Weekend Reads: 30 November 2024

My First Animals. 

By Émilie Lapeyre. 

Ladybird Books, 2022. 

ISBN 9780241549018. 

Board book. 

A world of words book. Asks questions, so is good for demonstrating how to integrate that into your sharing of books with little ones. 

Simple and clear. 

Who Needs a Hug? 

By Dean Hacohen and Sherry Scharschmidt. 

Candlewick Press, 2021. 

ISBN 9781536212495. 

Board book. 

Very cute, pretty standard board book. 

Shapes. 

By Sasha Morton. 

Boxer Books, 2024. 

ISBN 9781915801456. 

Board book. 

A Spring Street touch and trace book. 

Tactile book. 

Encourages looking around you to spot the shapes found in the book. 

Run Like a Rabbit. 

By Alison Lester. 

Allen & Unwin, 2021. 

ISBN 9781915801456. 

Australian. 

Board book. 

Great book for interactive / movement storytimes.

Hello Dinosaur: Iguanodon. 

By David Partington. 

Campbell Books / Pan Macmillan, 2024. 

ISBN 9781035016952. 

Board book. 

A good introduction to the iguanodon, with sturdy pull and push tabs and slides. 

Hey! Look at You! 

By Sandra Boynton. 

Boynton Bookworks, 2024.  

ISBN 9781665953160. 

Rhyming text. 

Animal-shaped mirrors, and animal sounds make a magical combination. 

We Are Friends in the Sky. 

By Sue Downing. 

Dorling Kindersley, 2021. 

ISBN 9780241510629. 

Board book. 

Friendships between various creatures / beings / elements (what do you call them?) And, and introduction to the solar system, of a sort. 

Donut Touch! 

Seb Davey and Alex Willmore. 

Gemini Children's Books, 2024. 

ISBN 9781917082099. 

Board book. 

Sharing and donuts. A good interactive book for younger children. 

Great read-aloud potential. Spot the differences between pages. Guess who ate the donuts. 

The Good Night Garage. 

By Tori Kosara. 

Flying Eye Books, 2024. 

ISBN 9781838741778. 

Rhyming text. 

Andromorphic animals and vehicles. 

 

The Velvet Messenger. 

By Megan Hess. 

Hardie Grant, 2024. 

ISBN 9781761212666. 

Rhyming text. Unexpectedly darker than I expected. Definitely Disney evil queen territory. 

Long and aimed at older picture book readers. 

There's an audience for these, and it is pretty girly. 

Tiny Jenny: little fairy, big trouble. 

By Briony may Smith. 

Walker Books, 2024. 

ISBN 9781529526806. 

A small human-like fairy (ie sans wings) is adopted by a family of wrens. She is teased, and sets off to find her people. She meets the fairies, and they are bad. 

With the help of good friends, and her family, good overcomes them. 

Alphabet. 

By Alain Grée. 

Button Books, 2024 (originally published in 2012). 

ISBN 9781787081628. 

Why are there only some lines of text? It just confused me. 

Lulu Gets a Cat! 

By Anna McQuinn  and Rosalind Beardshaw. 

Alanna Max, 2024 (originally published in 2018). 

ISBN 9781907825583. 

A quite earnest book about pet adoption, including practicing the skills needs to care for one. 

People Are My Favorite Places. 

By Ani Castillo. 

Little, Brown and Company, 2024. 

ISBN 9780316424660. 

A lockdown-inspired book. 

This would be interesting to share in a storytime about senses, as so many of the missing things are sensory experiences. 

The Monster Game. 

By Philip Bunting. 

Omnibus Books / Scholastic Aust, 2023. 

ISBN 9781760975197. 

Australian. 

Anxiety? Bedtime fear? It is sort of funny, might sort of work, but I'm not convinced this will help any little one struggling with monster at bedtime fears. 

Night Lunch. 

Eric Fan. 

Tundra Books, 2022. 

ISBN 9780735270572. 

Atmospheric and sepia-toned. Quirky and quiet. 

Older children. 

What's In a Name? He Aha Tō te Ingoa? 

By Renisa Viraj Maki, Hona Black, and Isobel Joy Te Aho-White. 

Oratia Media, 2024. 

ISBN 9781990042638. 

A very earnest book, very well-meaning, and with an important message. The importance of names and pronouncing them correctly. 

Just it doesn't work 100%, as an enjoyable story. 

We're Moving Away. 

By Niña Nill. 

Bright Light, 2023. 

ISBN 9781761212321. 

Australian. 

The problems of moving countries: of leaving parts of yourself behind. But, also finding new things and experiences, and people, in your new country. 

Dear Moko. 

By Hinemoa Elder and Miriama Grace-Smith. 

Penguin, 2024. 

ISBN 9781776953417. 

Whakatauki and whakatauaki (Māori proverbs / sayings) aimed at mokopuna (grandchildren / descendants) provide life lessons. 

Look and Cook Breakfast: a first book of recipes in pictures. 

By Valorie Fisher. 

Astra Young Readers, 2024. 

ISBN 9781662620683. 

An earnest attempt at making a recipe book for visual learners, and those beginning to read. There is a fair amount of text to get through in order to understand the pictures.

Art of Protest: what a revolution looks like. 

By De Nichols, Molly Mendoza, Diego Becas, Olivia Twist. 

Big Picture Press, 2021. 

ISBN 9781787417663. 

Protest artwork from around the world, from the 1960s to now. 

Art Is Everywhere. 

By Joe Haddow and Ellie Hawes. 

uclanpublishing, 2023. 

ISBN 9781915235565. 

Non-fiction. 

I appreciated how broad the definition of art is. From sculpture, to comics, to poetry. 

Includes tips to make your own art. 

Gold Rush: the untold story of the First Nations women who started the Klondike gold rush. 

By Flora Delargy. 

Wide Eyed Editions, 2024. 

ISBN 9780711263871. 

I struggled to find the First Nations women in this book. Woman, yes. 

But, it seemed to be mainly a succession of white women. 

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 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 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 Four

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens: for infants or younger children, written in te reo Māori: 
Koro. 
Written and illustrated by: Gavin Bishop. 
Publication: Gecko Press, 2021; ISBN 9781776574018

Also available as: Pops. 

Publication: Gecko Press, 2021; ISBN 9781776574001

I love the simplicity of this. The text is simple enough that non-fluent speakers can share it in storytime sessions. 

I love the illustrations - and this one, with the contrast in hand size - is one of my favourites.

Gavin has a wonderful command of the use of white space. 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day Two

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens: for ages 0 to 4 years. 

Titiro Look
Author / Illustrator: Gavin Bishop
Translator: Darryn Joseph
Publisher: Gecko Press, 2024. 

In the words of Betsy Bird, US librarian, reviewer, and author: 

YUSSS!!! Oh lord, people, why is something like this so rare? All I want is for accomplished picture book illustrators to hone their talents to the board book format and THEN be paired with those books that will be most useful to children. I’m talking accordion books/high contrast/lift-the-flaps/you name it. Gavin Bishop is of Maori descent (Ngāti Pukeko, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Mahuta, Tainui) and is a friggin’ New Zealand national treasure. He’s also been making books for kids for decades upon decades. LOOK is a particular delight with faces on one side of the accordion pull-out pages, and objects on the other. Meanwhile FRIEND goes through a range of different emotions with a little dog as your avatar. More of this please! 

Well, Titiro Look is definitely more! 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day One

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens: with purple on the cover: 

The Witch of Maketu and the Bleating Lambs
Author: Anika Moa
Illustrator: Rebecca Ter Borg.
Publisher: Puffin / Penguin Random House, 2024. 
ISBN: 9781776958184

Let me share some of the reasons why I love this book, in no particular order: 

1. Anika Moa and her sense of humour. 
2. Rebecca Ter Borg's illustrations. 
3. Uncle Hemi. 
4. The lambs. 
5. The Witch. 
6. The moral. I'm sure being a knitter is one of the reasons I'm not evil. 

As a bonus, here is Anika singing The Witch of Maketu. 

World Kid Lit Month 2024: Traditions.

From celebrations to traditions - over this month I've travelled the globe, and subjects - and I hope you enjoyed the journey with me. 

The big bath house by Kyo Maclear & Gracey Zhang. 

A celebration of traditions and growing up. And of bodies of all shapes and sizes. 

Come together: things every Aussie kid should know about the First Peoples by Isaiah Firebrace & Jaelyn Biumaiwai. 

In this essential book, Isaiah, a Yorta Yorta and Gunditjmara man, establishes a foundation of First Nations knowledge with 20 key topics. Alongside bright and contemporary illustrations by Mununjali and Fijian artist Jaelyn Biumaiwai, Isaiah connects us to each topic through his own personal story and culture, from the importance of Elders to the Dreaming. From Koori Curriculum. 

This is a taonga (treasure). It is worth trying to find, to get some insights into one of the oldest continuous culture on our planet. 

Coming home to country by Bronwyn Bancroft. 

The colours, smells, and sounds of the author's Country are vividly brought to life. Australia is home to many a Country.

Country is the connection Australian First Nations have to a place. To the lands, seas, and waterways. To their family and community. 

The ocean calls by Tina Cho & Jess X. Snow. 

The pull of traditions, and aspirations. But, seriously, wouldn't you want to grow up and be a haenyeo - a free diving mermaid? 

How my Koro became a star by Brianne Te Paa & Story Hemi Moorhouse. 

The author, Brianne Te Paa, is a local for me. Literally works a ten minute walk away. We've done story readings at the same events - at a venue equidistant. 

Even without that geographical connection, this book would pull on my heart, and I would find a home for it in my house, and my life. 

World Kid Lit Month 2024: Self-esteem

We all need to believe in ourselves, and this books express this perfectly. 

The boy who tried to shrink his name by Sandhya Parappukkaran & Michelle Pereira. 

With the help of a new friend Zim - Zimdalamashkermishkada - learns to celebrate his name - and himself. 

Fauja Singh keeps going by Simrat Jeet Singh & Baljinder Kaur. 

Age does not limit your drive or ambition. And this picture book biography shows that, in spades. 

I love me by Sally Morgan & Ambelin Kwaymullina. 

I Love This Book. It is simple and expressive and so joyous. This mother-daughter pair of creators works perfectly. Sally's mother was from the Bailgu  people of Western Australia, and was part of the Stolen Generations. 

Koko and the coconut by Turia Pitt, Célestine Hitiura Vaite, & Emilie Tavaearii. 

The authors' Tahitian heritage - and personal stories - help to add nuance and depth to a story of determination. 

Paku Manu Ariki Whakatakapōkai by Michaela Keeble & Tokerau Brown. 

The power of standing strong in your identity, and being who you are, is so powerful. And is beautifully expressed in this book. The main character's identity is front-and-centre, with the Māori tino rangatiratanga (self-determination) flag around his arms. 

World Kid Lit Month 2024: Grandparents

I had a wonderful relationship with (most of) my grandparents. And, the relationship between child and grandparent can be a very special one indeed, with support going both ways. 

The encyclopedia of Grannies by Éric Veillé & Daniel Hahn. 

Quirky illustration and text makes this a riotous read. 

Koro / Pops by Gavin Bishop. 

A deceptively simple board book, which is available in both English and te reo Māori. 

Maia and what matters to Tine Mortier, Kaatje Vermeire, & David Colmer. 

The relationship between a grandchild and their grandmother, especially after the grandmother has a stroke, and their grandfather dies. 

Tibble and Grandpa by Wendy Meddour & Daniel Egneus. 

Tibble and Grandpa has a similar story to the above: a grieving grandparent, recovering from a stroke. 

Milestones in te ao Māori and te reo Maōri picture book publishing

Tēnā koutou kua huihui mai nei

    (Hello to all gathered here)

E mihi ana ki ngā mana whenua

    (Greetings to the indigenous people of the land)

Nō Airangi me Ingarangi ōku tīpuna

    (My ancestors came from Ireland and England)

I tipu ake ahau ki Opanuku

    (I grew up in Henderson, Auckland)

Ko Anne tōku ingoa

    (My name is Anne)

E mahi ana ahau hei poukōkiri

    (I work as a senior librarian)

Nō reira, tēnā koutou katoa

    (Once again, hello to you all)

This is a list dear to my heart. 

I’ve been around children’s publishing for quite a while, and watched New Zealand’s publishing landscape change, and trends come and go – and grow… Some books have stood out and made me cheer. Made me celebrate how far our country – our reading public – have come along a bilingual journey. I know we have miles to go, but we have made progress.

A step along our path was the creation of LIANZA’s Te Kura Pounamu Award in 1985, which in 2016 became New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults Te Reo Māori (Te Kura Pounamu Award).

There are so many books and so many creators I could have highlighted – but it came down to my memory and the books that stuck with me.

The Caltex book of Maori lore text by James Cowan; revised by J.B. Palmer; illustrated by Dennis Turner. 

Published in 1959, this was a much read and loved book in my Pākehā household. It is dated, but it introduced te ao Māori to a wider community. In a similar vein was Maori legends retold by Alistair Campbell published in 1969. 

 

The boy and the taniwha by R. L. Bacon, the story teller; Para Matchitt, the painter. 

Published in 1966, this book introduced R. L. Bacon to the reading public. This original story was illustrated to evoke traditional Māori carving and cave painting. This is a true milestone: quality of illustration, text, and publishing standards. 

Maori legends for young New Zealanders by Katarina Mataira; drawings by Clare Bowes. 

First published in 1975, this is the book I remember from childhood. It is particularly notable, as it announced the arrival of a literary luminary: Dame Kāterina Te Heikōkō Mataira. 

How Maui found his mother by Peter Gossage. 

Originally published as How Maui-tiki-tiki-a-Taranga found his mother in 1975, Peter Gossage went on to have a heralded career in publishing, and, it was through his work that many non-Māori came to know Māori legends.

The house of the people by R.L. Bacon; illustrations by R.F. [i.e. R.H.G.] Jahnke. 

Originally published in 1977, this won the inaugural Russell Clark Award for illustration in 1978.  Bacon published versions of many traditional stories, presenting te ao Māori and tikanga Māori to the non- Māori world.

The wonder book of Māori legends by A.W. Reed; illustrated by A.S. Paterson. 

First published as Wonder tales of Maoriland in 1964, this 1977 title literally demonstrates New Zealand’s movement to a more culturally-aware climate. Reed was a powerhouse in New Zealand publishing, collating and sharing our stories.

The kuia and the spider by Patricia Grace; illustrated by Robyn Kahukiwa. 

These two wahine toa teamed up to create two classics of New Zealand’s publishing, this, and Watercress tuna and the children of Champion Street. Together, or separately, they are worth checking out.

The house that Jack built by Gavin Bishop. 

Originally published in 1999, although this features no te reo Māori in the text (being a traditional English rhyme) the illustrations are a tour de force in imagining the colonisation of New Zealand. It is stunning, end paper to end paper.

 

Tekiteora, kei hea o hu? nā Ngareta Gabel; nā Ali Teo raua ko Astrid Jensen ngā pikitia.

Published in 2003, and then adapted and translated into te reo Pākehā as Oh hogwash, Sweet Pea! by Hannah Rainforth.  Yes, this began life in te reo Māori. It is a joy to read in any language.

Nanny Mihi's treasure hunt written by Melanie Drewery; illustrations by Tracy Duncan.

The first Nanny Mihi book, Nanny Mihi and the rainbow, was published in 2001. This title in 2004. I rejoice in the fact there is no glossary – we are expected to understand te reo Māori kupu (words). See also Tracy Duncan’s solo titles.

Te haere ki te rapu pea nā Michael Rosen ngā kōrero; nā Helen Oxenbury ngā pikitia [retold by Michael Rosen; illustrated by Helen Oxenbury]; nā Kawata Teepa i whakamặori. 

In 2012, Huia began publishing te reo Māori translations of classic picture books, with We’re going on a bear hunt. It was great to see big-name, overseas publishers so willing to have their works translated into te reo Māori. 

 

Ngā ngeru nā Amiria Stirling ngā kōrero; nā Sarah Illingworth ngā pikitia. The cats of Pāia Street by Amiria Stirling; illustrated by Sarah Illingworth.

This manuscript was the first winner of the Storylines Te Kahurangi Kāterina Te Heikōkō Mataira Award, which is for a manuscript written originally in te reo Māori. 

Look: a tummy time book by Gavin Bishop.

A recent addition to Gavin Bishop's growing collection of board books, I've included this wordless title based on how fabulous it is - which has been recognised by overseas critics. Mainly, Betsy Bird:

YUSSS!!! Oh lord, people, why is something like this so rare? All I want is for accomplished picture book illustrators to hone their talents to the board book format and THEN be paired with those books that will be most useful to children. I’m talking accordion books/high contrast/lift-the-flaps/you name it. Gavin Bishop is of Maori descent (Ngāti Pukeko, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Mahuta, Tainui) and is a friggin’ New Zealand national treasure. He’s also been making books for kids for decades upon decades. LOOK is a particular delight with faces on one side of the accordion pull-out pages, and objects on the other. Meanwhile FRIEND goes through a range of different emotions with a little dog as your avatar. More of this please!

`

Originally published with Auckland Libraries. 

See also, my post on Exploring te ao Māori through picture books, with Storytime Solidarity.