NZ Treasures and Traditions

NZ Writer and Illustrator

Dave Gunson

Kiwiana

New Holland 2016  $24.99pb 64pp

All About series

ISBN 978 1 8696 6448 0

Themes: New Zealand culture (mid 20^th century) / New Zealand icons

Remember when we called Tamarillos, Tree Tomatoes and Kiwifruit were Chinese Gooseberries? Do we ‘talk funny’ in New Zillund? (Australians apparently think so). And just what is the story behind the use of the silver fern as an emblem of our country?

In trade-mark bright colours, easily followed text and a cornucopia of information, Dave Gunson has created another title in his All about series – this time one that will be full of nostalgia for the 40 plus adults as well as presenting much up to the minute information for them and for younger readers at whom, of course, the book is aimed.  Who we are, where we are, what we eat and drink, what we make, what animals and plants share the country with us   - it’s definitely all about New Zealand Treasure ands Traditions.

Year 4 up/ Age 8 up – but definitely of interest to adults of all ages.

Non-Fiction 8 years and up

NZ Writer and Illustrator

Maria Gill, illustrated by Marco Ivancic

New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame – 25 Kiwi Champions

New Holland Publishers 2014  $24.99pb    64pp

ISBN 978 1 8696 6422 0

 If there was ever a book of role models this is it!  

 25 sporting heroes are shown here with all their hard work, their training programmes, their triumphs and even their failures. There is one sportsperson to each double page spread and it is surprising just how much information the writer and illustrator have managed to pack into those two pages without them ever looking crowded.  This is a book that not-so-enthusiastic readers will relate to with its realistic pictures and the good readers will enjoy the straight from the shoulder text. There are plenty of extras in the form of where to find sports museums/ bibliographies/ competition and a useful guide to setting up your own sports training plan.  Fortunately the book is well bound as I predict it will have a great deal of use. 

Year 4 up/ Age 8 up

Non Fiction Picture Book

NZ Writer and Illustrator

Mary Taylor

Old Blue – the Rarest Bird in the World

Scholastic NZ  (first published 1993 – redesigned and updated edition 2014) $19.99pb 32pp

ISBN 978 1 7754 3237 1

Themes: Chatham Islands Black Robins/ Conservation programmes/ Survival

In the 1970s there were only five Black Robins left in the entire world and only two of them were females. Then into the frame stepped Dr. Don Merton from DOC (Department of Conservation) who, with his wildlife team set up a rescue and recovery programme. Thanks to this team whose hard work and many adventures which included abseiling the birds down the side of sheer cliffs, by 2012 the New Zealand total of Black Robins had grown to 256 birds.

Mary Taylor first wrote about and drew the images for this incredible story back in 1993 so it is a real pleasure to see this brand new edition 21 years later. Although it looks like a picture book the text is more suitable for confident readers although quite young people would enjoy having it read aloud.

If you go to the Chatham Island airport you will see a plaque erected to Old Blue ’saviour of her species’. She laid more eggs and mothered more chicks than any other Black Robin. When she died in 1983 newspapers throughout the world printed the headline Famous Robin Old Blue presumed dead.

Go to: http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/the-black-robin-a-chatham-island-story-1989 for an interesting documentary about the robins. 

Year 4 up/ Age 8 up

Non-Fiction Age 8 up

NZ Writer and Designers

Julie Ellis

Flags of the World

Young Reed 2014  $16.99pb 48p

ISBN 978 1 9215 8015 4

It was time another book on flags appeared. Once libraries were almost overflowing with them in all sizes and designs but they were often just an alphabetical listing of flags from each country from Africa to Zambezi and with a predictable image of the flag to accompany the slightly static words. 

This book, written by New Zealander, Julie Ellis, who has been both a librarian and teacher, is far from static and makes the most of the wonderfully colourful nature of the subject. It moves from the Crusades to Middle Ages, to the World Wars, to the changing faces and boundaries of countries to the World Flag of the future. The book was first published by New Holland Publishers, Australia as a hardback in 2010 but if you missed it then, here is a new paperback for students to enjoy and use. 
Currencies of the world by the same writer is also available as a paperback -
ISBN 978 1 9215 8016 1

Year 4 up/ Age 8 up