CHILDREN'S BOOK SALE. Nourish and delight a child (or the child within) with a selection of our wonderful children's books at reduced prices. Now is the time to ensure that the children in your life have plenty of excellent reading material for the coming Easter, school holidays, winter, years, &c. >>Click through to start choosing. There are single copies only of most titles. 

 

>> Read all Stella's reviews.

And the Ocean Was Our Sky by Patrick Ness, illustrated by Rovina Cai  {Reviewed by STELLA} “Call me Bathsheba,” are the first lines of this inventive novel mimicking another famous story.  Patrick Ness’s And the Ocean Was Our Sky is a stunning wonder of a story. In this inverse Moby-Dick, we are introduced to a pod of whales that hunt man. In this world, the sea is the right way up and our sky is the Abyss. The action takes place in and on the ocean as we travel with the whales. Our narrator Bathsheba is the Third Apprentice under the lead of Captain Alexandra — a fearless giant of a whale, a harpoon embedded in her head, survivor of numerous battles with man. When the pod come across a wrecked human ship, bodies afloat, drowned, it is difficult to tell whether this is the work of man or whale. If whale, it is messy — wasteful — the bodies haven’t been harvested for their teeth nor bone. If man, why? As they approach the ship, a hand clutching a disc protruding from the capsized hull is spied: a hand that belongs to a young man — a prisoner — called Demetrius, and he has a message about (or from) Toby Wick - the nemesis of the whales. Toby Wick, feared and hated by man and whale, is a mysterious and vicious hunter — a legend. None who have seen him live to tell the tale of who he is and the powers he can summon to win every battle. Alexandra, obsessed with overcoming Toby Wick, is determined to fulfill a prophecy — one that has been passed down through generations. The great Toby Wick will be confronted. Demetrius is kept alive under the ocean and Bathsheba is commanded to interrogate him. A relationship builds between man and whale - for centuries prejudice and hatred have reigned supreme between the species, each hunting the other, each having just cause for revenge. Yet Bathsheba is intrigued by this meeting with Demetrius, who is merely a pawn in Toby Wick’s game — not a hunter, not an enemy. As Bathsheba’s loyalty is tested, the pod swim closer to their meeting with the mythic Toby Wick. What awaits them is fearsome and surprising. And the Ocean Was Our Sky is an epic journey for Bathsheba — physically but even more so philosophically and emotionally. Her interactions with Demetrius and the encounter with Toby Wick will change her forever, and the relationship between man and whale will create a new prophecy. This mind-bending story about fear, prejudice, loyalty and legend is brilliantly and beautifully illustrated by Rovina Cai.  It’s a tale for any age much like Ness’s excellent A Monster Calls.    >>This wonderful book is just one of the superb titles to be found in our Children's Book Sale. Browse the sale now.

 

{STELLA}

>> Read all Stella's reviews.

As a child, I would go to the library every Friday. It was the highlight of my week, and I managed to read my way around the shelves (some books several times). The small bookcase at home had a few treasures — my own books. And I still remember most of these titles vividly. Reading them into the small hours of the morning with my torch or making a den among the trees, hidden away with my books was my special pleasure and a secret world only I could enter. Joining my friends on the page and discovering worlds outside my own, reading books was a surprise, a wonder, company and solace. The school holidays are fast approaching, as well as the Easter break, so now is a good time to stock up for yourself, the children in your family, or to give a gift to someone who would appreciate the wonder of a new book for their special shelf. We have many beautiful and excellent children’s books in stock, and because we would like to see these books in homes, we are offering a selection at reduced prices. Here are some picks from our sale that would captivate young readers: I would recommend Still Stuck — learning to dress oneself is hilarious fun;  The Witches of Benevento: The Secret Janara — this delightful series features stand-alone stories of history and mischief with a gaggle of curious children; the thoughtful (and stunningly illustrated) And the Ocean Was Our Sky. For excellent teen fantasy, try A Winter’s Promise. And then there are the large, beautiful, illustrated non-fiction books — hours, days, years of looking and learning — highlights: The Sky, Animalium and A World of Art to just mention a few. Happy browsing! And let us know if you would like your purchases gift-wrapped.  >>Browse our Children's Book Sale now.

 

>> Read all Stella's reviews.

Up the Mountain by Marianne Dubuc     {Reviewed by STELLA}  Marianne Dubuc’s children’s books are delightful: wonderful stories, excellent characters, humour as well as heart; and charming illustrations, where there is always more to find on the page. You may already have The Lion and the Bird on your shelf, or gifted the excellent 'Mr Postmouse' titles. Up the Mountain is another to add to your or a child’s collection. Mrs Badger every Sunday heads outdoors and walks up the mountain. She loves walking through the fields, past the apple trees, across the streams and climbing higher and higher. To get to the top, to see the world, is for her the best place to be. On the way, she greets her friends — various animals that live on the mountain and in the trees. One day, a shy cat, Leo, is watching her. Leo thinks he is too small to climb the mountain, but, with some encouragement and help from Mrs Badger (and a few rests along the way) and a dose of curiosity about what’s at the top, he makes it. After that, every Sunday Leo joins his friend Mrs Badger, and they enjoy the wonders of the mountain, both the journey and the destination. As the days go by, Mrs Badger is the one who needs the rest and encouragement, until one day it’s just Leo venturing out and then returning to Mrs Badger’s house with stories and treasures. Eventually, Mrs Badger’s mountain becomes Leo’s mountain and the cycle of discovery and wonder continues. This is a charming story about friendship, and aging; about sharing and curiosity — a story of looking out at the world with wonder and care. This edition is translated and published by the excellent children’s press Book Island. >>Some other Book Island titles.

 

>> Read all Stella's reviews.

The Ape Star by Frida Nilsson   {Reviewed by STELLA} Would you like a gorilla to adopt you? Would you like to live in a junkyard in the middle of an abandoned industrial area? And how does a hammock slung up behind a wall suit you for a new bedroom? If you answered yes to all three questions maybe you would like to change places with Jonna. There are 51 children at the orphanage and the inspector is due. He’ll be counting heads and there better be 50 of them. (The inspector, Tord Fjordmark, is also on the local Council and he’s  keen to get his hands on the junkyard for a money-making venture (more on this later!) and Gorilla is holding them up.) The manager, Gerd, is in a flap. The drive is raked, the sheets are spotless, the gardens perfect and the floor shiny, but she’s one too many. Just as she’s berating Jonna, again, for her dirty hands, a solution arrives in the nick of time. Luckily a car (if you could call it that) speeds in. Unluckily it undoes the meticulous gravel work. Luckily the driver wishes to adopt. Unluckily for Jonna, she’s Gorilla’s choice. Everyone is gobsmacked, and poor Jonna, despite her desire to leave Renfanan and her belief that no one would ever choose her, wishes she wasn’t now rushing headlong down the road in a vehicle pieced together out of scrap, driven outrageously by a Gorilla in baggy pants and big boots. She has the uncomfortable feeling that she might be eaten. (Warning: don’t always believe your  fellow orphans.) In fact, the only dinner on the table when they get home is fried egg sandwiches and they are pretty good. Gorilla is odd though, and Jonna makes a move as soon as she can to run away. It fails, and then she’s under Gorilla’s watchful eye and has to work out in the yard. After a few weeks, Jonna starts to like the scrap yard, the customers that come by for a bargain, and grows accustomed to Gorilla’s ways, although going to town isn’t high on Jonna’s list — it's embarrassing! She’s not surprised that Gorilla attracts stares and dismay. How could she not? There’s a silver lining though — the second-hand bookshop. Gorilla loves her books, and Jonna will learn to enjoy them too. Jonna’s getting into the groove of Gorilla’s lifestyle and coming up with ideas to make the scrap yards more profitable - some of them not exactly honest. As she gets to know Gorilla, she realises that this is the best kind of family one can have: inventive, imaginative, and caring. Yet life isn’t fair. Tord wants his land and will play dirty to get it. How will Gorilla keep the land and keep Jonna too? And are there better dreams to come if you can find the Ape Star? Read this and you might just find out.

 

>> Read all Stella's reviews.

Unraveller by Frances Hardinge   {Reviewed by STELLA} The country of Raddith is an odd place, complex and unpredictable. Kellen, once a weaver, has been gifted or cursed, depending on your perspective, with the ability to ‘unravel’ curses. Nettle, his trusty sidekick (she’s always there — a watchful appeaser to Kellen’s unpredictable temperament) was not so long ago a heron cursed to feed on fish and watch her siblings (each other bird species) struggle with their human-bird / bird-human natures. Though she’s back in her human body, her experience has altered her and some of her heron qualities linger. She’s not the only one haunted by their recent past. Kellen was a weaver from a weaving village, but once he was cursed with unravelling, it wasn’t too long until his parents had to cast him out or suffer the consequences of a village’s livelihood undone.  But there is always work for a curse-fixer, and Kellen and Nettle mostly stay on the right side of law and order. Not all things go smoothly though in the curse game and it’s not too long until Kellen’s temper gets the better of him and they find themselves arrested. No fear, a stranger seeks them out and makes them an offer they are in no position to reject. Gall, a man bonded to a marsh horse (a strange and demonic creature) employs them on behalf of an official. Dark magic and conspiracy are afoot in the chambers of powers and someone wants to see the equilibrium — the deal struck with the Little Brothers (spidery inhabitants of the lowlands) — undone. The Little Brothers spin webs of mystical power and gift the curse eggs to those who carry loathing and hate in their guts. Curse eggs can be controlled, but not easily, and cursers and the cursed alike often regret their actions. Step in the likes of Kellen, who can unpick these spells. With no choice but to follow Gall’s instructions, Kellen and Nettle find themselves pulled tighter into a web of danger and confusion. Will their friendship endure? Will the Little Brothers help or hinder Kellen when he needs them most? The story weaves in uneven and unexpected ways as the two teens travel to the capital to meet their employer — a startling discovery, head to a remote village through a haunted forest, and end up in the lowlands and on the treacherous waters of the Moonlight Market where a clever hand will need to be played if Kellen is to keep his head and Nettle survive a deceit that will surprise the reader as well as her. Hardinge’s latest is a highly structured tale, much like a spider’s web, with two competing but complementary protagonists at its centre. It has those classic elements of loyalty and betrayal, trust and deceit alongside a vividly portrayed fantastical world (at times wonderfully overwhelming and darkly unsettling), which Hardinge does so well. Another stunner from the author of The Lie Tree and A Skinful of Shadows.

Our Book of the Week is Gotcha! A funny fairy tale hide-and-seek by Clotilde Perrin. Chased by monsters, each more comically hideous than the last, a child hides here and there inside three fairytale houses (the three little pigs' brick house, Cinderella's palace, the gingerbread house visited by Hansel and Gretel) before coming out and frightening the monsters away. Each house is a wonderland of lift-the-flap discoveries and hilarious details. This is a large, very enjoyable and very special book. 

>>Look inside. 

>>Quick! Hide inside!

>>Let's talk illustration. 

>>Walk in!

Also by Clotilde Perrin: 

>>Inside the Suitcase.

>>Inside the Villains.

>>The House of Madame M.

We gift-wrap, and send books anywhere!

Kiwi Christmas Books. If you can't imagine the festive season without a pile of good books, remember that there are children whose whānau are experiencing hardship and who have little to look forward to at Christmas. If you would like to give books to needy children in our community, either 1. Make a donation and we will choose books on your behalf; or 2. Choose books from our website yourself and just put "Kiwi Christmas Books" in the 'notes' field as you check out. Thank you for making a difference! >>Find out more about the Kiwi Christmas Books scheme. 

 

Book of the Week: Sarah Laing and Joanna Emeney have produced an inspiring graphic biography of Sylvia Durrant, who helped over 140,000 sick, injured and lost birds during her lifetime and serves as an exemplar of caring for and learning about the natural world around us. SYLVIA AND THE BIRDS: How The Bird Lady saved thousands of birds, and how you can, too is also a practical — and enjoyable — guide to protecting our birdlife. It blends natural history and mātauranga Māori, photographs and Laing's wonderful illustrations, and details the wonders of our native birds, the threats they face and how we can help them.  
>>Genius. 
>>But who has the most cats? 
>>Anyone can be a hero in their own back yard. 
>>Look inside the book. 
>>Hungry penguins. 
>>See some images/buy the book!

You can't go past our Book of the Week, Annual 3: A miscellany from Aotearoa New Zealand edited by Susan Paris and Kate DeGoldi         
If you know of any children who are curious, discerning, up for anything, and ready for some stimulating stories, intriguing illustrations and very amusing amusements (or if you are yourself any or all of these things), you won't be able to do better than give them (or yourself) a copy of this wonderful book. Alongside familiar names (Paul Beavis, Giselle Clarkson, Ant Sang, Gavin Bishop, Kimberly Andrews, Tim Denee, Johanna Knox, Dylan Horrocks, Josh Morgan), you’ll find welcome surprises: a new song from Troy Kingi, gothic fiction by Airini Beautrais, a te reo Māori crossword from Ben Brown, an adaptation of Maurice Gee’s 'The Champion' presented in comic format, and work from emerging talents J. Wiremu Kane and Austin Milne. Annual 3 is playful and smart and packed with content — a book for the whole family. Where else would you find a poem about not kissing in church, a pattern for a knitted brain, a kākāpō in a kimono for colouring, an essay about Harry Potter, and a comic about head lice? Not to mention the board game Camp Kūkū and 'The Traditional Big Spread of Aotearoa NZ'.
>>See some sample pages on our website. 
>>Everybody wants a copy of the Annual!
>>Browse our selection of other excellent children's books.

 

>> Read all Stella's reviews.

Free Kid to a Good Home by Hiroshi Ito   {Reviewed by STELLA} Irresistible!  I liked this book so much I’ve read it twice already! From the delightful premise to the simple yet evocative illustrations, this will capture young readers' attention and yours too. Free Kid to Good Home is for all of us who have had to accept the arrival of a younger sibling, for all of us who have thought about running away, wondering about greener pastures or feeling a bit restless at home, and for anyone who’s ever tried to sell themselves or give away surplus goods. Not that this kid is surplus at all — far from it! Recently translated from Japanese, this bestseller first published there in 1995 and now in its 31st edition, is a standout. It has lost nothing in translation nor time and, like Russell Hoban’s A Baby Sister for Frances, remains relevant. Siblings still keep coming along, upsetting the equilibrium. So when Potato Face seems to be taking too much time and attention, our heroine decides it's time to make a move. A good box will do the trick. She positions herself with a well-written sign and waits for someone to notice her. While she’s waiting, she imagines all the great things that will await her in her new home. A great backyard to play in, servants to take her to and from school, amazing parties with lots of friends, no potato-faced brother, and rich and smart and beautiful parents! When a likely new parent (she avoids the ones with other kids — no way!) comes along, she sits up straight with her best smile. No takers. Maybe she needs to be more creative — a fun kid! Oops, too much fun — “No one’s going to feel sorry for a kid who’s dancing.” Waiting isn’t much fun so she’s quite pleased when a lost dog joins her, then a cat, and finally a turtle. (The reaction to the turtle — the looks on the faces of the other three in the box — is perfect). They all talk about their ideal home and one by one they are selected from the box except for the kid until…a young couple come by (with a quiet baby). Hiroshi Ito’s illustrations give great depth and humour to the interactions between the kid and her world, dovetailing and enhancing the text. He says, “ Humour is most important to me. It’s a means of survival. Some issues feel so huge they can crush you if you confront them head on, but humour helps us approach problems from a different angle.” The illustrative style is simple, with its spare use of black lines and details in red and plenty of space to focus your attention on the action. His aim is “for illustrations that might not look special at first glance but invite a closer look…art as a means to make myself happy and other people happy.” The images are sparky and spontaneous — just right for this kid and this story. As I said at the beginning, irresistible — it was a good thing that I wasn’t a character in this book — I would have taken this kid home. Fortunately, I can have the book instead.

  

Book of the Week. Gavin Bishop's distinctively beautiful and informative book Atua: Māori Gods and Heroes has just been awarded the premier Margaret Mahy Book of the Year at the 2022 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. 

Before the beginning there was nothing. No sound, no air, no colour—nothing. TE KORE, NOTHING. No one knows how long this nothing lasted because there was no time. However, in this great nothing there was a sense of waiting. Something was about to happen.
This wonderful large-format book belongs on every child's—and every adult's—bookshelf. From creation to migration, lively illustrations and text tell the unique stories of Aotearoa's gods, demigods and heroes.  
>>Your copy (or one to give away)—more stock will arrive in a few days. 

>>Book trailer. 

>>Seventy books later. 

>>Bishop's winning move. 
>>Old friends in our home. >>Cleaning up. 

>>Meet Gavin Bishop. 

>>His own place in the world. 
>>The book belongs alongside the wonderful Aotearoa: The New Zealand story and Wildlife of Aotearoa.

>>Some other books by Gavin Bishop. They are all wonderful. 

>>Other winners in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.

The winners in the 2022 NEW ZEALAND BOOK AWARDS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS have just been announced. 

Read below what the judges have to say about these excellent books, and then click through to our website for your copies.

MARGARET MAHY BOOK OF THE YEAR

Atua: Māori Gods and Heroes written and illustrated by Gavin Bishop (published by Puffin, Penguin Random House)
Atua is an instant classic, a 'must have' for every Kiwi household and library, that is packaged in stunning production values. Every element of the generously sized masterpiece is carefully considered. With impeccable illustrations in Gavin Bishop’s unmistakable style, it captures the personalities of the many gods and heroes. Each section has a fresh look, from the dense matte blackness of the first pages reflecting Te Kore, nothingness, to the startling blue backgrounds of the migration, with the glorious Te Rā – the sun, between. Atua is much more than a list of Gods and legendary heroes – it’s a family tree, presented with power and simplicity. The text is never overstated, with the glory of the illustrations as the primary mode of storytelling, rewarding the reader who closely examines them. There is a sense of magic about this book, right from the front cover. Atua is a taonga for this generation and the next.

CATEGORY WINNERS

Picture Book Award



Lion Guards the Cake written and illustrated by Ruth Paul (published by Scholastic New Zealand)
If a good picture book is a symbiosis of story and illustration, a stand-out picture book is one which includes that all-important third symbiotic element – the reader. Lion Guards the Cake is a sweetly irresistible story that invites readers to be both witness and accomplice to lion’s furtive adventures and faux heroism as he upends the notion of duty. Its faultless, inventive rhyme, complemented by rich, silhouetted illustrations, engages the reader with effortless ease and a twinkle in its eye. This is confident storytelling of the highest calibre – a joyful read-out-loud which also rewards a more intimate and leisurely reading.

Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction

The Memory Thief written by Leonie Agnew (published by Puffin, Penguin Random House)
From its eye-catching cover to the final conclusion, The Memory Thief is a stunning story that captures the reader early and holds them in an embrace of wonder, intrigue and imagination. The judges all agreed on the skill and writing craft of the author, sharing an extra depth and quality of language in this novel. Unique but perfectly believable at the same time, The Memory Thief steps into another world whilst still inside our own. Memories themselves are both villains and heroes as they are taken or returned. The handling of a common illness, with its thought-provoking and original twist, is deftly handled and beautifully written.

Young Adult Fiction Award



Learning to Love Blue written by Saradha Koirala (published by Record Press)
Learning to Love Blue is a celebration of finding independence in a new city. As Paige moves from Wellington and the comfort of friends and family to Melbourne, she must navigate new friendships and romantic relationships, all the while navigating her complicated feelings about her absent Mum. Saradha Koirala conveys all the mixed emotion of this setting in a way that is realistic, compassionate, and firmly placed in the journey into adulthood. Relatable at every turn, Learning to Love Blue draws you into Paige’s journey through Melbourne’s streets, bands, record and coffee shops, and has you rooting for her to the very end.

Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction



Atua: Māori Gods and Heroes written and illustrated by Gavin Bishop (published by: Puffin, Penguin Random House)
Variously described by the judges as a taonga, an instant classic and a 'must have' for every Kiwi household, Atua is a family tree for all New Zealanders. These tales of gods and heroes, both familiar and unfamiliar, are richly and emotively told with a novelist's eye for potent detail and the gentle authority of a master storyteller. It is a book designed to be treasured, with stunning production values and a mind-boggling attention to design detail that perfectly complement and enhance the powerfully emotive illustrations. A work of undoubted mastery, Atua is a rare gem indeed.

Russell Clark Award for Illustration

Atua: Māori Gods and Heroes illustrated and written by Gavin Bishop (published by: Puffin, Penguin Random House)
Atua is connected through time and place. Every page and section reveals more about the Māori world. The artwork of Atua is exceptional, with watercolours that mimic elements seen in the taiao or environment, and a use of shapes and traditional Māori patterns and motifs that elevates it to a class of its own. These illustrations create a mauri or life force unique to this book. Even the cover reveals a deliberate intention to reflect pūrākau Māori, with overglossed atua figures on a velvety blackness that connects us to te pō, the beginning of time and existence. Both the illustrator and the publisher should be very proud of the taonga that they have created.

Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award for te Reo Māori 



I Waho, i te Moana written by Yvonne Morrison, illustrated by Jenny Cooper, translated by Pānia Papa (published by Scholastic New Zealand)
In I Waho, i te Moana, the many sea creatures of the moana of Aotearoa are brought to life, with beautiful illustrations that highlight the interactions between sea creatures and their world. The story allows children to relate to these creatures, and understand their roles as kaitiaki within the realm of Tangaroa. There is a beautiful flow to the reo, which reflects the expertise of the translator. Te reo Māori will transcend the imagination and encourage interactions between tamariki and parents who read this wonderful story. This will support growth in te reo Māori capacity of both tamariki and parents who are at the conversational level.

NZSA Best First Book Award



Spark Hunter written by Sonya Wilson (published by The Cuba Press)
Perfectly pitched for middle fiction readers, Spark Hunter weaves history, culture, conservation, humour, tension and adventure into her story of Nissa Marshall, who has always known there is more to the Fiordland Bush than meets the eye. While leaning into the fantastic just enough to encourage the imagination, the inclusion of archival excerpts will spark keen readers to hunt out their own discoveries within the mysterious history of this corner of Aotearoa. Making this story’s light shine bright is te reo Māori blended throughout and a cast of supporting characters that are easily recognisable as classmates, teachers, and friends.

We send books anywhere — and we can gift-wrap them for you, too!

 

Our Book of the Week is the beautiful and moving The Bird Within Me by Sara Lundberg. Lundberg uses paintings and words to tell the story of Swedish artist Berta Hansson's childhood on a provincial farm in the early twentieth century, her discovery of the vital importance to her of art, and her determination to live her own life regardless of others' expectations. 
>>Read Stella's review. 
>>Look inside the book. 
>>On making the illustrations. 
>>An interview with Lundberg.
>>"An artist begins their journey to maturity when they have to deal with loss." 
>>Berta Hansson. 
>>The book in published in English by Book Island. 
>>Your copy. 

 

>> Read all Stella's reviews.

The Bird Within Me by Sara Lundberg  {Reviewed by STELLA} If you are a lover of illustration and wonderful children’s books, this should be in your collection. The Bird Within Me, from the excellent children’s book publisher Book Island, is a beautiful story — tender and thoughtful. Based on the life of Swedish artist Berta Hansson, it recalls her childhood growing up in a rural village, her love of nature, and her dream to be an artist. Berta feels different from her sisters, from others in the village (apart from her uncle, who she sees as a magician — others call him 'the theatrical farmer') and dreams of escape. “Well, if I was a bird, I could fly off. Away from our village. To something else. To a place where I could be myself. Where no one calls for me all the time or thinks I am ridiculous.” As we get to know Berta, Sara Lundberg's illustrations take us between reality and dream. Sometimes we are confronted with the rigours of school and family portrayed in detailed drawings or collaged paintings, while on the next spread we may be taken away into Berta’s world of trees, birds shaped out of blue clay, and internal perspectives beautifully expressed in a quiet and evocative style. 1920s farming life was hard, and harder still for Berta and her siblings with their mother suffering from tuberculosis. This disease lies under the fragile heart of Berta’s childhood. It causes suffering, fear and grief, and is a constant interloper in the family’s life. For Berta, her relationship with her mother is tender and sad — yet it is her mother’s appreciation of the small sculptures by her side and the drawings that hug her walls that keep this young girl’s talent alive. There are pivotal moments that change Berta’s fate of working on the farm and becoming a housewife: the doctor who recognises her talent; her uncle and his own paintings in the room that to Berta smells safe; and the pot of food deliberately left to burn — a small defiance, one which makes her father recognise the need to allow Berta to spread her wings. Or. at least, continue her education. Sara Lundberg has drawn on the paintings, letters and diaries of the artist to articulate this loving portrait of a twelve-year-old on the cusp of life and the passion for art that will shape her life. A tender and exquisitely illustrated book about following your dreams.

 

>> Read all Stella's reviews.

A Perfect Wonderful Day with Friends by Philip Waechter   {Reviewed by STELLA} In need of a sweet and cheering book? Look no further than A Perfect Wonderful Day with Friends. This delightful book by Philip Waechter is a perfect antidote to our grey skies and rainy days. Raccoon is bored — an exciting book isn’t doing the trick nor some jumping exercises (even though he looks very flexible). And then he has an idea — he’ll bake an apple cake — perfect. But he has no eggs! A quick visit to Fox is on the cards. Fox has hens, so Fox will have eggs. But Fox is busy trying to fix a leak and can’t reach high enough. A ladder is needed! Raccoon knows who will have one. Badger has everything! (When you get to Badger’s house have a look around his sitting room — what a lot of enticing things). Badger is busy with a crossword puzzle and they need someone brainy help. Who to turn to? Bear, of course. Off they go, Raccoon, Fox and Badger, walking together, enjoying the sunny day and the blackberries en route. When they get to the woods, Bear isn’t home, but Crow knows where she is. To the river they all go, to find Bear waiting for the fish to bite. Yet patience isn’t high on the agenda, and it’s hot. Fox thinks she can catch a fish — alas no, but a swim with friends is even better. Suffice to say the puzzle gets solved, the ladder retrieved, the eggs taken home and the cake is baked. Enough for all! I love this semi-circular domino-style storytelling — where one action leads to another and builds a community of characters and interactions. This is doubly good in A Perfect Wonderful Day with Friends because the outcomes are always positive — the solutions to problems are simply resolved through cooperation and goodwill. Charmingly written, this is a good read-aloud with its repetitive structure and snippets of humour and the right amount of text to keep young ones engaged. The beautiful illustrations make it a joy to look at and the more looking you do, the more you will see. In the best tradition of picture books, the pictures and words complement each other perfectly. Waechter’s drawings are delicate and precise (he’s a fan of Jean-Jacques Sempé), capturing the scenes with quiet detail while simultaneously evoking the individuality of his characters with wit and emotive quirks. It’s an evocative style that enriches the story, capturing the wonderfulness of this perfect day with friends.

 

The short lists for the 2022 NEW ZEALAND BOOK AWARDS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS have just been announced. >>Click through to find out more — and to make your choices.
>>Read what the judges have to say. 

 

>> Read all Stella's reviews.

The Secrets of Cricket Karlsson by Kristina Sigunsdotter, illustrated by Ester Eriksson (translated from Swedish by Julia Marshall)   {Reviewed by STELLA} Ever been eleven and lonely? Or wondered why your best friend is hanging out with the mean kids? Or wished your mother didn’t sigh so much? If you answer yes to any of these questions then you need Cricket Karlsson. Ever wanted to make art? Ride a horse in the moonlight? Ever been unable to get out of bed or unable to get someone you love out of bed? Then you need Cricket Karlsson. Cricket Karlson is eleven, has a ‘potato’ heart (which is currently mashed because her best friend Noa isn’t talking to her), is finding out about love, is visiting her aunt in the psych ward, loves to draw and doesn’t like the horse girls. And she has secrets — secrets that only a best friend, like Noa, knows! The Secrets of Cricket Karlsson from the pen of Kristina Sigunsdottir and the brush of Ester Eriksson is another standout from Gecko Press. I loved it, and it’s even better on the second reading. It has lists of not very Ugliest Words, absurd and unlikely Things Grandpa Says you Can Die From, unusual Psychiatric Illnesses I Don’t Want, and delightful Secrets I Have Only Told to Noa. Told with the keen observation of an eleven-year-old with all the concerns of childhood and changing circumstances, the words leap off the page with feistiness, humour and pathos. It lightly touches on worries and fears (climate change, mental health, sadness, regret) while embracing the best things about being that age when you’ll still a kid, but only just. Who hasn’t noticed the horse girls with their neighing and prancing, or squirmed when a boy (or a girl) is doe-eyed and you just don’t like him like that, or locked themselves in the bathroom (sometimes crying) to avoid being harassed? Cricket Karlsson finds out that life isn’t always what you expect, that loneliness passes, and that even an eleven-year-old can make a sad person happy. Black humour abounds and Cricket Karlsson is a star (with secrets and lists, a big heart and a little mischief, and her favourite food is cheese-on-cheese-in-cheese). I think I’ll pop to bed and read it again.

 

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There's a Ghost in this House by Oliver Jeffers    {Reviewed by STELLA} From the wrap-around translucent tracing paper dust-jacket to the hand-lettered font, to the wonderfully apt dimensions and quality of the paper, There’s a Ghost in this House will immediately draw you in. And this is even before you get to the best bits. This delightful ghostly tale of a girl determined to discover the ghost in her house is another standout from illustrator and author Oliver Jeffers. I loved the muted tones in this picture book, and how Jeffers has integrated his drawings and characters in a collage style with black-and-white images of furniture and interiors gleaned from old books and catalogues — predominately photographic. Add to this the clever use of tracing paper to expose the ghosts who are hiding in plain sight, small detail drawings, and the simple evocative text, and the appeal of this picture book is complete. The young girl who lives in the supposedly haunted house spends her days wandering the large old house looking in all the usual places where ghosts might be: in the attic, in the cupboard under the stairs, in the hall — where she may have heard them rattling their chains, under the bed, and up the chimney, and of course, in the rooms where the lights are off. Alas, to no avail. She wonders what they look like. She’s heard “some say they are white with holes for eyes”. The joy of this picture book lies in the ‘appearance’ of the ghosts as you turn the tracing paper pages. At first, they are quiet and hardly noticeable, but after a while, they become bolder and the relationship between the reader and ghosts, who are still invisible to the young girl, becomes a shared secret. There's plenty of quirky fun here, and Jeffers’s humour comes to the fore: the baby ghost, complete with a dummy, peeping over the edge of the cot. The ghosts under the table — one looking directly out of the page to the reader with a 'shh' finger raised to its lips. Ghosts that swing from chandeliers, ghosts that stop for a cup of tea and a chat, ghosts reading in the library and jumping on the bed. The ghosts are watching our brightly coloured girl and following her every move as she tours the house in her never-ending search, sure that someone is watching her. But where is the ghost?  And the more you look, the more you see! Irresistible.

 

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The Block by Ben Oliver   {Reviewed by STELLA} You can run, you can hide, but eventually Happy will find you. Luka and his friends made it out of The Loop in book one of this trilogy to join an uprising — a revolution of the Regulars against the Alts and Galen Rye’s plans. Yet Luka’s freedom was short-lived and now he’s imprisoned again — you can’t always escape super soldiers no matter how determined you are — this time in The Block. If you thought The Loop was repressive, it’s a walk in the park compared with Luka Kane’s new residence. Hours paralysed on a bed, only to be awoken for energy harvesting and mind games are taking a toll on Luka’s sanity and his desire to find The Missing is a distant dream. So is the chance he’ll ever see his friends again, in particular Kina. Yet the unthinkable happens and he finds someone he can outwit — someone who empathises — just in time for a daring rescue. Although is this just another simulation from Happy? Is it real? Well, it turns out that it is, and once again Luka is in hiding and trying to find a way to avoid the wave of destruction that is bearing down on him, and those that don’t wish to be absorbed into the new world dictated to them by a corrupt, and possibly insane, entity. There are more daring explorations in the ruined city, a hiding place through a maze of underground tunnels, and a new plan to find The Missing while avoiding the increasing surveillance of Happy. Drones are everywhere (only one is a friend), as are Alt soldiers, and the AI, Happy, is up to something sinister at the Arc. Luka finds himself propelled into taking things into his own hands, even though it means he will need to abandon his friends again. To save them, he must go his own way and Tyco — his nemesis — has turned up again. stronger and more dangerous. Can Luka keep his promise to Kina? Can he find his sister, Molly, and what is the strange place called Purgatory? The second book in this trilogy is just as action-packed and fast-paced as The Loop, with plenty of emotional heft and some humour to temper the more gruesome moments and weighty themes. No surprise the second book ends on a cliffhanger! Roll on the third.