Each year the International Youth Library based in Munich, Germany publishes a catalogue called the White Ravens with a selection of notable books from around the world.
The Grizzled Grist Does Not Exist by Juliette MacIver and Sarah Davis was selected as a White Raven 2023—the only Aotearoa New Zealand book to be selected.
This weekend, illustrator Tokerau Brown visited Wellington bookshops to sign copies of Paku Manu Ariki Whakatakapōkai. Unity Books Wellington and Good Books both hosted him.
This book is a true co-creation between my son Kerehi Grace, the illustrator Tokerau Brown, and me. Sometimes, as the book was being invented, Toki (Tokerau) would share a picture, and I’d get a shiver—a feeling that the picture contains life inside it, is itself alive.
Watching insects and looking for other tiny, interesting things genuinely is one of my favourite hobbies, and the content of The Observologist is all the stuff I talk about and point out when I’m walking with my nieces and nephews. Putting it all down in a book felt like a very logical thing to do.
Free comprehensive teacher notes for Years 1 to 10 available for download.
These teacher notes are based on the new Aotearoa New Zealand Histories curriculum being implemented in 2023 and written by Defyd Williams, who was part of the Ministry of Education reference group for the curriculum.
