JUST FOR KIDS

Counting Creatures By Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Sharon KingChai, Macmillan, $29.99 .. .. .. .. .. ..

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From the leopard on the cover, to bats and spiders and butterflies, this beautiful book counts babies. Filled with cut-out and fold-back pages, it will be a favourite with young readers who will fight to turn the pages. It’s beautifully illustrated and is a pleasure to read. Great bedtime reading.

The Story of Swoop By Matt Owens, illustrated by Emma Gustafson, Scholastic, $19.99 .. ..

.. .. .. .. .. Based on the true story of volunteer firefighter Matt who adopted a lost baby magpie and her friendship with his black cat Mogli.

Named Swoop, the baby magpie becomes family with Matt and Mogli. She went everywhere with Mogli, even falling asleep together. But eventually, Swoop left to find her feathered family. Lovely illustrations from Emma Gustafson. A lovely story for animal-loving children.

The Ma¯ ori Picture DictionaryTe Papakupu Whakaahua By Margaret Sinclair and Ross Calman, illustrated by Josh Morgan and Isobel Te AhoWhite, Penguin Random House, $19.99 .. .. ..

.. .. .. .. What a great resource for a school! It features illustrations for more than 1400 of the most commonly used words in everyday life. Included on each page is also a phrase in Ma¯ori and English.

This picture dictionary contains an index of Ma¯orito-English words at the back, making it easy to use and great for quick reference. A great introduction to the Ma¯ori language.

— Ann Kilduff