The booksellers of Unity Books Auckland and Wellington review a handful of children’s books sure to delight and inspire readers of all ages.

AUCKLAND

Reviews by Venice White, Elka Aitchison and Roger Christensen, booksellers at Unity Books Auckland

This Book will Make You a Scientist by Dr Sheila Kanani, illustrated by Ellen Surrey (Age 7+)

I’m a sucker for a book that is going to teach me something and even more so here to make up for my poor grades in science at school. I’m still after a quick and thorough immersion – how to – and this book comes with some weighty credibility from the University of Cambridge. There are some impressive names from throughout history behind the 25 easy to follow experiments to do at home. Sure, this book is primarily aimed at the 7+ young creators starting out on a road to curiosity, but there is lots to learn about the diverse scientists themselves as well as their inspired ideas. This is a book for learning just what makes things tick, like gravity, DNA, and black holes to growing mould, making perfume and measuring your heartbeat. Hours and hours of fun. / Roger

My Tiger by Joy Cowley and illustrated by David Barrow (Age 3+)

What does one do with a tiger who has had a little too much cake than is good for them. Take him to the dentist of course! The My Tiger story may have been around since the 1980s but like good wine has aged well over time in different illustrators’ hands. David Barrow brings a deft touch of subversiveness to this funny tale with a rather abrupt twist. And so perfectly animated in the final full spread illustration of Tiger’s reaction to being told NOT to eat more cake? Be Warned! This is one of those winning picture book combinations of just the right amount of words from our Joy and such a distinctive, expressive visual telling from Mr Barrow. / Roger

Shadow Thieves by Peter Burns (Age 11+)

Think Oliver Twist meets Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and you pretty much have the beginnings of Shadow Thieves. Young Tom is an orphan and petty thief picking pockets to survive in a gritty Victorian London where he and his friends are constantly under the threat of being caught and sent to a brutal workhouse. When he meets the mysterious and charming Corsair, Tom is soon recruited to an exclusive boarding school for thieves (one in a quartet of academies for aspiring criminals scattered around the globe) and soon departs London for the French Alps to begin his tutelage at Beaufort’s School for Deceptive Arts. Including some rather significant reverse outcomes to world history the plot develops lots of twists and turns for our street-smart Tom to overcome and prove himself against the dark forces all too ready to knock him back. This is the first in the series and I am eager to see where and what Tom and his fellow thieves get up to next. / Roger

Don’t Eat Me: The Almost True Story of Belladonna by Kate Finney, illustrated by Esme Shapiro (Age 5+)

A fairytale retelling of the evolution of deadly nightshade doesn’t sound like a playful picture book, but Kate Finney and Esme Shapiro have pulled it off in such a charming way. Poor Belladonna, her bell-like magenta flowers and sweet black berries make her a very popular meal for the forest creatures. One day she is nibbled almost to bits, so she seeks advice from the beautifully anthropomorphised Raspberry and Oak, whose thorns and acorns keep them safe and surviving across generations.  But it’s the secret of the mushroom and his deadly poisons which gives Belladonna the idea she needs to protect herself. This is a truly stunning introduction to the ideas of evolution and natural selection told in a whimsical fable; full of grasshoppers with tiny teeth, flowers with beautiful eyes and cunning grins, and suavely plumed pheasants who have co-evolved to withstand Belladonna’s poison. It’s all bound up in a stunning hardback with endpapers so beautiful I’d like them to wallpaper little Unity. / Elka

I, Coriander by Sally Gardner (Age 9+)

Sally Gardener has the knack of wrapping her stories around you, evoking the feeling of reading under the covers as a kid; I was immediately transported. Set between two realms, this is a tale about life in 1600’s London during a time of much political turmoil where we get to behold witch hunts, puritans and evil preachers, plus a healthy dash of fairies and magic. I, Coriander is funny as well as gut-wrenchingly horrifying. Maud Leggs is the evil stepmother of our story and, with her menacing preacher Arise Fell, cuts off Coriander’s mane of red hair. In the vein of Grimms’ Rapunzel, they keep her locked away – this time in a closet for three years. Don’t let that gnarly detail put you off, for it’s in this wardrobe that Coriander enters a parallel magical world and the story really enchants. Settle in for a truly magical journey with a unique historical spin, introducing readers to a fascinating era and a wonderful cast of characters both real and imagined. / Elka

And the Unity Books Auckland children’s bestsellers for Jan–March 2026:

WELLINGTON

Reviews by ​​Rachel Pilois and Eden Denyer, booksellers at Unity Books Wellington

The Witch of Hagstone Hill: The Triplets Grim by Johanna van Veen (Ages 8+)

the exact type of scare I enjoyed as a kid. The Triplets Grim get dragged into a series of misadventures when a deal with a witch goes wrong and their beloved aunt is taken by the soul stealing beldam. To save her they set off on a dangerous journey, battling and befriending ghosts, goblins and other creepy creatures. Rich with characters from folklore and myth, this fast paced, action-filled book is a treat for middle grade readers! / Rachel

Bear and Bird: The Cloud by Jarvis (All ages)

Author and illustrator extraordinaire Jarvis delights us by expanding his early readers series, Bear and Bird, with his new picture book The Cloud. Join Bear and Bird as they search for an elusive puffy, fluffy octopus cloud. Will they be able to find it before nightfall? Lushly illustrated, full of heart, and perhaps one of the most relatable pictures books I’ve read, this book will transport its readers to a fond memory of a sunny day, lying back, looking up at the sky, and searching for shapes in the clouds. / Rachel

Arcana: The Lost Heirs by Sam Prentice-Jones (Ages 15+)

What if Heartstopper also had a mysterious order of witches operating beneath the gaze of ordinary society?  The first in what promises to be a cracker of a graphic novel series, The Lost Heirs follows a group of young adults who must grapple with ancient magic and secret family histories (along with the general trials and tribulations of navigating late adolescence). The minimal colour palette and art style is super slick, conveying changes in mood and location and making the expressive characters pop! Prentice-Jones isn’t afraid to switch things up however to emphasise the more spooky and intense scenes.  I really enjoyed my time with this cast (especially Konata the tarot expert with her beautiful big heart!), and can’t wait to see them again in the soon to release second instalment. / Eden

The Bookshop on Lemon Tree Lane by Mike Lucas and Sofya Karmazina (All ages)

A sparky love letter to bookshops, with a solid rhyme scheme and delicious illustrations!  The lovely old Bookshop on Lemon Tree Lane with its peeling wallpaper, chipped tiles and leaky roof is in bad need of some refurbishments. But will it still be the same magical place afterward? How could it be?! Throughout these pages young readers are shown that even though change can be upsetting, it isn’t always a bad thing. This pukapuka is positively brimming with heart, and though I’m obviously biased in terms of subject, you’re reading this list so you’ll get it too. / Eden

The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire by Anna Fiteni (Ages 15+)

In Victorian Wales, Sabrina Parry is an outsider in her small mining town, trying to care for her grandmother and her sickly, beautiful sister Ceridwen while keeping her head down and out of trouble. When Ceridwen follows her mermaid girlfriend into the forested fae realm of Eu Gwald, Sabrina chases after her, finding a world of dangers and trickery and a charming fae prince she’s unsure whether to trust…

With a setting and characters that will appeal to fans of Holly Black’s The Cruel Prince, its subtle and deftly-handled themes of class and colonisation help it stand on its own amid the somewhat crowded category of YA fae books. This title is definitely slightly more towards the fantasy side of ‘romantasy’ than the romance, but I found myself spellbound by its surprising emotional depths! Highly recommend to all interested in a delightful Welsh-inspired YA faerie adventure with a poignantly realised core. / Eden

And the Unity Books Wellington children’s bestsellers for Jan–March 2026:

1 Pukeko Who-keko? by Toby Morris (Puffin, $21)
2 Sleep Little Kiwi Sleep by Deborah Hinde (PictureBook Publishing, $20)
3 Talons of Power #9 Wings of Fire Graphic Novel by Tui Sutherland (Scholastic, $22)
4 Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson (illus Dan Santat) (Penguin, $24)
5 Miffy Sticker & Activity Book by Dick Bruna (Hardie Grant, $8)
6 The Lion in the Meadow by Margaret Mahy (Hachette, $22)
7 Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (Harper Collins, $20)
8 The Adventures of Mittens by Silvio Bruinsma (Phoebe Morris Illustrator) (Penguin, $20)
9 Darkstalker Wings of Fire Legends Graphic Novel by Tui Sutherland (Scholastic, $22)
10 The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (Puffin, $18)