Thursday, June 04, 2015

Fun new picture books from NZ authors


Henry's Stars is Award-winning author David Elliot's delightful new picture book about Henry, a very particular sort of pig.


One warm evening Henry sits on the step of his sty, gazing up at the stars. Some shine especially brightly and, before his eyes, they form a picture.
“I’ve found the Great Pig in the Sky!” squeals Henry.
He races off at once to show all the other animals. But to Henry’s surprise, they don’t view his exciting new constellation in quite the same way. Can Henry trust his own eyes or is he just seeing stars?
This charming new tale about Henry and his friends is all about the shiftiness of perception.
Henry’s Stars is a companion volume to Henry’s Map, which was named one of the US School Library Journal’s Best Books of 2013.

 About the author

David Elliot lives in Port Chalmers in the South Island of New Zealand. Before becoming an award-winning author and illustrator, David had many different jobs. He was a dishwasher in Antarctica, a teacher, and even a gatekeeper at a zoo. In 2011, David was the first recipient of The Arts Foundation’s Mallinson Rendel Illustrators Award. His picture book Henry’s Map was named one of the US School Library Journal’s Best Books of 2013, and in 2014 he was awarded the Storylines Margaret Mahy Award for his lifetime contribution to children’s literature.
You can visit David Elliot at www.davidelliot.org
Penguin  Random House (NZ)  RRP $19.99 



  The Birthday Monster
Bridget Sherlock, illustrations: Izzy Ivy
Published by Beat Books, RRP $24.99

A fun and energetic picture book for young children, that will be enjoyed by parents and children alike


Birthday boy Peter is enjoying roaring, snarling, snatching and stomping his way through the day when he discovers he has turned into the Birthday Monster! He has big googly eyes, a prickly tail and a snarly snout. How is he going to turn back into the Birthday Boy before it’s too late and he becomes a monster forever?

About the author and illustrator:

Born in small town USA, Bridget Sherlock (left) developed a love of storytelling at an early age. Her family moved to New Zealand when she was fifteen and the love of good books saw her through the transition to Kiwi life.
Becoming an Early Childhood teacher was the obvious career choice for Bridget because of a strong connection with young children. This is where she saw the opportunity to combine her two passions together and started a collection of picture books which she was soon known for amongst children under the age of five. Bridget has now merged three of her favourite things together – storytelling, books and young children to create a picture book of her own. Bridget lives in Auckland with her husband and two children. 

Izzy Ivy started her creative journey designing theatrical costumes and puppets. For many years she focused on designing and running her faery inspired online clothing business. Originally from the UK but now based in Sydney, Izzy has now ventured into illustrating children’s books.  

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