Some of Auckland’s favourite booksellers offer a few words on children’s books they love to share, making gift shopping for the little ones in your life a tiny bit easier.
Helen from Dorothy Butler
Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack
Lynley Dodd
All of Lynley Dodd’s familiar books are wonderful for their rhythm, rhyme, use of incredible vocabulary and of course, delightful illustrations. One of my favourites is Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack. The language sings so that it’s easy to imagine Hairy Maclary on a drowsily warm day with bees buzzing and an annoying (and very cute) little duckling disturbing his nap. I never tire of repeating the refrain “pittery pattery, skittery scattery, ZIP round the corner came Zachary Quack”.
Melanie O’Loughlin from Lamplight
The Tale Of The Tinyman
Barbro Lindgren & Eva Eriksson
On the first day of spring the tiny man pins a note to a tree saying, ‘friend wanted’. For 10 long days he waits, until one morning, a soft wet nose pushes into his hand. Every day, the two friends eat pastries and enjoy each other’s company until a pretty wee girl comes along. Will the tiny man lose his one friend, or will he gain a new one?
Dinah Saxby of Paradox Books
Dogger
Shirley Hughes
My daughter had a stuffed rabbit called Benny. When she lost Benny she was distraught. Benny was never found but in the story Dogger, the stuffed toy is reunited with his owner. An act of selflessness by Dave’s sister Bella makes this possible. Written and beautifully illustrated by the British author Shirley Hughes, kindness wins the day. Suitable for three years up, a delight both to read and to listen to.
Jenna Todd of Time Out
Where The Wild Things Are and In The Kitchen
Maurice Sendak
I still have my battered hardbacks of two Maurice Sendak titles, Where the Wild Things Are and In the Night Kitchen. Wild Things’ Max’s iconic wolf costume, naughty expression and haughty stalk are timeless and this book still flies out the door at Time Out. For In the Night Kitchen, I was always enamoured by Mickey and his various states of nudity as he falls into a mixing tin and emerges in a suit made of cake batter.
