A RAFT OF SUPER NEW KIDS BOOKS
New Zeakand publishers have been busy of late producing some most appealing new kids books. Here is a selection of recent and forthcoming titles.

THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE ROYAL ALBATROSS &
THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE PUKEKO
both by Betty Brownlie
Scholastic - $18.99

Beautiful titles for primary school kids with magnificent full-colour photographs. The Pukeko title is a new one while the Albatross book was first published in 1995 and is now reissued in an inpressive new format. Other titles in the series include Life Cycles of the Frog, Kiwi, Monarch Butterfly and Tuatara. Impressive.


RIA THE RECKLESS WRYBILL
By Jane Buxton, illustrated by Jenny Cooper

Puffin Hardcover - $30.00

Still on the subject of birds but this one an imagined story about a small bird that lives on the riverbed where life is full of danger. But Ria is a reckless wrybill and is not afraid of anything. A gentle story beautifully illustrated.

COWSHED SPRINGTIME
Gavin Bishop
Random House $24.99

The gorgeous animals from Cowshed Christmas gather again to celebrate the birth of their babies. There is one foal, two calves, three puppies . . . and so on.

Aimed at 1-4 year olds this delightful counting book — from writer/artist Gavin Bishop — will be a firm favourite for very small children everywhere with a beautifully simple story and brightly coloured pictures firmly set in New Zealand. Fun.

SELMA

Jutta Bauer

Gecko Press - Mini Hardback $14.99

A witty, thought-provoking gift book about keeping life simple. Beautifully illustrated in watercolour and ink. Orginally published in2006 and now reissued with a new cover. 300,000 copies sold in Germany, translated into eleven languages.

ORGAN MUSIC

Margaret Mahy

Gecko Press - $19.99

New novel from NZ's most acclaimed children's writer. A chilling, thrilling and totally gripping tale of danger, ghosts and secret experiments hidden deep in the forest.

Striking cover by Gavin Bishop, should be especially good for reluctant boy readers aged 11-15 years.

DEAR TOBY

Written by Diana Noonan and illustrated by Linda McClelland

Scholastic - $18.99

A reassuring book for all children who ever ‘misplace’ their special toy.

Everyone who has a bear sometimes gets a little worried about their furry friend, which is why it’s good to contact Toby. He’s the bear with the best bear advice.
Delightful.

THE FIDGETY ITCH
Written by Lucy Davey, illsutrated by Katz Cowley
Scholastic - $18.99

When Timpkin gets an itch, Feather McDoo offers to scratch it for him, then Feather gets an itch, so along comes Possum Pie to help . But what happens when you re the last animal in the line? Who' s
going to scratch your itch? A bit of teamwork is required to solve
the problem!

Rhyme and rhythm, delightful to read aloud
Gorgeous illustrations by the illustrator of the bestselling The Wonky Donkey

THE MOUNTAIN WHO WANTED TO LIVE IN A HOUSE
By Maurice Shadbolt, illustrated by Renee Haggo
Duck Creek Press -

Eminent New Zealand author Maurice Shadbolt wrote only one story for children, and it is now published some six years after his death and 15 years after he and David Ling first looked for a suitable illustrator. Now, The Mountain Who Wanted to Live in a House has come to life in the hands of exciting new talent Renee Haggo.
This new title marks the launch of an exciting new children's book imprint - Duck Tree Press.

Also part of the launch of Duck Creek Press are a new Dorothy Butler title, Farmer Beetroot’s Birthday illustrated by Lyn Kriegler, and A Dog Like That! Janene Cooper’s warm and loveable early childhood picture book with a quirky twist and outstanding illustrations created in collages by Evie Kemp.

David Ling has a track record in the children’s book field as publisher of Jennifer Beck’s The Choosing Day, Kingi Ihaka’s A Pukeko in a Ponga Tree, The Magpies by Denis Glover, illustrated by Dick Frizzell, and Jenny Hessell’s What’s Wrong with Bottoms? to mention but a few.

He believes these three new titles have the qualities to become equally successful. “One of the most satisfying things for me,” says Ling, “is getting the right illustrator for each story, especially Maurice’s after all this time. And, it’s great having the mix of eminent writers like Shadbolt and Butler and a noted artist like Kriegler with new talent like writer Janene Cooper and new illustrators Evie Kemp and Renee Haggo.”

Renee Haggo and Evie Kemp were both in their final year of a Graphic Arts degree at AUT when David Ling, working with department head Peter Gilderdale, set the unpublished texts as a class illustration project with the bonus of possible publication. Haggo and Kemp’s concept work on the text they chose to illustrate was so exceptional, Ling contracted them immediately, Renee to illustrate Shadbolt’s The Mountain Who Wanted to Live in a House and Evie to illustrate A Dog Like That!
All three titles are published in hardcover and have an rrp of  $29.99.

This is an exciting development and The Bookman wishes David and his new Duck Creek Press  well.