Curiously Good Book Club

How to read with babies by Elaine Reese

New parents hear advice about what’s best for their baby on a daily, even hourly basis. One popular piece of advice is “Read to your baby!” Yet no one ever seems to tell new parents how. It’s not easy to read to a baby, especially a newborn. I remember the first time I tried to… Read more »

Book Lists, Curiously Good Book Club

Scary books loved by Team Wardini

At Gecko Press, we aren’t scared of scary books like Wolfy, Inside the Villains and The Yark. And keep your eyes open for another frightening treat coming later in 2019…

We asked the team at Wardini Books what they recommend to anyone who is ready for a good scare.

Curiously Good Book Club

Why scary is good

Wolfy by Grégoire Solotareff is an enduring bestseller and a watershed in French illustration. It is a masterful picture book about a rabbit and a wolf who want to be best friends. A bestseller in France, it is known and loved by two generations of teachers, librarians, parents and children. For this new paperback edition Grégoire… Read more »

Book Lists

Pigs in books

Pigs can’t fly. They can’t run fast. But they make life peaceful and merry. I hope everyone can enjoy some wonderful pig books in this year of the pig.

News

Oink – Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review

Oink has received a starred review by Publisher’s Weekly. “Eager to take a bath, a pig hangs his towel from the stepladder and climbs into the tub. It closes its eyes contentedly, but the moment of quiet is cut short by a knock on the door. A sheep, dressed in a skirted swimsuit and carrying… Read more »

News

How do you turn kids into bookworms – The Guardian

What books made you a reader? And how do you turn kids into bookworms? 10 children’s laureates shared their tips their tips with The Guardian readers.

News

‘Short Books for Kids That Make a Big Impact’, New York Times – The Runaways reviewed

Written by the beloved Swedish author Ulf Stark and generously illustrated by the Belgian artist Kitty Crowther, a winner of the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and translated from the Swedish by Julia Marshall, THE RUNAWAYS (Gecko, 144 pp., $17.99; ages 6 to 11) also depicts a culture that will seem very different to most… Read more »

News

The Runaways – New York Times Review

The writing is unflashy and deadpan except for when it’s unflashy and musical. Crowther’s bright, naïve pencil illustrations fit the offbeat text.

Events

Clotilde Perrin and Eric Veillé visit Christchurch – Agnew Reading report

Visiting children’s book artists always have the difficulty of trying to address two groups – the children who read their books and the adults who buy them. Touring French picture book artists Eric Veillé and Clotilde Perrin dealt with the problem with Gallic aplomb.

Events

Renowned French illustrators visit NZ

Award-winning French picture book author-illustrators Clotilde Perrin (Inside the Villains) and Eric Veillé (Encyclopedia of Grannies and My Pictures after the Storm) are touring New Zealand in May for the Embassy of France’s Les Petits Kiwis (Reading Kiwis) Festival in association with Gecko Press, Alliance Francaise and Institut Francais.