Beginners Māori Language Picture Dictionary, for the Whole Family. From the #1 bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator of the Kuwi the Kiwi series, Kat Merewether, comes a large scale, stunningly illustrated visual dictionary. Full of over 1000 basic words in te reo Māori and English, perfect for every New Zealander.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 64

Dimensions: 260 x 340 mm

Publication Date: 20-01-2020

From the original writings of The Grimm Brothers, Hans Christian Andersen, Perrault and other master storytellers, this re­envisioned collection of 18 of our favourite fairy tales challenges outdated gender stereotypes and creates diverse new tales for every girl and boy - regardless of gender, skin colour or sexual orientation. In Diamonds and Toads, a brave princess fights her way through a forest of thorns to place a kiss on the sleeping Briar Rose. The Frog Prince's curse is ultimately undone by another prince who learns not to judge by outward appearances. And a young woman proves she is more than capable of using her wits to save her betrothed as the gender roles are reversed in Jorinda and Joringel. Richly illustrated by some of New Zealand's best loved illustrators and artists, this treasury is sure to become a favourite for a new generation of readers.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 204

Dimensions: 185 x 250 mm

Publication Date: 01-10-2019

A light-hearted, fully-illustrated retro-style picture book with 50+ words and phrases you can use to practise your Maori with your best furry friend. Suitable as a first introduction to Maori for learners of all ages, for tourists who would like a fun way to pick up a few basic words when visiting New Zealand, and as a revision book for adults who haven't used their Maori for a while. Many of the words and phrases can also be used in non dog-related situations!

Bind: paperback

Pages: 112

Publication Date: 05-10-2019

Passages is a personal, yet universal story of a life in harmony with nature. When Linda, her husband David, and their two small boys, Sam and William, bought a yacht called Hornpipe and set sail for tropical waters, they cast off from all security. So began a nomadic adventure when they had to depend on their own resources, navigating by the sun and stars. This beautifully illustrated book presents a thrillingly honest, yet poetic reflection on the challenges of fulfilling a dream, as seen from a mother's perspective. Those ocean passages were a non stop roller coaster ride: "There were times when they plunged into the deepest trough of the wave and there were times when they rode, in exhilaration, the highest crest". Linda's literal and metaphorical passages braid together both past and present to reveal how her family's extraordinary voyages inspired their future accomplishments. "This story is for all explorers. The passages we weave through our lives find their truth in those we touch along the way: - Linda Trubridge

Bind: paperback

Pages: 441

Dimensions: 155 x 230 mm

Publication Date: 02-11-2019

Michael Willis was ten years old, already keeping rabbits, guinea pigs, frogs, possums and birds in his parents’ garden and dreaming of running a zoo of his own. Then came a life-changing present: a copy of naturalist Gerald Durrell’s The Bafut Beagles. Suddenly the idea of working with animals became more than just a fantasy. A lot of hard work and ingenuity later, the dream came true in 1974, when Michael opened Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, on the outskirts of Christchurch. An immensely popular and prize-winning tourist attraction, Willowbank is home to a rich collection of exotic and native animals, from kiwi and kea to otters, camels and monkeys. But that has been only part of the story. Over the years Michael has been increasingly driven to save and conserve rare livestock breeds, many of them far more endangered than some of their familiar native counterparts. He has travelled New Zealand, and the world, in his quest to save these often forgotten animals from extinction. Whether it is rediscovering the tasselled and beguiling kune kune pig, saving the goats of remote Arapawa Island, capturing wild pigs on the forbidding Auckland Islands, bringing back to life the lost wild cattle of Enderby Island or travelling to the Galápagos in search of threatened wild donkeys, his has been a life full of adventure, and full of the animals he loves. And the search continues. Just as he did in his delightful, best-selling first book, Some of My Best Friends are Animals, Michael Willis recounts his sometimes perilous and always riveting experiences with warmth, passion and infectiously laconic humour. Rescue will make you laugh and gasp, and think. For, as he reminds us, in an uncertain world, the saving of these animals could be the saving of us all.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 304

Dimensions: 170 x 240 mm

Publication Date: 31-10-2019

Suicide and mental illness are uncomfortable topics, yet, Michael carefully guides the reader through these difficult subjects in a remarkable way that leaves the reader feeling empowered and hopeful. Michael effortlessly merges scientific research with real-world examples. This book takes complex scientific information and presents it in a way so that anyone can understand it. Michael shows that suicide is caused by a wide range of reasons, from depression, anxiety, brain injuries, psychosis, lack of sleep, loneliness, failure and many more. More importantly, he shows that no matter how bad the situation is there is always hope and always options for things to get better. He shows that there are alos many options available for people who have been told "there is nothing we can do for you". The book is helpful for all parents, teachers, counsellors, social workers, sports coaches, employers, doctors, nurses and many more.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 291

Dimensions: 148 x 208 mm

Publication Date: 19-08-2019

“Have you heard the news?” Candy always had the news. “There’s a terrible, terrible storm coming. The winds will be 380 kilometres an hour.” “Should we be worried?” Billie asked. “Well, apparently, what you have to do is put your head inside a paper bag and hide under the bed.” “That can’t be right,” Ming said. “That’s absolutely stupid.” “It’s all over BFE. People in America have tried it and it seems to work. Apparently the bag equalises the pressure.” “Well, I suppose it wouldn’t do any harm, would it?” Billie said. The world is going crazy. In a not too distant future, climate change is slowly drowning coastal areas, Artificial Intelligence is running almost everything, and social media continues to rule people’s lives. In a South Pacific nation, an affluent family lose their beach-front home to storm and high seas. Waterfront insurance has long been unavailable and, with their prime asset now gone, Brian, Stella and their two teenage kids must move from the capital to Byte, a small, southern, rain-swept city in the grip of a computerised bureaucracy and a gang of religious vigilantes. When Brian falls foul of the authorities, Stella, Mandy and Luke must fend for themselves. Stella’s only option seems to be an offer of help from the least likely quarter – but with what consequences? Waterline explores the choices our own and future generations might have to make in our increasingly complex society. It is a dramatic tale, laced with dark humour, about responsibility, self-determination and the search for love.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 320

Dimensions: 153 x 234 mm

Publication Date: 31-10-2019

How can a community face up to the ultimate betrayal? He wonders how big God’s hand is. If he has an eye that can see the whole world in a glance, his hand must be big enough to reach out of the sky and pluck him up with his giant fingers. It is 1974 and seven-year-old Jack leads a carefree life, playing in his Auckland street. But when a new priest selects him to train as an altar boy, Jack’s world is imperilled and he shrinks away from his community, his friends and his mother. Chosen Boys explores what happens to a community when they are betrayed by those meant to care for their spiritual wellbeing. Set in a working-class Catholic community against the backdrop of the dawn raids, Molloy’s moving debut novel asks the question: who will act when a predator declares himself ‘another Christ on Earth’?

Bind: paperback

Pages: 340

Dimensions: 130 x 198 mm

Publication Date: 07-10-2019

‘Forgotten Philanthropist’ — these two words summarise this book. Robert McDougall was one of Christchurch’s most generous benefactors. His gift to Christchurch in autumn 1928 of the art gallery that bears his name is, in today’s monetary terms, the largest gift ever given to the city, yet today he and that gift are virtually forgotten. Robert McDougall built up his biscuit and confectionery company, Aulsebrooks, to become possibly the largest employer of staff in Christchurch in the early 1900s. It was this success and Robert’s ongoing business acumen that allowed him to exercise his philanthropy to the extent that he did. He was also heavily involved in all aspects of manufacturing and industry in Christchurch and New Zealand, participating in and helping organise trade fairs and exhibitions throughout the country. Although by nature a reserved man, Robert was a man before his time. He cared about his employees’ welfare, building sports facilities for them and helping them when in need, and he was responsible for many other acts of generosity in both Christchurch and beyond. He was also a family man, who spent far more time than a father usually did with his children in those days. This biography provides not only a welcome insight into Robert’s life and the times in which he lived—a time when Christchurch was rapidly developing—but also a return to prominence of one of New Zealand’s most accomplished businessmen and unassuming philanthropists.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 400

Dimensions: 170 x 240 mm

Publication Date: 18-10-2019

Napier’s tramway system was tragically cut short by the Napier earthquake. Graham Stewart now tells the full story of this interesting tramway This is the story about a provincial tramway system which battled to serve its citizens with the latest form of urban transport in the early years of the 20th century, the electric tramcar. To extend the tramway to the expanding residential suburbs to the west and south became an impossibility because of the numerous railway lines to cross. One suggestion was that tram conductors should go ahead of each tram with a flag at railway crossings! The gauge of the tracks chosen, 3-foot 6-inches, the same gauge as the Government railways, was also to become another obstacle when more tramcars were required. A former London tram would have become part of the fleet if nature had not shattered the city. After 18 years of service to its Napier residents, it all ended when a 7.8 earthquake struck at 10.47am on Tuesday 3 February 1931. “The tram was shaken like a fox terrier playing a rat” said motorman Jim Minto, who was driving a tram back from Port Ahuriri at the time. The tram was uplifted and shaken violently. A municipal tramway with so many problems and struggling financially to balance the books, the earthquake of 1931 gave the city fathers a convenient way out.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 88

Dimensions: 200 x 250 mm

Publication Date: 26-08-2019