PROFESSOR PINGWIT & THE PUNGAPEOPLE LAUNCHED

The latest instalment in Barry Crump’s series for children, Professor Pingwit and the Pungapeople, was launched by editor Jane Hingston (Hachette New Zealand) and the Children’s Bookshop in Ponsonby on Thursday evening.

RadioLive host Martin Crump, son of the late author, and illustrator Lyn Kriegler were on hand to speak about the latest book’s genesis.

Hachette NZ senior editors Warren Adler and Jane Hingston, Children's Division Sales & Marketing Manager, Suzy Darbyshire, and all the rest of the Hachette team were warmly thanked by Martin and Lyn.
Three of Martin’s very talented children, Olivia, Georgia, and Levi also were in attendance. Young Olivia Crump was instrumental in bringing about the latest book’s appearance; after Lyn visited her school, Grey Lynn Primary, through the New Zealand Book Council’s Writers In Schools programme, Olivia showed her father Martin what Lyn had taught the children that day.

Martin had been looking for an illustrator for his late father’s unpublished stories; a quick call to the principal ensured that the two linked up. During the course of the project,

Martin was inspired to write a song for young readers based on his father’s writings. The song was subsequently recorded featuring Martin and his children singing; the resulting CD, Read Along and Sing Along With the Pungapeople accompanies the book.

Lyn Kriegler recalled how delighted she was to be launching another book at the Children’s Bookshop. During the 1980s and ‘90s, when the premises were the Dorothy Butler Children’s Bookshop, she and owner/author Dorothy had worked together on many of Dorothy’s books for children out the back, in between Dorothy having to rush out and attend to the till.
Martin recalled that both father Barry (and later Martin) had been working upstairs above the bookshop in the then-Radio Pacific offices.

A highlight of the launch was the introduction of a Pungapeople puppet –hairy, green, and very mean; masterfully crafted by designer Erin Devlin of the New Zealand Puppet Company. Two hundred of the puppets have been produced, and will only be available to young readers as prizes in a competition (details on promotional wraparound on the newly released books.)

A piece of Lyn’s original watercolour artwork from the book was gifted to Te Tai Tamariki, Aotearoa New Zealand Children’s Literature Charitable Trust. See artwork left.

Te Tai Tamariki is in the process of collecting and preserving illustrated children’s works for a proposed national centre, modelled on Dromkeen (Australia) and Seven Stories (UK).
For more on the Aotearoa NZ Children’s Literature Trust, email tetaitamariki@gmail.com
Martin Crump and Lyn Kriegler are available for schools visits through Writers In Schools through the New Zealand Book Council
http://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/
Professor Pingwit and the Pungapeople
Hachette New Zealand (hardback) rrp $27.99