Determined to protect his castle and its occupants, a little boy stands guard against enemy knights. This is the context of Sally Gould’s The Brave Knight.
Farmer Rochelle owns a cow that says ‘moo moo’, a sheep that says ‘baa baa’, a chicken that says ‘chick chick’ and a horse that says… ‘chick chick’!…
When Tom goes to stay with his Aunt Roz, he meets her pug, Ellie. But Ellie is no ordinary pug: wherever Tom and his aunt go, and whatever…
Toby and Harriet want to fly around the world. But their aeroplane is missing something important. They’d better use their imaginations to come up with a solution.
Feel a Little written by Jenny Palmer and Illustrated by Evie Kemp is a beautifully designed book created to help and encourage kids to recognise their emotions. The…
Supertato Run, Veggies, Run! is written by Sue Hendra. It’s sports day in the supermarket and all the veggies are in training. Everyone has been practising hard and…
Where’s my jumper? by Nicola Slater is a picture book about a character called Rudy who has lost his jumper. The story takes the reader on a journey…
The Hoppleplop is a beautiful book that takes the reader on a tour through a charmingly offbeat house. The story’s narrator tries to show us that the only thing…
Or dear, Hare had an idea… but he’s lost it. Don’t worry though as the Kiwi forest is full of friends who want to help Hare find his…
Ivan and the Lighthouse is the very well written story of a boy growing up in Devonport around the turn of the century. Ivan’s Father is a Lighthouse…
This is a great Kiwiana colouring book created by Dave Gunson that gives you true-to-life pictures and unusual facts about all things Kiwiana. This book features 30 simple,…
Reo Pēpi presents its first series of beautiful bilingual children’s books with the release of Kanohi – My Face, Kākahu – Getting Dressed & Kararehe – Animals. With…
Guji Guji is a crocodile, who, through the event of his egg rolling down a hill is born into a family of ducks. His family accepts him for…
The right level of silly-fun, without dragging out the story and with a good resolve – this is a winner for preschoolers and young school-aged children.
A quirky picture book about a child and an elephant playing hide and seek.
Sir Scallywag is asked by the king to retrieve the golden sausage that will make the king live for ever. Of course, there’s an interesting twist!
“When the hippo came to Havelock, no one quite knew what to do. There are no hippos in New Zealand. Well, only in the zoo.” So starts this…
Tiger and Leopard are having an all-out jungle quarrel about whether stripes or spots are best. More members of the jungle weigh in and try to sort out…
Sonoma Meets Miss Mouse is a heartwarming tale of a little girl named Sonoma and her new best friend. Through the warm, vibrant illustrations and rich text, children…
In a world dazzled by the latest gadgets and mesmerized by Internet videos, the humble book seems like the most ordinary thing that could be. And perhaps it…
Proving that parents will do just about anything for a longer evening and/or better night’s sleep, The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep has become a bestseller. In…
Little Elliot lives in a Big City, but leads a quiet life. He’s just a little guy so life can present some challenges. He gets through by enjoying…
You can own the complete adventures of Hairy Maclary in one volume. And it comes with a CD reading the stories and telling the background of where the…
Just occasionally, as a reviewer, a book arrives that takes your breath away. Little Elliot – Big Family has become our family’s new favourite. It is entrancing. “A…
This beautiful adaptation of the beloved The Boy and The Moon, winner of multiple international independent film awards, tells the story of a boy who swims the deepest…
Oh Me, Oh My! Is the story of parrot and all her jungle friends. They’ve lost the sun – where can it have gone? Each has their own…
Up on the world’s highest mountain, the sky is tinged the black colour of space and the air is almost too thin to breathe. How did Ed, a…
Sneaky Snake happens upon Baby Kangaroo after he’s become separated from his Mother. Should Baby Kangaroo trust Sneaky Snake, or is he trying to mislead the poor little…
A kiwi retelling of the tremendously popular children’s classic ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’, this new release illustrated by Patrick McDonald presents beautiful pictures of kiwi vistas…
The cows and sheep think Farmer McPhee should stop frowning and start frisking. But Farmer McPhee just wants to get some sleep! Then one moonlit night, something changes…A…
What happens when a very large dinosaur just can’t stop himself dancing, even though the little tiny dinosaurs need safe areas to play in? Brachio tells the tale…
JillE Books is a brand new publishing imprint which has been launched by NZ owned and operated educational publishing house, Global Ed. One of the new release titles…
In I can’t Imagine How That Happened, by Aimee McNaughton, Meg and Grandpa go camping, and Grandpa’s teasing and practical jokes always end with him saying, ‘I can’t…
Tonight Dad wants to show his son something very special: the universe. Of course, they can’t possibly embark on such a daring adventure unprepared, so they wrap up…
Imagine a City tells the story of two children travelling with their mother by train to a fantastical city and the things that they do and see while…
Sometimes Sophie worries — not during the day when she is busy with family and friends, but at night when everything is calm and quiet. Her family all…
This is a brightly illustrated, robust hardback title that retells 99 Bible stories. Each is featured in a single or double page spread and through simple text that…
Pippa, Pia, Poppy, Polly and Peg are quintuplets. Since birth, they’ve done everything the same — cry, eat, sleep, sit. But as they get a little older, things…
Pom is playing with his special friend, Pim. Pim gets misplaced, much to Pom’s dismay. Pom enlists the help of his dog, and they look everywhere for little…
Candle Tiny Tots Lift the Flap Bible presents eight Bible stories in a very simple, stripped-back manner. The stories encourage small readers to lift cardboard flaps in order…
No longer content with building, or zooming, or even rescuing, the dinosaurs now have their sights set on something much, much bigger…the MOON! Join our fearsome friends as…
Did you know the zoo animals go home to suburbia at night when the zoo closes? Yes siree. And they return to work the next day just like…
When Pig’s friend Trevor comes over to play, Pig doesn’t want to share his toys. He likes to hoard them in the corners and leave Trevor to fend…
Who doesn’t love a great story about a real kiwi hero? Such is the story told in Roly the Anzac Donkey, which retells the events experienced by Richard…
THE MAGIC OF ICE with Disney Frozen! Anna and Elsa discover where their hearts lie in this epic journey through snowstorms and freezing temperatures. With the help of…
First up a disclaimer – I am a physicist. So any kids’ book that teaches physics is likely to get a good review from me. But even without…
As we approach ANZAC Day again, it is always lovely to have some way to really engage children with the importance of what our ANZACS did for us.…
When a king discovers that there are still singing moon dragons high up on the mountainside, he offers a room full of gold to anyone who can bring…
When a child gets to two or so, I find they start to love to identify nursery rhymes. When they get familiar with something it seems so exciting…
Ruth Paul, writer of Bad Dog Flash has brought the loveable but naughty pup back in Go Home Flash. Flash’s eagerness will delight young readers once more, as…
Elmore Green started off life as an only child, as many children do. He had a room all to himself, and everything in it was his. But then…
The Dinosaur That Pooped The Past is a children’s book based around a young boy and his friend, Dinosaur. I read it with my 4 and a half…
Moonman has often wondered what the glowing blue globe is that he can see from his home on the moon. But when he hitches a ride on a passing…
Elliot and Emma-Jane Rose have a knack for finding things, and right now they are HOT on the trail of something very…B I G and very…H A I…
On the very first Christmas Eve, so the story goes, the animals were given a very special gift to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Since then, at midnight…
Angie Dennis is a New Zealand artist with a passion for native flora and fauna. In The Adventures of Walter Weta and Flutter the Fantail, Dennis explores new…
Mark loved punctuation. For starters, it looked funky, and its symbols are understood in all languages. There’s a sign for an exclamation and a question, a dollar, brackets,…
From the writer of Daddy is my Hero comes the new release, My Mummy is Magic. It weaves a tale of all the amazing things mummy can do.…
What happens when a chameleon encounters a small wiggly creature and they engage in a conversation? In I Am Not A Worm! You will find out exactly what…
Bert has been preparing for this for a long time. He is ready. Mentally and physically. But before he takes the plunge, he might need a bit of…
This book has been a popular title in France for some time, and has now been released in English. I can see why it’s a hit! 20 pages…
Beautifully Brilliant Books are a collection by Nicholas Rumble, who has long dreamed of writing and publishing books. The collection currently consists of 7 books, which are written…
The relatively new series of brightly-illustrated books on transport by Catherine Foreman is called ‘Machines and Me’. Trains is one title in this series, which also includes planes,…
Standing in line can be dull, but not when you mix tigers and frogs, sheep and skunks. But what could be worth waiting for…? From Japanese writer and…
Pom and Pim’s day is full of ups and downs, and luck both good and bad. Is eating a huge ice cream truly a good idea? Is it…
Tottie and Dot are two little girls who live side by side. Life is very peaceful until one day the girls begin competing with each other to create…
Rusty goes to the department store with his mother and Henrietta and Toby. But his nose soon leads him astray and on a new adventure. Where is Rusty?
Tiger wants to bake a cake. A chocolate cake. But rabbit has a weakness for carrot cake. Monkey wants a banana cake. Dog is licking his chops thinking…
Poor little Rabbit doesn’t want to go to school…
New in Dave Gunson’s children’s wildlife pictures books is NZ Plants. With 24 pages of full colour images that explore our native and common flora, it is a…
One of my new favourites, Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas is a lovingly told tale about Elizabeth the elephant seal, who swims down Christchurch’s Avon River and refuses…
Many kiwi kids have the privilege of growing up near the sea everyday. My two year old regularly loves a trip to look at the ‘crabbies’ on our…
Heaps of fun is to be had in reading kiwi team Juliette MacIver and Jenny Cooper’s The Moose and the Goose. Rhyming text carries you on a journey…
Mrs Mo’s Monster is about a monster eating all kinds of stuff. Mrs Mo asks the monster if he wants to try a new thing and the monster…
Each day, Grasshopper asks Tree what day it is and Tree gives him an unexpected answer. Written by Tania Norfolk and illustrated by Chris Norfolk, this brother and…
It was Joe and Ellie’s bedtime. But Joe and Ellie were not in bed. The New Babysitter tries all kinds of tactics, but to no avail. However the…
After a lot of rain, there is a problem on the farm. How can the farmer get his milk into town? Well, it’s Rosie to the Rescue of…
When Sam opens the door and finds an elephant, he’s a bit surprised. But it turns out that it’s not any old elephant – it’s The Slightly Annoying…
In A Perfect Chirpy Christmas, Flit imagines himself enjoying what her perceives as the perfect Christmas – a snowy, white version in the northern hemisphere. This story tells…
The new series of brightly-illustrated books on transport by Catherine Foreman is called ‘Machines and Me’. Boats is one title in this series, which also includes planes, trains…
Published posthumously, Dashing Dog is Margaret Mahy’s last work. It is accompanied by a CD of her reading the tale, which follows the amusing antics of a poodle…
What adventures can a small child get up to when he spends the whole day with daddy? Adventures with Daddy is a charming picture book written by Cathy…
Brought to you by Craig Smith of Wonky Donkey fame, My Daddy Ate an Apple tells the story of what happens if you eat an apple with a…
One Little Fantail is a gorgeous new picture book teaching your children the English and Te Reo names, appearance and personalities of New Zealand native birds.
Joy Cowley has released Hero on the Hill in time for Christmas. It is the perfect story for train-loving children, combining a slice of New Zealand history with…
Melu is a donkey who is not content to follow everyone else. He wants to see what else is around; he wants to have an adventure.
Henry is a pig who likes everything to be in its place. But on the farm, how will anyone know where the right places are without a map?…
The Cat’s Pyjamas was a finalist in the NZ Post Book Awards 2012 – Children’s fiction. It’s a simply structured story about a cat that wears different pyjamas each…
In this lift-the-flap book, the loveable and mischievous Hairy Maclary is hiding from the neighbourhood cats. But then he comes nose-to-nose with Scarface Claw, the toughest tom in…
The Three Bears (Sort Of) is a revision of that classic family favourite, Goldilocks and The Three Bears. In Yvonne Morrison’s rewrite, a woman reads the story to…
Dart of Castle Hill is a New Zealand sheep dog working on a beautiful high country farm called Castle Hill. He has lost his sheep and needs to…
The Silly Goat Gruff is a new twist on the classic tale of The Billy Goat Gruff and is written by kiwi Scott Tulloch. As an adult I…
Paddy and Flynn’s dog Coco is outside when she is suddenly swooped off by a dragon! The boys mount a rescue mission to the dragon’s lair, making sure…
A big and brightly coloured picture book about the ladybirds’ hunt for the perfect house—led by a tenacious yet clueless real estate agent. The Great House Hunt is another beautiful…
Anton and Luke are competitive. They do battle over everything. Anton and the Battle tells the tale of one of their encounters.
Pipimoomoo loves her jeans. Until her friend lends her a skirt. And then Pipimoomoo is desperate for a skirt of her own. Luckily, she has an awesome mum…
Everyone says, ‘It wasn’t me!’ But what if it REALLY wasn’t you? What if it was the monster who lives under your bed? How much trouble can one…
Absentminded Mister Whistler always has a song in his head and a dance in his feet. In a rush to catch the train, he is so distracted he…
Mr. Renny is a good artist but no one wants to buy his paintings… until one day a stranger makes strange things happen!
By the author – Stephanie Blake- of Poo Bum, Stupid Baby is an irreverent look at ‘the new baby’.