Gavin Bishop: books about who we are and where we belong

Gavin Bishop needs no introduction as a leading children’s book creator in Aotearoa New Zealand. He has written and illustrated many of this country’s most significant books over his long career. He is our most awarded children’s book author and has created over 70 books.

Gecko Press has worked with Gavin on books for a younger audience. His five recent board books are aimed at the youngest readers, drawing directly from the worlds of our children and their own cultures to introduce first words and concepts.

“These books continue an almost lifelong quest of mine to write and illustrate stories for New Zealand children that reflect their world and what they know of it.”

Gavin’s new picture book, Armchair Bear, is his first story picture book in many years. The big soft bear hero reminds us of some of his early picture books in a story that is built for a New Zealand summer. Uncle Norman needs to remember what truly makes him happy. Luckily the small bears are here to nudge him in the right direction.

These Gavin Bishop picture books are built to be shared with any age, from tummy time to armchair time—books about who we are and where we belong.

 

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Uncle Norman, a big soft bear, tries to get his puff back by becoming as strong as a gorilla … until his niblings remind him what matters most for a bear. Young readers will cheer for this family picture book by New Zealand’s preeminent children’s author/illustrator.

“Repeat readings guaranteed… A charming and clever psychodrama on finding a happy medium.” Kirkus Reviews

 

 

Titiro / Look is an arresting board book of first words in both Māori and English that pairs whānau and toys to show connections while building vocabulary for shapes, colors, objects—whatu/eye, kikorangi/blue, weri/feelers, pāhau/beard.

Winner, NZCYA Picture Book Award

“This deceptively simple, beautifully produced board book is an absorbing exploration of reo Māori and reo Pākehā…The vivid colour palette and bold, uncluttered images are perfect for pēpē and highlight connection with the people and toys that fill their world.” NZCYA book awards judges

 

Mihi is a simple book to share with babies and talk about their whānau and place in the world. Repeating colours and shapes show the connections between waka, mountain, iwi through to māmā, pāpā and the baby reader. This book is an introduction for children of any age to their own pepeha—and to the idea of a pepeha.

“The perfect book for parent and child to read together and then expand and elaborate, inserting details and naming the people. Mihi is a taonga, a treasure for all New Zealand families.” Trevor Agnew, The Source

 

Look: A Tummy-time Book is a concertina board book of big bright faces to place around baby on the floor at tummy time.

Selected for the prestigious dPictus 100 Outstanding Picturebooks the year of its release, this accordion-fold book is perfect for babies to strengthen core muscles at tummy time with the saturated colours, simple lines and open faces that babies are hard-wired to enjoy.

“Young children will be captivated by the faces and objects illustrated in bold colors.” School Library Journal

 

The House that Jack Built is a book with two strands. The main rhythmic text, based on the well-known rhyme, tells the story of Jack Bull, who travels to New Zealand from London as a new settler in 1798. The illustrations tell the story from a Māori perspective—beginning with the creation story of Papatūānuku and Ranginui and showing the changing environment and cultural impact. The juxtaposition tells a poignant and thought-provoking story of colonisation.

 

“The old nursery rhyme is brought brilliantly to life in a colonial setting, based on Bishop’s own whakapapa, wrapping indigenous myth in both word and pattern around traditional English text, drawing parallels between animals of myth and those brought by the Pakeha… It just gets better with each rereading.” New Zealand Listener

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