Gecko Press Blog

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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Gavin Bishop launched Cook’s Cook in Christchurch

2019 will be the 250th anniversary of the visit of the H.M. Endeavour to Aotearoa New Zealand and Bishop’s book offers a fresh perspective on their journey. A large audience heard how Bishop spent several years researching for the book, which he says he really enjoyed, but was overwhelmed by the information he found. His challenge was how… Read more »

Cook’s Cook Launch at Tūranga Library

Cook's Cook by Gavin Bishop. Teaching Notes. Gecko Press

Gecko Press and Scorpio Books warmly invite you to celebrate the release of Cook’s Cook, the Cook who Cooked for Captain Cook by Gavin Bishop at Tūranga (New Central Library in Christchurch).

Book fair at the Alliance Française Wellington

Need to fill up your bookshelves? We have what you need! On Saturday 13 October from 10am to 2pm, Gecko Press will be at the Alliance Française Wellington for their annual Book Fair. Gecko Press will bring a selection of children’s books translated from French to English. And of course the Alliance Française will be selling… Read more »

Karena Kelly reads aloud “Paraweta” at Porirua Library

Paraweta by Stephanie Blake. Gecko Press’s cheekiest rabbit is now in te reo Māori. A children's book for ages 3-5.

We had a tino pai time celebrating Maori Language Week with ‘Paraweta‘ translator Karena Kelly and her enthusiastic little helper…

The Power of Story – Joy Cowley

Joy Cowley Children's Book Author

In her warm and engaging talk ‘The Power of Story’, Joy Cowley will draw on a lifetime’s experience of inspiring children to read.

Celebrate Māori Language Week at Porirua Library

Māori Language Week is just around the corner! We have just released Paraweta – the te reo Maori version of the much-loved Poo Bum… Indeed, we’re regularly asked for Māori editions of our books and we couldn’t resist choosing Simon. The book is very loved by children, and the language play is a joy for readers of… Read more »

The Most Astonishingly Unconventional Children’s Books of 2018

Unconventional books. Children's books

The Most Astonishingly Unconventional Children’s Books of 2018 by The School Library Journal. One of them is Inside the Villains by Clotilde Perrin.

Celebrate Children’s Books in Wellington

The Visitor, The 2018 New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Books

Unity Books Wellington welcomes you to hear publishers of titles shortlisted for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults discuss what they like about each other’s books.

The Mapmakers’ Race — behind the scenes

Go behind the scenes and meet the characters of The Mapmakers’ Race with this video of Eirlys Hunter reading an extract while Kirsten Slade draws in the Kiwi bush — dive into the story… Five children have 28 days to find a route through the mountains in this exciting mountain-race adventure for middle readers. Read the first chapter here.

7 lieues et un livre, let’s discover children’s literature from around the world

In French, “7 lieues et un livre”, the name of this project, is a pun. “7 lieues” is a literary reference to fairy tales and to “Seven-league boots”. If you consider only the pronunciation of this name and not its spelling, it can also mean “7 places and one book”. “One book” because I wanted… Read more »

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