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 18.

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens for infants or younger children written in te reo Māori

 

Toitū.

Written by Pania Tahau-Hodges.

Nā Josie Selkirk ngā pikitia.

Huia, 2026.

Also published as:

 Hīkoi: a Māori alphabet book for little (and not-so-little) activists.

E haere ana a Moko rāua tahi ko Koro ki te hīkoi ki Paremata. Koa katoa a Moko i te mea koinei tana hīkoi tuatahi. Engari anō a Koro hoki ana ōna mahara ki ērā atu tohe me ngā whakatipuranga i hīkoi mō te tika. Whakapiripiri mai ana te huinga tāngata, te huinga hapori, ko rātou katoa e haere tahi ana, kua herea kia kotahi mō te tētāhi ao e ora ai te katoa.

Inspired by the hīkoi in response to the Treaty Principles Bill, this story draws on the words of resilience and resistance that have inspired generations of Māori in the determination for our land, language and right to live as Maori and shape our own destiny. In the story, a koro and his moko join the hīkoi to parliament and remember past actions and activists who marched for justice. In the march, there are many figures from many communities and many walks of life, but they all walk in the same direction, unified in a vision of the future in which people thrive. The words of the story inspire us to be resilient and remind us that we are not alone, and that in coming together we are powerful.

I’ve heard Pania talk about the inspiration for this, and the process around the te reo Pāhekā translation. I love that the publication team decided NOT to us the English alphabet for the English language version – ie a, b, c – instead they kept with the Māori alphabet.

Toitū is brilliant. The text is much simpler than in Hīkoi, because, as Pania explained, much doesn’t have to be explained to te reo Māori readers.  

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 17.

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens or ages 12-15 years

The Treaty of Waitangi = Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Written by Ross Calman.

Oratia Books, 2025.

Illustrated nonfiction.

The story of The Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi is one of the greatest in New Zealand history. It marks the moment British and Māori history intersected and a new nation was formed. In The Treaty of Waitangi, Ross Calman outlines the impact of the Treaty from early contact between Māori and European settlers and signing around the country through to its revitalisation in the twentieth century, the formation of the Waitangi Tribunal and the present-day debates about its place at the centre of political and cultural life. Extensive illustrations, photos and fact boxes examine New Zealand's founding document from a range of viewpoints, and highlight the importance of Te Tiriti as a key to understanding the nation's past, present and future. This eighth book further extends Oratia's NZ Series, a non-fiction resource for general readers and schools, introducing complex subjects in concise terms.

A must-read, and perfect for this age group (and up).

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 16.

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens that has te reo Māori integrated effectively into a largely English text

 

Pō mārie, my moko.

Written by Casey Kaa.

Illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White

Scholastic New Zealand, 2026.

Picture book.

Pō Mārie, My Moko is a gentle bedtime journey that carries a kuia and her mokopuna through the natural world, guided by atua, ancestors and the rhythms of te ao Māori. From the maunga and ngahere to the awa and moana, the story weaves calm breathing and reassurance into a soothing night-time ritual. It closes with a loving reminder that every child is a precious taonga. Celebrates whakapapa, kaitiakitanga and connection to the natural world, making it ideal for shared reading at the end of the day.

A lovely, gentle story. I like that the grandmother isn’t depicted as grey-haired, wrinkled and ancient. 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 13.

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens for ages 8-12 years. 

Note: this is a re-post. 

 

My first ikura.

Written by Qiane Matata-Sipu.  

Illustrated by Isobel Te Aho-White.

Taku ikura tuatahi

Nā Qiane Matata-Sipu. 

Nā Stacey Morrison i whakamaori. 

Nā Isobel Joy Te Aho-White i waituhi. 

QIANE+co, 2025.  

Sophisticated picture book.

A gentle and powerful story that reclaims the sacredness of a girl’s first ikura (period) through a Māori lens — celebrating connection, ceremony and whakapapa. Rooted in te ao Māori, My First Ikura and the reo Māori translation Taku Ikura Tuatahi is a beautifully illustrated children’s book that follows a young girl’s first period, guided by the support of her whānau. More than a story of physical change, it celebrates womanhood as a sacred rite of passage. First of its kind in Aotearoa, it addresses first menstruation through a Māori cultural framework. Culturally affirming, it emphasises ceremony, family support and ancestral wisdom — it also includes a specially written karakia for families to learn together. Beautifully produced, with premium finishes and lush, full-colour illustrations using traditional earth pigments (kōkōwai). Created by recognised Māori creatives: Builds trust and demand from readers seeking authentic Indigenous voices. Education-friendly: Supports conversations in kura, classrooms and at home about periods, wellbeing and identity.

What an absolutely stunning book. Such positivity and support. 

Dragging out the knowledge I half-remember from the introductory anthropology paper I took (in *mumble* 1990!) - and the essay I wrote about menstruation customs - this approach is very rare. 

October Kiwi Kids Books: Day 9.

Share a New Zealand book for children or teens that deserves more attention

Digging up the past: archaeology for the young and curious.

Written by David Veart.

Auckland University Press, 2011.

What do moa eggs, seeds chewed by rats & 600-year-old footprints have in common? Lost planes, dog turds and frozen sleeping bags? Archaeologists deal with artefacts like these every day in Aotearoa New Zealand to make sense of the world of our ancestors, our tūpūna. In this book David Veart walks alongside the archaeologists as they dig up the past on top of volcanoes and beneath our city streets, in Māori pā and explorers' huts. He offers us the things they find - obsidian blades, enamel cups, the carved prow of a waka - and the remarkable stories they have uncovered of Polynesian sailors and Pākehā sealers, Māori gardeners and Chinese storekeepers.

David Veart worked as a DOC historian and archaeologist for years. This is a brilliant book, and should be more known. I’d love if it was updated and reprinted!

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. 

Weekend Reads round-up: 4 October: part one

Where the heart is.

Written by Shirley Marr.

Illustrations by Michael Speechley.

Walker Books Australia, 2026.

Australian.

Picture book.

I honestly thought this was a northern hemisphere book – it is very European. Migration due to winter wouldn’t have been a very Australian thing, I would have thought.

Anyway, some possible read-alikes:

• The longer the wait, the bigger the hug by Eion McLaughlin and Polly Dunbar.
• Any room for me? by Loek Koopmans. 
• Be back soon by Anna Wilson and Jenny Bloomfield.
• Somewhere for Little Bear by Britta Teckentrup.
• Stay awake, Bear! by Gavin Bishop. NZ author. 
• The big dreaming by Michael Rosen and Daniel Egnéus.

 

Pō mārie, my moko.

Written by Casey Kaa.

Illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White.

Scholastic New Zealand, 2026.

Aoteara.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

Weaves te ao Māori, mātauranga Māori, throughout.

Possible read-alikes:

• A day with Yayah by Nicola I. Campbell and Julie Flett.
• Going down home with Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons and Danile Minter.
• Jeong is jeong by Jessica Yoon and Michelle Lee.
• Lots of love from Grandma by Tracey Tasker and Monika Filipina.
• Grandad’s world by Michael Foreman.
• We go slow by Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie and Aaron Becker. 

Deli days.

Written by Jenna Rothberg.

Illustrated by Marta Pantaleo.

Scribble, 2026.

Picture book.

A debut picture book deeply rooted in the author’s personal memories and family heritage.

Possible read-alikes:

• My nonna loves by Adelle Frittitta and Claudia Frittitta.
• Stay for dinner by Sandhya Parappukkaran and Michelle Pereira.
• Going fishing with Nana by Frances and Lindsay Haji-Ali, and Karen Briggs.
• The cafe at the edge of the woods by Mikey Please.

George and the Dragon.

Written and illustrated by Christopher Wormell.

Penguin Random House UK, 2019.

Picture book.

This went down a treat in my house with the 65+ year olds – nearly universal appeal.

It didn’t go where any of my house expected, which adds to the fun.

Possible read-alikes:

• Not now, Bernard by David mcKee.
• A mouse just ate my house! by Kes Gray and Sebastien Braun.
• Baby Kraken by Ani Manzanas.
• No climbing by Ross Collins.
• The monster in the lake by Leo Timmers; translated by Bill Nagelkerke. NZ translator. 
• The monster at the end of this book by Jon Stone and Mike Smollin. 

Hīkoi: a Māori alphabet book for little (and not-so-little) activists.

Written by Pania Tahau-Hodges.

Illustrated by Josie Selkirk.

Also available in a te reo Māori version Toitū.

Aotearoa.  Picture book.

I heard this book, and its genesis, earlier this year. I have been waiting ever since. I am so glad that the team chose to stay with the te reo Māori alphabet letters and order.

There is nothing quite like this, but you could try:

• The greatest haka festival on Earth by Pania Tahau-Hodges and Story Hemi-Morehouse. Te reo Māori edition Mokopuna Matatini.
• Love is powerful by Heather Dean Brewer and LeUyen Pham.
• A is for activist by Innosanto Nagara.
• Change sings: a children's anthem by Amanda Gorman and Loren Long.
• Sometimes people march by Tessa Allen. 
• Speak up! by Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola. 
• Stand up! Speak up!: a story inspired by the climate change revolution by Andrew Joyner. 

Back in my day.

Written by Kevin Nemeth.

Illustrated by Brent Wilson

Affirm Press, 2026

Australian.

Picture book.

Tall tales and stereotypes. Right until the end.

Possible read-alikes:

• Daddy, tell me a story by Kathleen Long Bostrom and Ela Smietanka.
• A hatful of dreams by Bob Graham.
• Put your records on by Corinne Bailey Rae and Gillian Eilidh O'Mara.
• We became jaguars by Dave Eggers and Woodrow White. 

Tiki and Jill and the Great Australian Camel Race.

Written by Kate Simpson and Dr Jill Colwell.

Illustrated by Craig Smith.

Allen & Unwin, 2026.

Australian.

Sophisticated picture book.

Biography.

What a fascinating piece of history!

Possible read-alikes:

• Hoosh!: camels in Australia by Janeen Brian.
• Animal helpers: how animals from around the world help us by Ben Hubbard and Sara Ugolotti.
• Nala's world by Dean Nicholson and Frann Preston-Gannon.
• Bandoola: the great elephant rescue by William Grill.

 

Bowerbird brave.

Written and illustrated by Aura Parker.

Scholastic Australia, 2026.

Australian.

Picture book.

Part of a series about Bowerbird.

A bit meh. Very earnest. 

Possible read-alikes / read-insteads:

• Lena the chicken (but really a dinosaur!) by Linda Bailey and K-Fai Steele.
• The magic scarf by Em Cosh.
• The mice of Mushroom Forest by Zanna Goldhawk.
• What the crow saw below by Robert Tregoning and Greg Stobbs.

 

Here come the aunties!

Written by Cynthia Leitich Smith.

Illustrated by Aphelandra.

Heartdrum, 2026.

Indigenous creator.

Picture book.

Although set in the Muscogee Nation, the message is nearly universal. Aunties are definitely important, and that crosses cultures. They’re not all biological, either.

Possible read-alikes:

• Summer is for cousins by Rajani LaRocca and Abhi Alwar.
• Seasons by the lake: adventures in Greenland by Naja Lund Aparico and Alex Nees.  
• My cousins, my world by Sharara Attai and Michelle Pereira.
• What will my story be? by Nidhi Chanani.
• The beautiful layers of me by Sophia Payne and Ruchi Mhasane. 

Gigantic.

Written and illustrated by Rob Biddulph.

HarperCollins Children's Books, 2023.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

Determination. Being yourself. Small is mighty.

Possible read-alikes:

• Wowee! look at that tree! by Ben Knight.
• The blue tomato by Amber Aü.
• Rory the remarkable dragon by Kathryn Rammell.
• A different dragon by Nick Gill and Luma Wildish.
• The lion & the mouse by Jerry Pinkney.

World Kid Lit Month 2026: Explorer Challenger: 13-18: Oceania

 

Migration.

Written by Steph Matuku.

Huia Publishers, 2024.

Farah can't wait to escape her mother's incessant demands and attend the legendary Western Wānanga, where the best military fighters are trained. Through daring battles against her classmates and encounters with cryptic temple masters, Farah sheds her life as a person from the upper ranks of society and becomes an intuitive. But when her world comes under attack, she learns who she really is.

Colonisation through a science-fiction lens.

Action, adventure – death and violence. A little touch of romance. 

And lots to think about. 

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 2026: Explorer Challenger: 7-12: Oceania

 

My first ikura.

Written by Qiane Matata-Sipu.  

Illustrated by Isobel Te Aho-White.

Taku ikura tuatahi

Nā Qiane Matata-Sipu. 

Nā Stacey Morrison i whakamaori. 

Nā Isobel Joy Te Aho-White i waituhi. 

QIANE+co, 2025.  

Sophisticated picture book.

A gentle and powerful story that reclaims the sacredness of a girl’s first ikura (period) through a Māori lens — celebrating connection, ceremony and whakapapa. Rooted in te ao Māori, My First Ikura and the reo Māori translation Taku Ikura Tuatahi is a beautifully illustrated children’s book that follows a young girl’s first period, guided by the support of her whānau. More than a story of physical change, it celebrates womanhood as a sacred rite of passage. First of its kind in Aotearoa, it addresses first menstruation through a Māori cultural framework. Culturally affirming, it emphasises ceremony, family support and ancestral wisdom — it also includes a specially written karakia for families to learn together. Beautifully produced, with premium finishes and lush, full-colour illustrations using traditional earth pigments (kōkōwai). Created by recognised Māori creatives: Builds trust and demand from readers seeking authentic Indigenous voices. Education-friendly: Supports conversations in kura, classrooms and at home about periods, wellbeing and identity.

What an absolutely stunning book. Such positivity and support. 

Dragging out the knowledge I half-remember from the introductory anthropology paper I took (in *mumble* 1990!) - and the essay I wrote about menstruation customs - this approach is very rare. 

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

The dynamic duo of Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Rongowhakaata).

•  Keys / Ngā Kī (Huia, 2014). 

• The Marble Maker | Te Kaihanga Māpere (Huia, 2016). 

• The Bomb | Te Pohū (Huia, 2018). 

• Cannonball (US edition of The Bomb; Sourcebooks, 2020). 

• One Bird Band (Little Steps Publishing, 2022) 

• When Daddy Tucks Me In (US edition of Keys; Sourcebooks, 2023). 

• Dazzlehands / Ringakōreko (Huia, 2023). 

• A Guide to Rocks / He Taonga te Toka (Huia, 2025)

Te reo Māori editions translated by Kawata Teepa (Tūhoe, Te Whakatōhea).

I had the privilege to be part of the audience for the inaugural performance of A Guide to Rocks at the Auckland. Claire Mabey, in this article for The Spinoff, wasn’t the only one crying – and wanting the pair to have a recording contract. Like Crissi Blair, in her report, I thought Ice Cream was a hit – I heard it once, months ago, and now my earworm is ‘brain freeze emergency.’

One the face of it, not all of their books are obviously from Oceania / the Pacific region / Aotearoa New Zealand, but there’s a certain quality that infuses them all.

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.