What’s the best way to get adults reading? Get them reading when they’re children – and there’s no better place to start than Unity’s top-selling kids’ books.
Give us a children’s book any day of the week. We don’t even need a kid to go with it. But make it daring. Children (your inner child included) run dark by nature – they’re adventurous, weird, extremely capable of finding their way into big, daunting ideas. The best children’s books honour that capacity and lead us unashamedly into unknowns. And they do that with a terrific glint in their eye. Danger, surprise, comedy, opportunity. If more adults read children’s books with the bravery that children do then the world would be a better place. There, we said it.
AUCKLAND
1 Atua by Gavin Bishop (Puffin UK, $40, all ages)
The winningest of all of the children’s books this year. Atua scooped the top prize at the New Zealand book awards for children and young adults. And rightly so. Bishop’s sweeping illustrations and vivid language captivates from the depths of Te Kore and into Te Ao Marama and the gripping beginnings of Atua Māori.
2 Noisy Book by Soledad Bravi (Gecko Press, $25, 0-3yrs)
A classic. Our copy is barely alive, held together by tape and jammy smears. The at times disarming illustrations make this book beguiling in its simplicity in more ways than one.
3 Maui & Other Legends: 8 Classic Tales of Aotearoa by Peter Gossage, (Penguin, hb, $40, 4+)
The startling and iconic world of Peter Gossage is a right of passage for all Aotearoa kids. An essential on all bookshelves.
4 Big Book of Words & Pictures by Ole Könnecke (Gecko Press, $30, 1+)
Charming. You’ll find yourselves going off on wonderful tangents thanks to Ole Könnecke’s playful approach.
5 Spark Hunter By Sonya Wilson (Cuba Press, $25, 10-14yrs)
We are fans of this YA story about fairies in Fiordland. You can read about the childhood adventures that inspired the book right here. Also appreciate this comment from Sofia (age 11) on Kete Books:
“The book made me think about how harshly we treat wildlife in New Zealand. The nature-filled book made me go outside and look at the trees several times. I would recommend it to someone who likes bush walks and nature.”
6 Big Ideas For Curious Minds: An Introduction to Philosophy by Alain de Botton and Anna Doherty (Affirm Press, $40, 9+)
From the School of Life website: “Big Ideas for Curious Minds is designed to harness children’s spontaneous philosophical instinct and to develop it through introductions to some of the most vibrant and essential philosophical ideas from history. The book takes us to meet leading figures of philosophy from around the world and from all eras – and shows us how their ideas continue to matter.”
Sounds like a good one for adults wanting to brush up on their Philosophy skills, too.
7 My First Pop-Up Dinosaurs by Owen Davy (Walker Books, $23, 4+)
A worthy precursor to Jurassic Park. The T-Rex’s gaping mouth pops right out of the page in a satisfyingly aggressive manner. While you’re waiting for the right time to introduce your child to Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and the angel Jeff Goldblum, this book will satisfy that freakish need for kids to know all the brands of dinosaur and to say the word Pachycephalosaurus before they can say teeth.
8 A Perfect Wonderful Day With Friends by Philip Waechter (Gecko Press, Hbk $30, Pbk $20, 3+)
A bucolic delight. We all need spring to arrive more than ever before. This book staves off the apocalypse of this winter in delightful, comforting ways. Lots of cake.
9 Year Full of Stories: 52 Folk Tales from Around the World by Angela McAllister (Frances Lincoln, $28, 6+)
The gift that keeps on giving. Folk tales live on for a reason: they’re deceptively complex, memorable and at times unsettling. Love a good anthology that can be dipped in and out of and revisited over time.
10 Bedtime Book of Animals Take a Peek at More Than 50 of Your Favourite Animals (Dorling Kindersley UK, $30, 3+)
Factual and fanciful at the same time. This helps populate a child’s world with the magic of animal lives. If only we held onto that as we aged. Another one that could be for the grown ups, too. To remind us about the weird and wonderful creeps we share the planet with.
WELLINGTON
1 Atua: Maori Gods & Heroes by Gavin Bishop (Penguin, $40, all ages)
2 Adventures of Mittens: Wellington’s Famous Purr-Sonality by Silvio Bruinsma (Penguin, $20, 3+)
I mean, sure. But he lives in Auckland now guys. Brutal.
3 Cluster of Stars, A Cluster of Stories: Matariki Around the World by Rangi Matamua & Miriama Kamo (Scholastic, $35, 4+)
There is something entirely magical about the universe, the way stars connect our stories from Aotearoa all the way across the globe. This book by two of the greatest communicators of our time is a generous and beautiful addition to the growing expanse of literature on Matariki.
4 The Assignment by Liza Weimer (Random House, $24, 12+)
A rousing YA novel about two teens who stand against their history teacher when he asks them to defend the indefensible for an assignment. Fast-paced and plot driven, and comes with a content warning: contain sdepictions of anti-Semitism and hate crimes.
5 Counting Creatures by Julia Donaldson (Two Hoots, $25, 4+)
Vibrant illustrations and flaps for little hands to lift, from the author of The Gruffalo et al.
6 The Lighthouse Princess by Susan Wardell, illustrated by Rose Northey (Puffin, $18, all ages)
A beautiful, watery adventure with a feminist heart.
7 Big Feelings & What They Tell Us by Rebekah Ballagh (Allen & Unwin, $30, 2+)
A very useful book for all ages. From School Library News: “One of the best books I’ve seen about emotions. Rebekah goes beyond linking emotions to colours or naming them but also describes how they make your body feel and how to manage them. I highly recommend this book for all parents and educators.”
8 Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy Board Book by Lynley Dodd (Puffin, $16, babies+)
The Spinoff recently released this documentary on Lynley Dodd and her beloved creations. Everyone deserves the chance to read ‘Yeeoooowwwffttzzz’ aloud at least once and forever instil in a child the sheer godliness of Scarface Claw. See also Tara Ward’s ranking of all of the creatures in Hairy’s world.
9 Amorangi & Millie’s Trip Through Time by Lauren Keenan (Huia Publishers, $26, 9+)
An inventive time-travel adventure. Amorangi and Millie have to rescue their Mum from the murky depths of history and this makes for a brilliant premise from which to learn about Aotearoa’s past and just how far we’ve come.
10 The Boy, the Mole, the Fox & the Horse by Charles Mackesy (Ebury Press, $40, all ages)
A collective of those enigmatic illustrations you’ve probably seen everywhere.