Children's Books > New Zealand

Two books in one! Here's Harry is the story of a puppy named Harry;that captures his antics from leaving his litter to playing at the beach and sharing puppy emotions. Filled with photos of Harry in action, this is a gorgeous book that will delight young children.
Once you have finished the Here's Harry story, you can turn to the back of the book and read the next story, Here's Harry Again, that follows Harry's move to the country, meeting his new farm friends and his adventures.

Once there was a kuia who made mats and baskets.In the corner of her kitchen lived a spider who made webs.
First published in 1981 this picture book by Patricia Grace and Robyn Kahukiwa is now a classic.
A wonderful teacher's resource - it accurately illustrates Maori cultural practices such as weaving, gathering food, making music - and clearly portrays the close-knit family connection between a kuia and her grandchildren. First published 1981.

A little boy has made friends with a taniwha in his river, but no-one believes him. The taniwha takes the boy on a journey through time and myth where he meets some amazing charcters, gathering the Earth's treasures as he goes. New edition, new jacket

This beautifully presented children's picture book tells the story of Maraea, an elderly Maori woman living in a coastal community. The site of the kainga is also next to an albatross colony, and there are close (and fabulously illustrated) links between the people and the birds. But people are drifting to the cities, and the community is falling apart. Soon only an aging Maraea is left on the clifftop, looking out to sea to welcome the birds. And soon even Maraea passes away. On the site of Marea's old sitting place on the cliffto... read more

A collection of mostly humorous poems from the author and illustrator of the much-loved Grandpa stories, each spread delightfully illustrated with innovative treatment by Wendy Hodder.

Maori Edition of Oh Hogwash Sweet Pea

Best First Book Award, New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards 2010. Storylines Notable Young Adult Fiction 2010. What do you do when you meet a tohunga makutu? You run. When reality dissolves and myths and legends come alive? You run faster. And when the dead come to life and blood debts have to be paid, will you have the courage to do what must be done? Matiu Douglas has a bone tiki he took from a tangi. His father's important new client wants it. Badly. And he has some very nasty friends. When Mat is forced to flee for his ... read more

A long time ago, Matatuhi, a fabulous weaver and a woman with special powers, dreamed of making a special cloak, and of encountering a young girl with fair hair and green eyes. Many years later, in modern times, a girl named Mata is adopted by Pakeha parents. She has fair hair, but brown skin. On a class visit to the museum one day, Mata is entranced by a beautiful cloak, and a carved female figure with a chin moko who seems to speak to her. Later, she dreams of feathered cloaks and an old Maori woman with a moko. After the visit, ... read more

Sean is a shearer and instead of a sheepdog to help him, he's got a sheep - Pete. After being rejected by the other shearers and their dogs, Sean and Pete have set up a sheep salon in town. Sheep from everywhere arrive to have their wool shorn in the latest style and even the shearers' dogs start coming...Ages 4+. First published 2004.

Louie the Tui wanted to sing - but he couldn't quite start. With a little help from a friend, who loved music and feeding the birds, Louie discovered that if you try hard enough,you can do anything!

A new book in the Slinky Malinki Series, which will be welcomed by all Slinky Malinki lovers - special Christmas theme!

Mrs Parata loves riding her bike to town: she chats to everyone she meets and gets great exercise. But the bike is wonky and unreliable, and her son's attempts to help only make matters worse.
A delightful, hilarious picturebook.

Irene Swadling introduces the reader to new versions of how piwakaka (fantails) found their fans, how ngiru-ngiru were given their hoods for a good deed, the reward tui received for her beautiful song, why New Zealand's native parrots are so brightly coloured and the reason kakapo are a night parrot.Rising from a love of New Zealand's native birds and flora, Irene's stories are new takes on how some of our favourite birds have evolved. Accompanied by Peter Campbell's beautiful illustrations, this is sure to become a favourite as a ... read more

A is for All Black but that?s just the start. Here?s an alphabet book that?s Kiwi at heart! The perfect book for teaching children their ABCs using unique New Zealand icons, illustrated with wonderful bright illustrations.

This is the story of a boy called Hohepa and how his efforts to create a talking stick reflect his desire to reawaken respect for the traditional ways in his family. Hohepa has a dream in which he is in the meeting house with his family. He is waiting for a talking stick to be passed to him so that he can speak, but there isn't one. His family begin to leave. He begs them not to go, but no one listens to him. When he wakens, Hohepa decides that he must make a talking stick for his family because they are forgetting the old ways. He... read more

When a family moves onto a farm they discover that there is a battlefield on the property. At first, the children play in the overgrown rifle pits and trenches, but gradually, they begin to wonder what really happened there. This is a story about a girl who discovers that she may have had ancestors who fought on both sides during the colonial land wars. What were those wars really like – and what does it mean to be of such mixed ancestryT The book finishes with a page of information about the New Zealand Land... read more

Finalist New Zealand Post Junior Fiction 2005Join Adam Equinox on a new adventure in the second book of the Karazan Quartet. Readers of children's fantasy were first introduced to Adam Equinox and the amazing parallel world of Karazan in The Serpents of Arakesh. At the time, world-renowned children's author Margaret Mahy had this to say about it: One of the most significant writers for young people to emerge in New Zealand over the last year is Vicky Jones. She represents a significant talent in terms of style and story and her fir... read more

Rewa's mum is worried about him, he seems unhappy, so she sends him to see a tohunga. Rewa is unhappy, and he has lots of wishes - but most of all, he wants to be a bird. The tohunga grants him his wish, and gives Rewa warning about being a bird for too long and forgetting how to be a human. Rewa flits as a piwakawaka, swoops as a kereru and dances through the air as a tui. Even the tohunga cannot bring him back to earth as Rewa flies higher and higher and...Rewa forgets how to be a human!A lovely story with a twist at the end, whe... read more

This picture book describes the life-cycle of a mangrove with charming rhyming text and beautiful illustrations. The hero of the story is really the mangrove tree. Mangroves show the fragility of our ecosystems. The book comfortably crosses between being a picture book on the one hand but also an informative non-fiction look at a very special ecosystem.

Danny is dreading the summer holiday visit by his hyper cousin, Nick. There is no predicting what Nick will get up to, especially when he's off his Ritalin. However, Nick proves to be the least of Danny's problems, when bird flu hits the Otago Peninsula. At first it seems that only the local sparrows are affected. But then the boys trace the disease to Peco - The Peninsula Egg Farm - where chooks are dying by the thousands. A biosecurity alert is launched, with the owner of the farm suspected of importing diseased eggs. But D... read more