author, Tania Roxborogh, is of Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri, Scottish, German, and Irish descent.

World Kid Lit Month: Bingo for 0-6: Asia

Rama & Sita

Written by Swapna Haddow. 
Illustrated by Darshika Varma. 

Hodder Children’s Books, 2025. 

Part of the Little Myths series. 

This book shows that sometimes it can be hard to pin down a book to a place. 

The myth of Rama and Sita is definitely of Asia origin. 

The author, Swapna, was born in London (Europe) and now lives in Aotearoa New Zealand (Oceania). 

The illustrator, Darshika Varma, is from Mumbai. 

The diaspora is real – and, sometimes, it makes me question where do I personally classify a work. 

[Related, but tangential, discussion follows]: 

In this case, the subject matter and illustrator helped. But, what about a book created by children of a diaspora, which doesn’t feature the culture they are descended from? 

Do they stop ever being an ‘Asian’ creator, and become a creator from their birth country? 

I asked these questions at work, too – when asking the ethnicity question on our membership form. 

Does my friend’s son – born and raised in Aotearoa – ever get to tick another box than ‘Chinese’? Or workmates, whose family immigrated here over 150 years ago – do they ever get to tick something other than ‘Chinese’ or ‘Indian’? 

In a relatively recently colonised county like Aotearoa New Zealand, these questions come up a bit. 

There’s a certain ‘something’ about works created by people from Aotearoa, whatever their ethnic background. 

And, it’s something that has become more obvious in recent years. There’s less harking back to ‘The Mother Country’ (ie England, generally) and less centring that background or reality. 

Anyway, I’ll go back to my hole and try to stay in my lane. 

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? 

World Kid Lit Month 2024: LGBTQIA+

For some people, these books push the boundaries and need banning. 

I think they need highlighting and celebrating.

And, this is only a tiny selection of the books I *could* have recommended. 

Rere atu taku poi! Let my poi fly! By Tangaroa Paul & Rebecca Gibbs. 

Another moment for me to share my pride in my work organisation. For those who don't know, poi are a female accessory. But, if you are a boy - or AMAB (assigned male at birth) - who loves the poi, what do you do? Based on the author's own experiences. You can see Tangaroa in action, in this video - filmed in one of the local libraries. 

The frog's kiss by James Mayhew & Toto. 

A queer retelling of the Frog Prince fairy tale. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by James Mayhew, illustrator (@mrjamesmayhew)

 

Grandad's Pride by Harry Woodgate. 

This book has faced negative review bombing online. It is a sequel to Grandad's Caravan, and both are beautiful, and deserve support. 

Jenny lives with Eric and Martin by Susanne Bösche, Andreas Hansen, & L. Mackay. 

Old school review! How many people have ever heard of this one? It is from 1981, and has faced controversy since its first publication. 

You need to chill by Juno Dawson & Laura Hughes. 

I want the confidence of this main character, if I ever need to defend my relatives - politely. 

Kapaemahu by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, & Daniel Sousa. 

A retelling of a traditional Hawai'ian moolelo (a story which bridges legend and history) about a group of mahu (beings who carry both male and female mind, spirit, and heart). 

World Kid Lit Month 2023: GLLI Translated YA Book Prize

A book awarded the GLLI Translated YA Book Prize:

Oksi
By Mari Ahokoivu; translated by Silja-Maaria Aronpuro.

Levine Querido, 2021.

I was trying to decide which pages to photograph.

It would have ended up being the whole book.

A graphic novel retelling of a Finnish fairy tale is one that will haunt you. 

The use of negative space, and of colour, is masterfully done. 

World Kid Lit Month 2023: A book translated from a language spoken by a friend

 A book translated from a language spoken by a friend: 

The snake and the frogs 
Retold by Mariam Karim-Ahlawat; illustrated by Nancy Raj; Tamil translation by Malarvizhi. 

Tulika Publishers, 2018. 

A traditional tale, with illustrations based on wooden folk toys from Channapatna in Karnataka, a craft style that came centuries ago from Persia (quote from publisher's website). 

This tale was published in multiple bilingual formats: 

• English / Bengali
• English / Gujarati
• English / Hindi
• English / Kannada
• English / Malayalam
• English / Marathi
• English / Tamil
• English / Telugu. 

I hope I've credited the translator! Trying to find the translator is an issue so many times! 

Yes, I did originally ear mark this for a language with non-Roman script - but changed my mind! 

World Kid Lit Month 2022: Day 28: A book from South Asia

Bingo: A book from South Asia:

Sita's Ramayana Text by Samhita Arni; art by Moyna Chitrakar

World Kid Lit Month 2022: Day 24: A book from Southeast Asia

Bingo: A book from Southeast Asia:

The tiny boy and other tales from Indonesia 

Retold by Murti Bunanta; illustrated by Hardiyono.

World Kid Lit Month 2022: Day 15: A book translated from a language you don't know

Bingo: A book translated from a language you don't know:

The sea-ringed world: sacred stories of the Americas.

María García Esperón; illus Amanda Mijangos; trans David Bowles.

Presents a collection of stories from nations and cultures from Argentina to Alaska.

World Kid Lit Month 2021: WALES

WALES: 

Welsh fairytales: sixteen mysterious myths and legends from the hills and valleys of Wales. 

Retold by Philip Wilson; illustrated by Sue Clarke and 4 others; introduction by Neil Philip. 

The traditional stories of Wales conjure up a world of adventure and chivalry. Knights and princesses, kings and bards, and the little people who can make the impossible happen — these are just a few of the characters in the stories featured in this book.

World Kid Lit Month 2021: TONGA

TONGA: 

The mouse and the ant. 

Retold and illustrated by Lisala Halapua. 

Mouse is tricked out of eating a banana by some ants.

World Kid Lit Month 2021: TOKELAU

TOKELAU: 

Tokelau heroes. 

By David Riley; illustrated by Moses Viliamu. 

Tokelau heroes presents inspirational stories of achievers who have Tokelauan ancestry.

World Kid Lit Month 2021: SWITZERLAND

SWITZERLAND: 

The revenge of the black cat: Swiss myths. 

Edited and retold by Katja Alves. 

Offers 23 traditional tales from different regions of Switzerland, featuring ghosts, dwarfs, goblins, demons, devils, and dragons.

World Kid Lit Month 2021: NEW ZEALAND AOTEAROA

NEW ZEALAND: 

Charlie Tangaroa and the creature from the sea. 

By T.K. Roxborogh; illustrations by Phoebe Morris. 

On a beach clean-up, 13-year-old Charlie and his brother, Robbie, find a ponaturi, a mermaid, washed up on a beach. An ancient grudge between the Māori gods Tane and Tangaroa has flared up because a port being built in the bay is polluting the ocean and creatures are fleeing the sea.