Picture Books: Summer Holiday Reading 2012
By Trevor Agnew
2012 has been a great year for Christchurch Gavin
Bishop . Not only has he had two new books published (Margaret Mahy’s Mr
Whistler and Footsteps Through the
Fog) but four of his earlier works have also been re-issued. The most welcome of these is the paperback
edition of Piano Rock: a 1950s Childhood. This memoir of Bishop’s early
years in Kingston , on the southern shores of Lake Wakatipu Pixie Town
Katarina (1990) is Bishop’s pictorial retelling of the
remarkable odyssey of his great-aunt, Katarina (Catherine) McKay, 1842-1935, a Tainui
Maori, who in the 1860s made the journey from the Waikato
to Fortrose in Southland, to be re-united with her Scottish husband. (Intriguingly Bishop later discovered that the moko he
created for the picture of his great-grandmother, Irihapeti, was identical to
one she wore in real life.) The illustrations, re-scanned from the
original artwork, are powerful and moving, as is Katarina’s life of devotion to
her family. As Katarina puts it, “I’ve been too busy looking after my kids to
die.”
Kiwi Moon (2005) is the
most perfect blending of Bishop’s story-telling skills and his artistic talent.
On one level it is a beautiful tale of Little Kiwi, a rare white kiwi, and his
relationship with Te Marama, the moon. The brave bird not only saves his mother
from hunters’ dogs but also guides a little lost girl, a Pakeha settler, to
safety. Because Little Kiwi only comes out at night, all the illustrations show
night scenes, with mono-prints of plants, insects and trees. Interspersed among
these are beautifully detailed ink and watercolour pictures of Maori life which
tell another story without words.
Fighting between Maori and Pakeha has led to destruction and loss of
life. The trees are cut down and fire rages through the bush. Bishop’s intertwined
stories reach a connected and hopeful conclusion, making it a beautiful parable
of New Zealand ’s past (and perhaps) its
future.
In Counting the Stars (2009) Bishop
continues his re-telling of Maori legends and illustrating them with colourful
mono-prints. The four stories tell of the separation of Earth (Papa) and Sky
(Rangi), the war among the birds, Kae’s theft of a pet whale and the love of
Hinemoa and Tutanekai. Each is vividly told and illustrated.
Peter Gossage has retold fifteen Maori legends in his long
picture book career but The Giant of Lake Wakatipu is the
first one to be set in the South Island . Using
his familiar ‘stained-glass’ style of illustration, Gossage shows how the
beautiful Manata was saved from Matau the giant by her lover Matakauri. As Gossage shows, Matau’s grim fate still projects
its mythical power in the pulsing waters of Lake Wakatipu
Kiwi Play With Me is a magnificently illustrated counting book
created by Lyttelton artist, Helen Taylor. “I’m a little kiwi. Will you play
with me?” A kiwi chick, who invites friends to come and play, is joined by one
kea, two bats, three frogs and, so on, up to ten kauri snails. Taylor
has managed the difficult feat of bringing all 56 examples of New Zealand Taylor
Remember that November began life as New Zealand village of Parihaka
Mokena Reedy’s popular Timo and the Kingfish (2000) has
been revised, and given handsome new colour illustrations by Jim Byrt. Timo ignores both safety rules and Maori
protocol when he goes fishing out at sea, thus endangering the life of his dog
Pou. Fortunately Tangaroa is impressed by Timo’s courage, and Pou has a
life-saving talent, so all ends well. This book will be a lively springboard
for discussions of the issues involved. (An
identical Maori language edition is also available.)
The Best-Dressed Bear (2002) is another re-issued classic,
featuring Diana Noonan’s well-loved teddy bear and his owner Tim. Tim is a little concerned that he is
outgrowing his favourite clothes and he doesn’t want Mother to give them away.
Luckily Tim thinks of a solution: his teddy bear can wear them. “But just until
he gets too big for them!”
This logical and amusing solution makes both Tim (and his
readers) feel warm and contented. Elizabeth Fuller’s delightful pictures add to
the pleasure.
Trevor Agnew, Summer 2012
Full Publishing
Details:
Katarina, Gavin Bishop , Random House (NZ Classic), 30pp, pb, NZ$19.99
ISBN 978-1-86979-064-6
Counting the Stars:
Four Maori Myths, Gavin Bishop , Random House, 48pp, pb, NZ $19.99 ISBN 978-1-77553-017-6
Kiwi Moon, Gavin Bishop , Random House, 32 pp, pb, NZ$16.99
ISBN 978-1-86979-074-5
Piano Rock: a 1950s
Childhood, Gavin Bishop , Random
House, pb, 120 pages, NZ$24.99 ISBN
978-1-77553-257-6
Kiwi Play With Me: A
Kiwi Count-Along Book, Helen Taylor, Puffin, 32pp, pb, NZ$19.99 ISBN 978-0-143-5049-5
Remember that
November, Jennifer Beck, ill. Lindy Fisher, Huia, 32 pp, pb, NZ$20
ISBN 978-1-77550-010-0
The Giant of Lake
Wakatipu, Peter Gossage, Puffin, 32pp, pb, NZ$19.99
ISBN 978-0-143-50560-0
Timo and the Kingfish,
Mokena Potae Reedy, ill. Jim Byrt, 32pp, pb, NZ$20
ISBN 978-1-77550-046-9
The Best-Dressed Bear,
Diana Noonan, Elizabeth Fuller, Scholastic, 24pp, pb, NZ$19.50
ISBN 978-1-77543-139-8|
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