30 NZ Stories For Children

Another 100 NZ Poems For Children

Cloud Farm: High On Banks Peninsula - Chetwynd, Jane

'Whenever I had a spare moment from work my thoughts would return to the 'Farms for Sale' column.' THIS is the captivating account of a seduction. A woman is unaccountably smitten by the desire to have her own 'farm', to the point where she resigns from her job as professor of medicine at Canterbury University and takes on her own Banks Peninsula property.

Insights: NZ Artists Talk About Creativity

Gareth Shute features a bunch of hot, mostly young, artists examining the creative process. There are lots of emergent artists - peppered with older, more experienced folk like artists - peppered with older, more experienced folk like Dick Frizzell and Douglas Wright. This book is like Blokes in Sheds - for artists. Each of the 60 artists talks about how they go about creating. They range from those that work within the fine arts to those who work in more populist fields of practice like tattoo and film making.

Pigtails the Pirate - Elliot, David

Jess's father was lost at sea. Sometimes, far away, she thought she heard his old violin playing sadly, reaching out for her. Finally, she could no longer bear waiting so she set sail in her little boat to find him. Drawn to the sound of her father's favourite tune, she and her boat are snatched from the sea by the scavenging giant, Pigtails the Pirate.

Rats! - Bishop, Gavin

Rats! Is a quirky, lively fun story with stunning illustrations. Polly Piper's house in infested with rats - they are everywhere. She calls in an exterminator (closely resembling the Pied Piper) who leads them all away. When they go, Polly finds her life is empty and boring. Miserable, they plead to come back - so of course Polly agrees - and they all live happily ever after! This book stands out for its finely detailed and exciting illustrations - they are beautiful and will give readers plenty to discover and delight in.

The Adventures of Sydney Penguin - Elliot, David

Sydney and the sea monster and Sydney and the whalebird are New Zealand classics. Loved by children and adults alike, David Elliot's stunning picture books were first published together in one bumper edition. David Elliot is an internationally acclaimed illustrator, having illustrated the Redwall series by Brian Jacques, as well as a number of other high profile US books. He is also the writer/illustrator of many picture books including Pigtails the Pirate and the Sydney books. He has won Picture Book of the Year at the NZ Post awards.

Mona Minum and the Smell of the Sun - Frame, Janet (Illustrated by David Elliot)

Mona Minim is a house ant about to make her first journey out of the nest. But her excitement at smelling new things, especially the sunlight, turns to terror when one false step plunges her into a quite unexpected adventure.

Watch of Gryphons - Marshell, Owen

The empty tussock dryness of New Zealand's South Island, the ancient stone buildings of Italy's Perugia, unsolved murder, the capricious indignity of Alzheimer's disease, adoption - there is a rich variety of setting and subject in this superb new co...

How To Look At A Painting - Paton, Justin

"A masterpiece. Justin Paton is on par with the best art reviewers anywhere. This book will set your imagination alight" MARTI FRIEDLANDER

New Zealand People & Places: Paintings of everday life from the brush of watercolour artist Paul Hanrahan

This book offers a rare insight into the vision and talents of one of New Zealand's foremost watercolour artists. Paul Hanrahan captures distinctive aspects of New Zealand life; from the quirky to the spectacular, set in backgrounds of both grandeur and the familiar. It is an essential book for New Zealanders at home or abroad and for watercolour lovers everywhere.

New Zealand's Favourite Artists 2 (Edited by Denis Robinson)

Denis Robinson has invited more than 80 dealer galleries throughout the country to nominate their top selling artits and any newer artists who were attracting the interest of art lovers. The sixty artists selected for inclusion in this book demonstrate a variety of ideas, techniques and talent. While this book shows only a small sample of each artist's work, it also gives biographical details of their art background; often how they got started, where they made breakthroughs, and awards and significant events that have shaped their success today.

Original Handprinted Woodcut on Children's T-shirts (Sizes 0-2) by Liz Abbott

Liz Abbot is a coastal dwelling artist who draws inspiration from the birds, bush and landscape of Aotearoa. New Zealand Made: Seacliff, Otago. (Image: Piwakawaka, Kaka & Kiwi)

Original Woodcut Printed and Painted by Hand on Harakeke Paper by Liz Abbott: Tieke (180 x 130mm)

Saddleback: Rare forest -dwelling wattlebird that feeds on insects, berries and grubs by jumping through the forest canopy. Liz Abbot is a coastal dwelling artist who draws inspiration from the birds, bush and landscape of Aotearoa. New Zealand Made: Seacliff, Otago. (Also available: Kereru Wood Pigeon, Toroa Northern Royal Albatross,Tui, Kokako, Hoiho Yellow-Eyed Penguin, Kaka)