Thanks for all of your responses to our June read-alouds competition. We’ve built a whole new list of picture books to read aloud.
Welcome to a combobulation of articles from our favourite thinkers, stories from behind the scenes, lists of good books, Gecko Press news and things that amuse us from time to time.
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Classroom read-alouds for all ages
A book read aloud in the classroom can stay with a child for a lifetime. I can still conjure the beautiful Scottish voice of one brilliant reader-alouder from my primary school, forty years later. My children frequently recommend books their teachers have read them—and hunt them down for re-reading. They both went to Te Kura… Read more »
Song of the River: Q&A with the illustrator Kimberly Andrews
Kimberly Andrews is a trained biologist and geologist who grew up in the Canadian Rockies and has lived and worked in Borneo, the UK and New Zealand. She illustrated Explore Aotearoa, shortlisted for the New Zealand children’s book award in 2018, and her first book both authored and illustrated, Puffin the Architect, was released in… Read more »
May competition: Nits
We had some lovely responses to our creepy-crawly competition last month. The following are a few honourable mentions, along with our winner.
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 »
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.
A Reader draws Simon
Belynda’s grandson Charlie (3) adores Simon: Yesterday he sat at the table for ages and then showed me his drawing of Simon. We were all rather surprised as it is the first recognizable thing he has ever drawn! The power of reading. Thank you Charlie and Belynda for drawing, sharing and letting us share. Simon couldn’t… Read more »
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 »
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.
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 »
