For the first time a bilingual book has taken out the top prize at the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.<\/p>\n
Te Wehenga: The Separation of Ranginui and Papat\u016b\u0101nuku<\/em> by Mat Tait (Ng\u0101ti Apa ki te r\u0101t\u014d) was tonight presented with the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award<\/strong>, Aotearoa\u2019s highest accolade in children\u2019s literature, during a joyful ceremony held at Wellington\u2019s Pipitea Marae.<\/p>\n Te Wehenga\u2019s <\/em>bold bilingual design presents the M\u0101ori creation p\u016br\u0101kau, which explains the beginning of the world, in a way that incorporates universal elements recognised across iwi. The poetic text, which tells the story simultaneously in te reo M\u0101ori and English, is integrated into the artwork, creating an interactive experience that immerses the reader in the darkness of the space between Papat\u016b\u0101nuku and Ranginui.<\/p>\n \u201cThe way that te reo M\u0101ori and te reo P\u0101keh\u0101 are brought together closely feels like a metaphorical representation of the increasing bilingualism in Aotearoa,\u201d said convenor of judges Nicola Daly, who praised the book\u2019s highly innovative approach to integrating both languages into the illustrations themselves.<\/p>\n Motueka-based Tait also collected the Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction<\/strong> for the book.<\/p>\n While Te Wehenga<\/em> is uniquely New Zealand in flavour, many of our writers and illustrators look beyond Aotearoa\u2019s borders, and this year\u2019s category winners show our talented creatives can give a strong local voice to stories that also have relevance and resonance for an international audience.<\/p>\n That includes Duck Goes Meow<\/em> by Juliette MacIver, illustrated by Carla Martell, which won the Picture Book Award<\/strong>. The judges said this universal story distills all the elements of a great picture book to create a joyous celebration of the unexpected and deliver a conclusion that surprises the animals in the story and readers alike.<\/p>\n Described as one of Aotearoa\u2019s \u201cmost exceptional storytellers\u201d, David Hill was awarded the Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction<\/strong> for Below<\/em>, a white-knuckle survival story set in a catastrophic tunnel collapse. The judges appreciated the way it trusts its young readers to handle big environmental ideas and come to their own conclusions.<\/p>\n The Young Adult Fiction Award<\/strong> went to Iris and Me<\/em> by Philippa Werry, an inventive and original novel written in verse. The judges praised the unique narrative voice, which illuminates the life of Robin Hyde, one of Aotearoa\u2019s most significant writers.<\/p>\n A Portrait of Leonardo<\/em> by Donovan Bixley won the Russell Clark Award for Illustration<\/strong>. The judges were enamored with this vibrant retelling of the life of Leonardo da Vinci, which they described as a fluent and delightful feast for the eyes. They appreciated the fresh and youthful approach to biography, with visual humour, puns, puzzles and technical agility, all underpinned by solid drawing skills.<\/p>\n The W<\/strong>right Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award for Te Reo M\u0101ori<\/strong> was presented to Kua Whet\u016brangitia a Koro<\/em> by Brianne Te Paa, illustrated by Story Hemi-Morehouse. The judges loved how the traditional M\u0101ori narrative was tailored to fit a new world and a new audience. They felt the significance of the story, its context, and the author\u2019s use of te reo M\u0101ori placed the book in a stratosphere of its own.<\/p>\n Finally, the NZSA Best First Book Award<\/strong> went to The Lighthouse Princess by <\/em>Susan Wardell, illustrated by Rose Northey. This book\u2019s poetic writing and whimsical illustrations made it stand out, creating a sum that is greater than its parts. The judges felt this clever alchemy was all the more astounding given that it is both the writer\u2019s and the illustrator\u2019s first foray into publication.<\/p>\n The full list of winners for the 2023 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults: <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award $7500<\/strong><\/p>\n Te Wehenga: The Separation of Ranginui and Papat\u016b\u0101nuku<\/em>, Mat Tait (Allen & Unwin)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Picture Book Award $7500<\/strong><\/p>\n Duck Goes Meow<\/em>, Juliette MacIver, illustrated by Carla Martell (Scholastic New Zealand)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction $7500<\/strong><\/p>\n Below<\/em>, David Hill (Penguin Random House NZ)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Young Adult Fiction Award $7500<\/strong><\/p>\n Iris and Me<\/em>, Philippa Werry (The Cuba Press)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction $7500<\/strong><\/p>\n Te Wehenga: The Separation of Ranginui and Papat\u016b\u0101nuku<\/em>, Mat Tait (Allen & Unwin)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Russell Clark Award for Illustration $7500<\/strong><\/p>\n A Portrait of Leonardo<\/em>, Donovan Bixley\u00a0\u00a0 (Upstart Press)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award for te reo M\u0101ori $7500<\/strong><\/p>\n Kua Whet\u016brangitia a Koro<\/em>, Brianne Te Paa, illustrated by Story Hemi-Morehouse (Huia Publishers)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n NZSA Best First Book Award $2500<\/strong><\/p>\n The Lighthouse Princess<\/em>, Susan Wardell, illustrated by Rose Northey (Penguin Random House NZ)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For the first time a bilingual book has taken out the top prize at the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. Te Wehenga: The Separation of Ranginui and Papat\u016b\u0101nuku by Mat Tait (Ng\u0101ti Apa ki te r\u0101t\u014d) was tonight presented with the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award, Aotearoa\u2019s highest accolade […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":176243,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-176242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national"],"yoast_head":"\n