Mophead Tu (ages 5+)
9:00 am – 9:30 am
Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall
Off to smoggy old London... After the runaway success of award-winning Mophead, the phenomenal Selina Tusitala Marsh follows up with Mophead Tu. Part picture book, part graphic novel, part memoir, part poem – it’s a fun and inspiring story from the former Poet Laureate who was invited to read for the Queen of England, which put her in a bit of a dilemma!
The Grinny Granny Donkey (ages under 5)
9:00 am – 9:40 am
Supper Room, Auckland Town Hall
Hee Haw! Craig Smith - “The Wonky Donkey man” - performs all the favourites including his latest, The Grinny Granny Donkey, delivering a dose of laugh-out-loud family fun. Don’t miss the #1 best-selling author of The Wonky Donkey as he sings his way through his infectiously funny, rhyming stories. Bring your dancing shoes.
The Inkberg Enigma (ages 5+)
9:50 am – 10:20 am
Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall
Uncover secrets with Miro and Artemesia, and discover what lurks at the heart of their sleepy fishing town. The Inkberg Enigma, from filmmaker and graphic novelist Jonathan King, is an exciting mystery adventure in the style of Tintin, Lucky Luke, and Asterix and Obelix. Plus, Jonathan shares his tips on what makes a great comic.
I Am Universe (ages under 5)
10:00 am – 10:20 am
Supper Room, Auckland Town Hall
Take a tour around the universe with the gorgeously illustrated and widely admired I Am the Universe. Award-winning author-illustrator Vasanti Unka creates an “infinite space of glittering galaxies” in this awe-inspiring session, which might just have kids busting to sing 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'.
Whiti: Colossal Squid of the Deep (ages 5+)
10:40 am – 11:10 am
Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall
Dive into the mysterious world of a colossal squid! Meet Whiti in her Antarctic environment and find out about her amazing bioluminescent eyes, doughnut brain, hooked tentacles, and beak. Discover the other strange and wonderful creatures that live under the ice. Writer Victoria Cleal will also talk about the real-life colossal squid at Te Papa – one of the museum’s most-loved attractions.
Sir Singlet (ages under 5)
10:40 am – 11:00 am
Supper Room, Auckland Town Hall
In the realm of knights, the zany Sir Singlet can’t stand the sloppy underwear he wears under his armour, but he is ”clever with a needle and thread”. He is the most recent creation from national treasure Dawn McMillan, author of over 37 funny and popular children’s books including international bestsellers Why Do Dogs Sniff Bottoms? and I Need a New Bum!
The Midnight Adventures of Ruru and Kiwi (ages under 5)
11:20 am – 11:40 am
Supper Room, Auckland Town Hall
You are invited along on The Midnight Adventures of Ruru and Kiwi. In a delightful twist on the tale of The Owl and the Pussycat, writer Clare Scott re-imagines what happens when Edward Lear’s famous nonsense poem takes place in a moonlit forest, where “Kakapo boomed, and tiny skinks zoomed past old Tuatara so slow”.
Rona Moon (ages 5+)
11:30 am – 12:00 pm
Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall
Yell at the moon with Rona. She hates cleaning her room, or picking up her things, or waiting for her turn. She sulks, rolls her eyes, and slams doors… but maybe there is another way. Author and popular inspirational speaker Tim Tipene’s new book Rona Moon: Ko Rona Māhina is a beautifully illustrated revamp of the Māori myth Rona and the Moon, inspiring young readers to stop and think.
Nōu te Ao, e Hika e! (all ages)
12:05 pm – 12:25 pm
Supper Room, Auckland Town Hall
Ko te atamai me te mātau mārika o Dr. Seuss, otirā, ko te manawataki rongonui o Oh, the Places You'll Go! kua kounga te whakaatahia ki te reo Māori i tā Tākuta Karena Kelly whakamāori ake mā Kotahi Rau Pukapuka. Ka whakanuia e tātou ki ētahi pānuitanga ki te reo Māori me te reo Pākehā nā ngā kaituhi, nā ngā kaiwhakataki pouaka whakaata, nā ngā kaiwhakatairanga hoki i te reo Māori, nā Stacey rāua ko Scotty Morrison.
Dr. Seuss’s wonderful wit and wisdom, and the trademark rhythm of Oh, the Places You’ll Go! have been brilliantly captured in te reo by Dr Karena Kelly for Kotahi Rau Pukapuka. We celebrate with readings in both te reo and English by authors, TV presenters, and te reo advocates Stacey and Scotty Morrison.
The Great Big Library Adventure (ages 5+)
12:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Central City Library, Lorne Street
See the sights and soar to great heights. Join the librarians from Auckland Central City Library for an epic adventure. Will there be danger? Excitement? Amazing discoveries? Come along and find out!
Meet at the Auckland Town Hall, Queen Street entrance, to set off for Central City Library together; or go direct - we'll see you there!
Presented with the support of Auckland Libraries.
Writer Bios:
Selina Tusitala Marsh
Performer, teacher, and former Poet Laureate, Selina Tusitala Marsh has published three collections of poetry, including award-winning Fast Talking PI. Her graphic memoir Mophead won the 2020 Margaret Mahy Book of the Year, and she has recently published follow-up Mophead Tu.
Craig Smith
Multi-award-winning singer/songwriter Craig Smith is the author of the bestseller The Wonky Donkey, which became famous after a video of a Scottish grandmother reading it to her grandson went viral. His other books include Willbee the Bumblebee, The Dinky Donkey, and The Grinny Granny Donkey.
Jonathan King
Writer, producer, and filmmaker Jonathan King is the author of the children’s book The Inkberg Engima. His comics have appeared online and in anthologies, and his film credits include the feature films Black Sheep and Under the Mountain.
Vasanti Unka
Children’s book writer, illustrator, and designer, Vasanti Unka has won many awards including the 2014 New Zealand Post Margaret Mahy Book of the Year for The Boring Book. Her book I Am the Universe, for children aged three and up, is much-admired for its inventiveness and gorgeous illustrations.
Victoria Cleal
Victoria Cleal is a writer and editor at Te Papa. Recently she also wrote stories for the children’s TV series He Paki Taonga i a Māui. She is the author of Whiti: Colossal Squid of the Deep, illustrated by Izzy Joy Te Aho-White.
Dawn McMillan
Dawn McMillan has written over 37 children’s books including international bestseller I Need a New Bum! which has been translated into several languages. Her most recent books are Sir Singlet and the bilingual
Clare ScottThere’s a Weta on my Sweater.
Clare Scott’s first children’s picture book, the delightful rhyming story The Midnight Adventures of Ruru and Kiwi is an adaption of the famous poem The Owl and the Pussycat, set in the Aotearoa bush. She has had many stories published with Sunshine Books.
Tim Tipene
Tim Tipene (Ngāti Kuri/Ngāti Whātua) is an award-winning children’s writer and founder of Warrior Kids, a community organisation working with at-risk children. His latest books are Rona Moon: Ko Rona Mahinā illustrated by Theresa Reihana, and his memoir, White Moko.
Stacey Morrison
Stacey Morrison (Ngāi Tahu, Te Arawa) is a television and radio broadcaster across Māori and mainstream programming. Stacey and her husband Scotty co-wrote Māori at Home to help other families use te reo in everyday settings, as well as Māori Made Fun; Stacey’s first children's book, My First Words in Māori, was a #1 bestseller.
Scotty Morrison
Assoc. Professor Scotty Morrison (Ngāti Whakaue) is the author of the best-selling language guides The Raupō Phrasebook of Modern Māori, Māori, Made Easy and Māori, Made Easy 2. Māori at Home was co-authored with his wife Stacey Morrison, as well as Māori Made Fun. He is well-known as the presenter of TV news and current affairs programmes Te Karere and Marae, and the recent TV series, Origins.
