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.
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.
To see all of this before everyone else, sign up to our newsletter here.
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 »
Eirlys Hunter favourite children’s books
Alice in Wonderland & Alice Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll Lewis Carroll’s masterpieces. Among the first books ever published to entertain rather than instruct children, they’re a brilliant child’s-eye view of the nonsensical adult world. And as for the language… Twas brillig and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe… Winnie… Read more »
The Mapmakers’ Race launch
Gecko Press and The Children’s Bookshop warmly invite you to the launch of The Mapmakers’ Race by Eirlys Hunter.
New Zealand Children’s Book Awards 2018
A bumper crop of excellent books for young New Zealand readers have today been announced as the 33 finalists in the 2018 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.
Cook’s Cook: Experience Food on Board the Endeavour
Gecko Press and the Curiously Good Book Club are excited to take part in Wellington On a Plate… Join us in Featherston for a lunch with author and illustrator Gavin Bishop and his Cook(s) to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Endeavour’s journey! Gavin Bishop will speak about food and life aboard the Endeavour: from Pease Pudding… Read more »
Every Time We Say Goodbye (picture books for tough times)
Granpa by John Burningham (Red Fox, 2003) A dialogue between grandparent and child that covers all the important business and lasts until Granpa’s chair is (heartbreakingly) empty. The Sad Book by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Quentin Blake (Candlewick Press, 2005) Michael Rosen’s son died, and it hurt this much, which is to say almost… Read more »
Book night 2018
The Book Discussion Scheme has thought about us and is organising a Book Night on Tuesday 22 May. The rules are simple: wherever you are and whatever you do, between 5pm and midnight, pick a book – a curiously good book is always a good choice – and treat yourself with at least 15 minutes of reading…. Read more »
A whole town (and even more) to listen to Joy Cowley
Last Sunday, the grey sky and the drizzle were a call to stay in and to gather all the family to celebrate Mother’s Day. After lunch, you were quite a few to have another great idea: to go to Featherston Booktown 2018. Gecko Press was there, as was one of our favourite curiously good writer:… Read more »
