For wonderful New Zealand books we shop at
Please note, for the links to work you need to click on the title of the book to be taken to the full post. Thanks Tarnya
"The picture book is a peculiar art form that thrives on genius, intuition, daring and a meticulous attention to its history and its various, complex components. The picture book is a picture puzzle, badly misunderstood by critics and condescended to by far too many as merely a trifle for "the kiddies." Children are routinely patronized and thus so are we who spend our creative lives entertaining them and nourishing their spirit" Maurice Sendak
For second hand books you may like to try
For almost everything else we shop at
Picture Books
Books that are beautifully illustrated usually for a younger audience
An Extraordinary Egg By Lionni Leo
Leo Lionni wrote and illustrated more than 40 children’s books. He won the Caldecott Honor prize four times for Inch by Inch, Frederick, Swimmy, and Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse. An Extraordinary Egg is one of our favourites. The illustrations are charming , the story is humourous, imaginative and memorable. It is a tale of three colorful... »
Big and Small, Room for All by Jo Ellen Bogart Illustrated by Gillian Newland
This book gives us a glimpse of the immense, wonderful universe and takes us on a journey all the way down to microscopic creatures. The book is not specifically Christian but it reminded me of Psalm 8: What is man that You are mindful of him? It is beautifully illustrated in watercolours and makes a lovely picture book to read... »
I Don’t Want a Cool Cat By Emma Dodd
The lovely rhyming text and delightful illustrations have sent us off to the library to get some of her other books including I don’t want a posh dog Auckland Libraries link here »
Busiest People Ever By Richard Scarry
I grew up with Richard Scarry. I love his illustrations and his humour. Some people do criticise the text and that Mother Cat does the dishes … I’ll admit it isn’t the best read aloud. I think these are great browsing books for kids and books that we read together a little and then... »
I Spy Little Animals
A smaller board book version of the “I Spy” series, these are a wonderful way to introduce the delight of books to small children. My daughter, 18 months old, loves them. The beauty is that they will last at least a couple of years for the three year and four year old will enjoy... »
How Much is A Million? By Steven Kellogg
I’m having trouble with trillions, a word which is increasingly appearing in the news after the credit crunch. A billion dollars seems hard to understan! A billion seconds ago it was 1959! Watch this to begin to grasp how big these numbers are. The NZ government is borrowing $200 million a week, that is... »
What shall I make? by Nandini Nayar illustrated by Proiti Roy.
Nandini Nayar tells the story, inspired by her son , of a boy making all kinds of creatures with his chapati dough. The illustrations give us a taste for the Indian way of life but in a way that all children can relate too. What young child does not enjoy playing with dough ? You... »
Just How Long Can a Long String Be?! By Keith Baker
I was delighted to find a new book and author we have not read before that we really liked. Keith Baker has written and illustrated thirteen picture books, this is the first that we have read. We are planning to explore his other books. “Just how long can a long string?!” be is... »
Madeline and the Cats of Rome
There are many Madeline books. This one is new, though, written by Ludwig Bemelmans’ grandson. I think it is pretty true to the flavour of the orginal. We read it tonight. I don’t think it is my favourite . That would have to go to the orginal Madeline when she has her appendix out.... »
Who Sank the Boat by Pamela Allen
We were introduced to Pamela Allen’s books with Who Sank the Boat which was memorised by my first son:-) She has remained a family favourite. This week we found a new one The Toymaker and the Bird, I appreciated the truthful ending not often found in children’s books. We have particularly loved Mr McGee Goes to... »