Children’s Book Festival Brings Nation’s Stories To Life

Some of our best writers and illustrators take to the streets, parks, libraries and schools all over the country next week in celebration of this year’s New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards.

Twenty of this year’s Awards finalists will visit towns and cities - from Whangarei to Invercargill - from the 7th to the 16^th of May. They’ll be entertaining children of all ages; from tiny tots to teenagers with events as diverse as pyjama parties, scavenger book hunts, bi-lingual readings, carnivorous plant competitions and book character dance shows.

Book Awards Governance Group Chairman, Sam Elworthy says virtually every corner of New Zealand can look forward to events where books and their characters come to life.

‘Books spark people’s imaginations, and this year there are some stunning visual and story-filled events for littlies and teenagers to take part in.’

This year’s New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards finalists are on tour as part of this annual nationwide festival of children’s reading and literature. Now in their 16^th year, they are the nation’s most prestigious awards, celebrating writing and publishing for the country’s young people. 

The celebrations culminate in the announcement of the winners in Wellington on Wednesday 16 May.

Some of this year’s highlight events are:

Northland: Sunday 6 May 10 am – 12.30pm Whangarei Central Library. FREE!

Storytime Character Hunt. Search the nooks and crannies of Whangarei’s fabulous library and  adjoining Caler Park to find your favourite storybook characters.  You must then ask each of them ‘WHAT’S YOUR STORY?’ to qualify for a stamp on your entry card. And when you’ve found all the hidden characters, return to the Children’s Room of the library to parade with our very own Pied Piper!

Auckland: Saturday 12 May, 1.00-2.30pm Band Rotunda, Cornwall Park, Greenlane

Rain venue - Panmure Library, 7-13 Pilkington Road, Panmure

Do you have what it takes to complete our quest? Pick up a map to hunt the book characters and complete all the mini challenges. For every challenge you complete,

you will get a stamp. Collect all the stamps and you could be rewarded with one of our fantastic prizes.

Tauranga: Saturday 12th May, 11am-12.30 pm Katikati Library.  Free 

Fairy, Pirate, Wizard, Cat, Winnie, Dora, Tintin, Pat, What’s your story? - get the look, Dress as a character from a book... Prizes for age groups 0-6, 7-15, 16+

Gisborne: Wednesday 8 May, 10.00am.Free. H. B. Williams Memorial Library

Toddler Time Dinosaur parade. Come and listen to stories about dinosaurs and colour in your own dinosaur footprint. Celebrating picture book finalist Stomp!

Hawke’s Bay: Tuesday 15 May at Waipawa Library: Fascinating Facts on World War 1.

Yr 5, 6 & 7 representatives from our local schools will be visiting the Waipawa Library to hear a blend of first-person accounts and raw facts of war from the non-fiction finalist book Nice Day for a War.

Wanganui: Sunday 13th May, 2.00 pm, Davis Library. MOKOPUNA  READ-ALONG. Multi-generational story-time.  Aunty or Grandpa can share stories with the younger family members at this special Mother’s Day storytime celebrating this year’s finalist books.

Taranaki: Tuesday 8 May.  Hawera Community Centre 10am-2pm. Taranaki Secondary School Literary Challenge. Come support the teams for the Paper Plus Trophy Challenge. Teams answer quiz questions about the finalist books in the Non Fiction and Young Adult categories.

Wairarapa: Meet our Weta Workshop Life-Size Model of a Tuatara!
Celebrate Betty Brownlie's Finalist Book, The Life Cycle of the Tuatara by visiting the tuatara display at Hedley's Bookshop. A range of activities including sketching the tuatara model and answering a quiz on offer.

Upper Hutt: Carnivorous Plant Drawing Competition at the Upper Hutt Library. Based on the finalist book The Flytrap Snaps. What would your Carnivorous Plant look like? Winning entries receive a prize.

Porirua: Friday 11 May. Mastermind 2012 hosted by Plimmerton School. Quiz based on the picture book, non-fiction and junior fiction finalist categories with Quiz Master Jason Pine for Years five, six, seven and eight.

Wellington: Friday 11 May. South Wellington Intermediate School students are treated to a writer’s workshop with award-winning author, and one of this year’s finalists, Fleur Beale.

Nelson: Monday 7^th - – Thursday 10th May. Free.  Motueka Township

Catch the Cat Competition.  How many pictures of cats in their pyjamas can you spot in the Motueka shops?  Collect entry forms from Motueka Public Library. Entries must be returned by 1pm Friday 11th May. Winners to be announced at the Illuminated Pyjama Party on May 11th.

Christchurch: Thursday 10 May. 6:30-7:30pm. Free.  Age: 4-8 years. Shirley Library

Cat’s Pyjama Party!  Come dressed in your pyjamas and enjoy stories, games and a paper aeroplane competition.  There will be spot prizes and everyone will get a mug of Milo before home time.

West Coast: Help Create the World’s Longest Dinosaur Poster!

Come help us at the Library to make the world’s longest dinosaur poster. This will be running throughout the week, with the final display going up in the Library.

Southland: Friday 11 May 2.00pm Southland Museum and Art Gallery

Afternoon Tea with Henry the Tuatara. Celebrating Betty Brownlie’s finalist book, The Life Cycle of the Tuatara.

  

For full details of the hundreds of events happening in your region, and around the country, and for a full list of finalist books go to www.nzpostbookawards.co.nz .