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Title: Snowy the Doganaut Author: Diego Albuquerque ISBN: 978-1-877514-62-3 RRP: $14.99 Specs: 200 x 200 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Published: June 2014 The Book: Snowy is a dog with a difference – an alien canine, with ears where he should have eyes, and eyes in the back of his head. Can a kindly veterinarian make him normal, even if he has to travel to Pluto to do it? This is the first English translation of a classic in its native Brazil, where author Diego Albuquerque wrote it as a child. Viva Snowy! -
Title: Bedtime, No Playtime! Author: Lawrence Schimel Illustrator: Elina Braslina ISBN: 978-1-99-004206-5 RRP: $14.99 Specs: Board book, 150 x 150 mm, 16 pp, colour Published: 17 August 2021 Click here for companion book Early One Morning A young girl is getting ready for bed when her puppy tries to play. First Rex brings his ball over, but that doesn’t work. Then he crashes story time, and she still doesn’t give in! Finally, as a last resort, Rex steals her teddy and the chase is on! Under the table, over the chair, her daddies race and, at last, rescue the bear. Now it’s really time for bed! Goodnight, Rex. An adorable rhyming board book that will have pre-school readers coming back, and the representation of a family with two dads makes this a meaningful addition to every bookshelf. -
Title: Early One Morning Author: Lawrence Schimel Illustrator: Elina Braslina ISBN: 978-1-99-004207-2 RRP: $14.99 Specs: Board book, 150 x 150 mm, 16 pp, colour Published: 17 August 2021 Click here for companion book Bedtime, Not Playtime! A young boy and his cat are awake before his mums and sister. It’s too early to make a sound, but his rumbling tummy needs to be fed. The boy and his cat finish their breakfast just in time to say ‘Good morning!’ to the rest of the family. Delightful illustrations and a simple story will have pre-school readers coming back. The cadence of this adorable rhyming board book will delight readers young and old, and the representation of a family with two moms makes ita meaningful addition to every bookshelf. -
Title: I Need a New Bum! AS READ BY THE SCOTTISH GRANNY ON FACEBOOK Author: Dawn McMillan Illustrator: Ross Kinnaird ISBN: 978-0-947506-18-6 RRP: $21.00 Specs: 230 x 215 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Published: September 2012 For orders from outside New Zealand, email: sales@oratia.co.nz The Book: I need a new bum! Mine's got a crack. I can see in the mirror a crack at the back. What to do when you need a new bum? Should you get one that’s blue or yellow spotted? A rocket bum that’s all fire and thrust, or a robo-bum? The options are endless – but wait, Dad’s bum crack is showing too? Maybe this is contagious. I Need a New Bum! is a multiple bestseller in New Zealand and has gained a legion of fans around the world. I Need a New Bum! is available in New Zealand through this website and good booksellers. It’s also in the fun collection I Need a New Bum! and other stories: https://oratia.co.nz/product/i-need-a-new-bum-and-other-stories/ For orders from outside New Zealand, email: sales@oratia.co.nz For the US edition I Need a New Butt! (Dover Publications): http://store.doverpublications.com/0486787990.html For Australian orders, John Reed Books: https://www.johnreedbooks.com.au/p/children-s-books-i-need-a-new-bum--2?barcode=9780947506186 For the UK edition, Scholastic UK: https://shop.scholastic.co.uk/products/I-Need-a-New-Bum-9781407196015 For the Chinese edition (CITIC Press): https://www.amazon.cn/%E6%88%91%E8%A6%81%E4%B8%80%E4%B8%AA%E6%96%B0%E5%B1%81%E8%82%A1-%E5%94%90-%E9%BA%A6%E5%85%8B%E7%B1%B3%E8%8E%B2/dp/B071VCT9Z6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499929058&sr=8-1&keywords=%E6%88%91%E8%A6%81%E4%B8%80%E4%B8%AA%E6%96%B0%E5%B1%81%E8%82%A1E-book available from
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Title: Holy Socks Author: Dawn McMillan Illustrator: Philip Webb ISBN: 978-0-947506-44-5 RRP: $21.00 Specs: 230 x 215 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Published: October 2013 REPRINTED OCTOBER 2017 The Book: ‘One Christmas Eve, some years ago, a ginger kitten wandered along a street on the far side of town. He was hungry, and cold and wet.’ Bertie McGinty finds the kitten and christens him Holy Socks. Soon the pair are inseparable. Even after Bertie’s death, Holy Socks sticks by his master and takes up home in the church near his grave. Captivated by Holy Socks as she sits in church, young Christie calls out, ‘Can I keep the cat?’ Father John, by way of answer, tells everyone the story of Holy Socks. A heart-warming tale with beautiful illustrations. -
Title: Squeakopotamus Author: Dawn McMillan Illustrator: Ross Kinnaird ISBN: 978-0-947506-11-7 RRP: $21.00 Specs: 230 x 215 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Publishing: 6 October 2016 The Book: Is he a hippo that looks like a mouse? Or, is he a mouse too big for this house? Just who or what is Squeakopotamus? And how will the kids, Mum and Dad keep him fed? No one yet has ever had a pet like the astonishing, demolishing Squeakopotamus! A memorable tale for younger readers, Squeakopotamus crosses hippo-sized fun and zany illustrations with mouse-proud rhyme, rhythm and a happy ending. -
Title: Woolly Wally Author: Dawn McMillan Illustrator: Ross Kinnaird ISBN: 978-0-947506-42-1 RRP: $21.00 Specs: 230 x 215 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Published: NEW EDITION WITH NEW ISBN PUBLISHED 13 JUNE 2018 The Book: Wally is the sheep supreme, the master of his flock, proud to be the handsome head of his faithful ewes. But pride, as they say, comes before a fall — or in Wally’s case, a date with the shearing shed. What will Wally and his flock learn once they have lost their fine fleeces? First published in 2006, Woolly Wally is now back in an upgraded new edition that blends fun with a universal moral. -
Title: Nanny Mihi and the Bellbird Author: Melanie Drewery Illustrator: Tracy Duncan ISBN: 978-0-947506-36-0 RRP: $21.00 Specs: 230 x 215 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Published: 10 July 2018 Fact sheet for classroom use: Click here The Book: Every school holidays the kids go and stay with their nanny in her house by the sea. One morning (for some reason) Nanny Mihi gets the kids up early and they sit on the porch whistling a song until the sun comes up. Then they find out why – a bellbird appears and joins in the song. Whenever they come to stay after that, the bellbird is there to whistle the kids’ song. But in spring, there is no bellbird! What has happened? Nanny Mihi and the Bellbird is a charming story about love for family and nature, released for school holidays — a special time for kids and grandparents (and for parents as well). Nanny Mihi is back! -
Title: When Dad Came Home Author: Vanessa Hatley-Owen Illustrator: Rosie Colligan ISBN: 978-0-947506-50-6 RRP: $21.00 Specs: 230 x 215 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Publishing: 8 November 2018 Teacher resource for classroom use: Click here The Book: The war was over and Dad was coming home at last! But the days and weeks go by, and when he does return Dad is not the happy man that young Rita once knew and Thomas thinks he remembers. Struggling to understand his sadness and fears, the kids accompany him as he readjusts to home life, all the while singing his favourite song. One day, while they help him fix the deck, Dad starts to join in the song … Vanessa Hatley-Owen and Rosie Colligan beautifully capture a children’s view of family love and the realities of shell shock for the men who returned after the First World War ended on 11 November 1918. -
Title: I've Broken My Bum! Author: Dawn McMillan Illustrator: Ross Kinnaird ISBN: 978-0-947506-64-3 RRP: $21.00 Specs: 230 x 215 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Published: 9 October 2019 For orders from outside New Zealand, email: sales@oratia.co.nz What should you do when you fall off your bike and your bum breaks into pieces? Collect them up, take them home and glue them together, of course!But then what happens when the pieces get stuck to the tray on which you’re making the repairs?
Join the popular character from I Need a New Bum! as he discovers the joy and fun that can be had when you have a tray stuck to your bum! You can slide like a boss, you can be an ace at paintball, you can be a superhero, you can ride a geyser — and imagine how good you can be at surfing …
Dawn McMillan’s rollicking rhyme is accompanied by Ross Kinnaird’s reliably hilarious images, pulling the story along to a conclusion that encourages children to embrace and celebrate their differences.
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Title: Nanny Mihi and the Rainbow Author: Melanie Drewery Illustrator: Tracy Duncan ISBN: 978-0-947506-65-0 RRP: $21.00 Specs: 230 x 215 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Published: 5 November 2019 For Teacher Resource: click here The Book: Nanny Mihi’s mokopuna (grandchildren) come to stay during the school holidays. Each day, she sends them out to collect objects of a different colour. They scour the local beach collecting shells, flowers, seaweed and beach detritus left by humans, all the time asking, ‘why?’. By the week’s end they have a collection of coloured items for a beach rainbow. Nanny Mihi teaches her grandchildren and the kids who will read the book patience, creativity and connection to nature — and that sometimes the best things are not those we keep but those we give away. The text includes te Reo throughout, for which translations are provided. Tracy Duncan’s revamped artwork and Melanie’s enduring story ensure that once again children’s imaginations will be captured. -
Title: The Longdrop Author: Joan Joass Illustrator: Bob Darroch ISBN: 978-0-947506-71-1 RRP: $21.00 Specs: 230 x 215 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Published: 16 June 2020 For Teacher Resource: Click here For orders from outside New Zealand, email: sales@oratia.co.nzHere’s a fantastic tale for kids about the classic Kiwi holiday that includes a caravan, a beach and the sometimes-smelly toilet shed out the back of the holiday section — the longdrop.
The kids need to go, and the public loo is sooo far away from their caravan. So, Dad builds a longdrop! When the paper builds to capacity Dad thinks and thinks and solves his problem — with a match ...
Based on a true story (Joan’s husband is ‘Dad’), this fun rhyming story celebrates the hilarious situations that arise from the Kiwi ‘she’ll be right’ approach to life. Bob Darroch’s jam-packed illustrations perfectly depict New Zealand holiday time.
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