New Zealand Books

Get your kids to learn to pronunce rumbustification and you will all enjoy the two great stories in this book. Great illustrations too.

My 5 year old son just loves this book, we have been reading it over and over again for the past year. Great fun for both kids and parents!

This book was read to me by a teacher as a way to learn to write a story outline, and with this book I found it extremely easy. The Librarian and the Robbers was hilarious and easy to follow.

It's kind of sad that the lack of reviews here makes it look like no one has looked at this funny book on this site since 1998. It's very funny and just the kind of book a young boy would make any adult read to him over and over. And girls will like it too.

If you had put your hand over my eyes and read the first paragraph of the first story to me, with main characters Alpha, Oliver and Omega, I would have known who wrote it right away. It has Mahy's rhythm, her humor that comes from the sound of the words, the alliteration she loves. This is a book made to be read aloud. It sounds funny, and it means funny too. The plot of these two stories twist in ways that, even having read a lot of Mahy, I never could have predicted. Everytime I encounter one of her stories, I wonder how that kind of twist came to her. I wish I could do it myself.

The first story is about three boys who have recently moved into a house. In the apartment, whenever the boys tried to do something adventuresome, they were told to wait until they were in a big house. Then they'd have space enough to have an adventure. Well, they were in the new house, and nothing was happening... until a pirate decides their house is the perfect place to "steal" a party.

In the second story, a bunch of atypical robbers kidnap an orphaned librarian reasoning that her "parents" would be the city, and they would have to come up with ransom in order to open the library again. But of course, the librarian always wins. Mahy was herself a librarian for many years.

Perfect read-aloud book. Lots of fun. And the illustrations are an extra (goofy) plus. They are done by Quentin Blake, the illustrator who worked on Roald Dahl's books, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, BFG, The Witches etc. You'll recognize his style when you see it.

I'm starting to know these books of by heart. They are all brilliant! We started with Slinky Malinki but have happily moved to Hairy Maclary via Scarface Claw! My daughters both love these (3 and 5) books and recommend all of them - especially rumpus at the vet! Superb!

Every kid should have a Hairy Maclary book on their bookshelf. This book makes kids AND parents smile each and every time you read it. If you are looking for a terrific gift for a child age 1-6 this IS it! I love these stories as much as my son!

Karl Zachar
www.karlzachar.com

Lynley Dodd is a New Zealand author and illustrator. Her Hairy Maclary and Slinky Malinki books are favorites of my 8 year-old daughter. This book contains several stories/poems about Hairy Maclary, his friends and their adventures. The poems are wonderfully clean and simple, with amusing alliterations; the illustrations are tremendous and add enormously to the charm of each story. You would be hard pressed to find a child (or adult, for that matter) who is not enchanted by this book or its companions.

Wonderful stories, very short (sometimes disappointingly so!) and delightful reading. Cute artwork, and parents will not tire of the clever rhythm and rhyme, even after MULTIPLE reads - which your kids WILL demand! My kids (3 & 2) LOVE these books, and my 3-year old is starting to memorize them. Even the DVD (only in PAL version as far as I know) is delightful. My daughter's favorite is Hairy Maclary's Bone. Cat lovers will also enjoy Slinky Malinky. Don't miss this!

I have a personal connection to this book that makes it valuable in many deep ways. My son was the contemporary of these adventurers. He shared some of them and also was the crazy graphic artist mentioned in the book. Up until 1992 when he died in a parapente accident, my son Leo Geary designed Rob Hall's expedition branded items, such as hats and stationery. During the years 1987-1992 he was in New Zealand so most of what I knew of his life was through letters. He loved the climbing, skiing, and parapenting that was taken to greater extremes by his friends and others in this book. It tells the life stories of Hall & Ball through all their exciting adventures, up to and beyond their deaths. Through this book I can feel why they did what they did, the vivid life experiences that made the sacrifices worth it. It is a great document and historical record that is quite precious. The photography and printing is outstanding.

Rob Hall and Gary Ball, two New Zealanders who lived the dream of conquering 7 of the world's highest summits in 7 months. This book is full of breathtaking photography, a touch of humour, the heartaches and joys of conquering the summits and the tragedies which cut their lives short. This book is a must for those who have similar aspirations and dreams.

As a fan of mountaineering writings and photography I was pleased to 'discover' this fine new book. Most people will know of Rob Hall in light of the tragic storm that took his life and several others in May of 1994. But as you will find there is very much more to the Hall story and his amiably unorthodox business partner and friend Gary Ball. This book is very well-written and lavishly adorned with inspiring climbing photography. It tracks the early days of Hall and Ball on their home peaks on the South Island of New Zealand to the world's Greater Ranges. Although, there is plenty of lively dialogue concerning Everest and the issues of commercial expeditions between the covers, this book as a whole is a pleasant santctuary from the "controversies" of the Everest disaster. It serves to joyfully remind its audience of the enduring appeal of high mountains and the vibrant life that can be found there. I highly recommend this book. It is a thoughtful illumination of two legendary mountaineers and the great adventure that was their lives.

Both the pictures and text of this book are authentic and tell the story of typical New Zealand adventurers that became famous and died in the mountains. The pictures are by Hall, Ball, and friends. You see what you have only read about in books on Everest climbs, from the dawns to the garbage. The text puts the Himalayan climbing tragedies in context of the lives of the heros and their friends. Details come from journals, letters, interviews, and memories. The author knew Hall & Ball well. This is a great tribute, compelling read, and looks good on a coffee table too (big book).

My five year old is so excited about losing her teeth and getting in her "grown up teeth" that I thought she'd enjoy this little book. She definitely did and wanted to read it to everyone! Her kindergarten class surely enjoyed it.

I got this book for my 5 year old daugter to prepare her for the toothfairy and to show her what it is all about with teeth. This is well written and illustrated, even a 3 year old would get a great deal from this book, but a 5 or 6 year old would understand the more technical things like the picture of what a tooth looks like from the inside. It encourages good toothcare for kids and my daugter is beginning to read it by herself now.
We can only recommend this book (the entire series is great!!)

When my 5 year old lost his first tooth, he was asking all sorts of questions: WHY did I lose a tooth, WHEN will I lose more....

Thi sbook answers those questions. It has a chart which looks inside the gums to show a new tooth pushing out the old. The book alternates between a story line and a poem. At the end it gets funny with a boy not being able to sing the rhyme like the others because he lost 2 teeth and he "thounds funny".

I let my son's reactions rate books: this is a 5.

This book is an excellent educational tool. I am a public health dental hygienist and I use this book in grades K-2. The bright pictures and clever rhymes make it very entertaining for children. It is a great way to teach kids about their mouths and oral health!

I suffer from hyperventilation syndrome and had Amazon "search for an out of print copy". Months went by and no book. Eventually I gave up on Amazon after repeated e-mails. Finally, I ordered the book from Barnes and Noble.com and the book arrived with no problem. B&N seems to be a better service. And yes, the book is very helpful! The book is not out of print as stated by Amazon, it just does not have the demand they require!

this book turned my life round after years of misdiagnosis. Best news -- this book is back in print -- into its 3rd edition.

This is a great book for people who unknowingly hyperventilate. It is written in easy to understand language. I use it with my patients in general (family) practice in New Zealand and find it by far the best resource on hyperventilation.

As secretary of The Hyperventilation Syndrome Support Group based in Auckland, New Zealand I can verify how invaluable this book is for HVS sufferers.Many of our members refer to it as their "Bible". The 3rd edition, now available in NZ, covers many personal stories and a guide to BETTER BREATHING by true and tested methods.The new edition also includes a Work Book which enables people to graphically illustrate the identification of their symptons and chart their own performance of good breathing/relaxation exercises. Many Respiratory Physicians and GPs keep this book on hand which they lend out until patients obtain their own copy. Until a new publisher is appointed in the USA you could contact Tandem Press, 2 Rugby Road, Birkenhead, Auckland, New Zealand. PH 64-9-480-1452 Fax 64-9-415-1455

This is one of the best travelogues you will ever find about any place, anywhere!
Not to mention about countries as obscure as Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands - two rarely visited, but fascinaing archipelagos indeed.
The author does in-depth research about the history and culture of these places before setting out on a personal voyage retracing a route that was taken by his great-grandfather who had been a missionary in these parts. His homework pays off very nicely: not only does he succeed in getting everywhere he wants to, but also writes a book rich in background info in addition to his personal impressions and adventures. And he certainly does get to some remote parts of these remote countries: the Banks Islands and Maewo in Vanuatu, or Temotu province in the Solomons are out of the way places visited by very few.

Why only 4 stars then?
Well, even though the author claims to be an atheist and thus tries to examine the role of religion in local cultures objectively, he soon becomes obsessed with the idea of finding "magic" ("true" magic, that is) in these islands. He is hoping to find it performed by everyone and anyone from traditional medicine men to the local Anglican clergy, undeterred by the fact that he himself admits every single incident he has managed to observe was either a very obvious trick or at best the result of what could well have been a natural coincidence. This change in focus of the book became a bit annoying eventually.

But all in all, an excellent, amazingly well researched account.
Definitely recommended if you are interested in this region at all.
I read the book just before visiting Melanesia, and it was as good a reading as any to prepare me for my trip there.

And a tip: the book is still available in new copies on Amazon's Canadian site - have a look there if you can't find it here.

Fabulous book. Part travel, part history, part meeting of two cultures, the author lays it all before you with a delightful sense of humour, a discerning eye, and a sincere respect for the people of Melanesia. It opens up a window to a world most people know nothing about and are unlikely to ever encounter. For me, as a frequent visitor to that part of the world, it was wonderful a trip down memory lane.

This book is a fascinating journey that explores the power of simply believing in something, whether it be religion, myth, an icon or people themselves. It presents facts without prejudice yet reveals fascinating details of the author's personal, emotional and geographical journey as he follows his great grandfather's footsteps to the other side of the world. It combines stories of academia, theology, history and contemporary issues in a non-confrontational yet intriguing presentation of generations and cultures colliding in our ever-shrinking global community. I highly recommend reading Charles Montgomery's "The Last Heathen". It is an exceptional story which deserves a captive audience.

By the time a little packet of sand gets opened on page 2 of the book, I got swept up in a tale much grander than the postcard idyll of the cover seems to suggest. The narrator travels tough terrain and has adventures of the kind best experienced in an armchair; he tells them eloquently and passionately; but the real magic of the book is how these experiences are woven into larger and deeper ideas that elevate it past almost all travel writing.
It is beautifully written, it is a great book and like all great books, it transforms the reality of the reader; in the end it is their world that has changed, that has become less familiar, less certain, and strangely more alive.

Well put together, very encompassing, good explanations...... It doesn't need a paragraph to describe it. If you like Da Vinci or want to learn more about him, this is a great place to start!

I never imagined that through a "child book" I would learn about this master-genious and moreover to be capable to comprehend the "details" about his art. I really enojoyed reading this book, I learn more about his famous paints and why they are considered pieces of art. I was motivaded to read more over the other great art's men such as Picasso or Michael Angel Buonorrati; I never thought that could be an easy way to understand this genious. I strongly recommend this book and the other series too; you can not only learn but also share with your child and encourage him to develop his talents or just enhance your "general culture" reading this great book. The talent consist in explaing complex ideas using a "simple language" that everybody can understand. There is not reason to became so sophisticated and not be able to "share" what you learn with the rest of the world. When you learn a good joke you want to tell the rest about it; it is meaningless if you just keep it for yourself...

This excellent book focuses on Leonardo's drawings in the Royal Library at Windsor. Everyone has seen the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, but Leonardo's greatest achievments are found in his drawings. Vivid HIGH QUALITY color reproductions are accompanied by insightful commentary and historical/biographical information. The book covers the whole breadth of Leonardo's intellectual development. 100 color drawings by history's greatest draftsman, and indeed one of most powerful minds the world has ever seen. As the book says "...[Leonardo's] drawings [are] the pure expression of his genius, boundless and magnificent."
What more could one want in a book? 5/5

It's not the best Da vinci book, but it has a LOT of drawings.

I bought this book for my Corrections class. It's not really the most exicting class in the world but the book proved to be a great subjective source of Prision Reform. Aside from random sexual references, this book is a must for Criminology Majors!

"Maconochie's Gentlemen" displays Norval Morris's large gifts as a fine narrative writer and a preeminent social scientist. This is a book that fits Aristotle's directive that fine art should enlighten and entertain. It is, in the first instance, an illuminating story, told through the eyes of Captain Maconochie and the family and colleagues he brought with him to Norfolk Island in 1840, of Western society's first efforts at penal rehabilitation. The fiction is followed by incisive reflections by Morris in his role as one of America's leading criminologists, relating Maconochie's experiment to the circumstances today. The book is engrossing in both modes and is thoughtful, moving, and revealing at all points. My hat is off to Norval Morris."--Scott F. Turow

NORVAL MORRIS
THE MODERN DAY JOHN HOWARD

[The power of political leadership in pursuit of popular support by relentless and unscrupulous means has surely and frequently been demonstrated....a public misled by false statistics, sensational and selective sound bites, and political leaders seeking votes is plain to see....Consequently, a prison regime defines the razor edge between power and freedom, authority and autonomy. NM]

In this compelling "roman a clef" entitled: "Maconochie's Gentlemen: The Story of Norfolk Island and the Roots of Modern Prison Reform," the humanism and the incisive intellect of Norval Morris are beautifully revealed. Published in 2002, the novel gives a vivid portrayal of Alexander Maconochie's heroic achievement of creating a "token economy" for rewarding positive behavior through a convict "Marks System" in the penal colony at Norfolk Island, a thousand miles off the coast of Australia, 1840-44. Moreover, it shares a passionate belief that a virtuous prison is possible in the process of maintaining humane and safe prisons. This belief epitomizes the life and work of Norval Morris.

Why would anyone devote himself to penal reform? If there is a viable alternative, why choose to suffer the chill breath of adverse public opinion, the bemused stares of neighbors, the frustrations and lack of reward? It is a vexing question; a satisfying answer is not easily come by. Yet, down through the history of prisons, penal reformers are legion. In contemplating the extraordinary saga of John Howard (1773) and his narrative, The State of the Prisons in Europe and England, Norval makes note of his own life's journey of penal reform.

In an incomparably lesser way, I have devoted the last five-and-a-half decades to the minutiae of prison regimes in four continents. Yet, a vocation in the academic side of criminal law provided all I needed by way of a comfortable, professional, and personal life. To add myself to the list of prison reformers is not to draw a self-serving comparison. Rather, it is to seek an answer to the troublesome question: Why should anyone of reasonable ability see the conditions of prison life as meriting serious and sustained concern? So, when devising prison conditions, you should devise them for yourself. (NM)

As the nineteenth century American prison reform heroine, Elizabeth Gurney Fry has advised: If thee should build a prison, consider thee and thine children might inhabit it. In tribute to Norval Morris, and at his behest for achieving a better understanding of the dilemma(s) of corrections, I recommend an absorbing read of "Manonochie's Gentlemen." Here one will find the heart and soul of a life committed to penal reform. Here, too, one will discover how we will all continue to benefit from the enduring legacy of Norval Morris.

Jess Maghan
Chester, Connecticut (2/25/04)

Seldom have I read a book with which I agreed more completely.

I really liked this book. It's hard to find a good children's book with an entertaining story, educational value, and a message. Katie truly has a gift for writing. She doesn't let her wings shrink (read the story to find out what that means).

Katie Beck's parable of faith, hope, and tradgedy is a wonderful story for all ages. Her illustrations are remarkably well done for someone so young. The story of Moki is both educational and inspirational. I recommend this book for every young person.

Miss Beck has done a supurb job of weaving a story of the Moas into a parable that teaches us all to look into ourselves for strength, purpose, and the consequences of our choices. It is a book for young and adult to savor for its simplistic beauty. The illustrations reflect the grace and triumph of the author/illustrator. A must have book for my teaching and for sharing with family. I hope this young author shares more of her wisdom and talent with the world!

I liked the Moas for its gentle, understated uniqueness. With superb pencil illustrations and compelling, easily understood text, " The Moas" tells the story of Moki, a young Moa who must teach himself to fly or perish. Far from the ordinary, a picture book for adults as well as children, its thought provoking messages are clear. Believe in yourself. Have courage to stand alone. Exercise gifts and abilities before they are lost. Avoid excesses. Have hope. Never give up. The importance of species preservation and information about Maori culture and history are interwoven into the story skillfully. As a teacher and parent I will use this book year after year

Perkins writes with aching honesty. She posses the talent to evoke numerous ranges of emotions from distinct protagonists. Each short story embodies another layer of emotions and quirky observations from jaded characters.

This is definitely a must read for both those who refute the label of "Gen-X" and those who embrace it..

This book of stories has become a sort of symbol of myself. Emily Perkins is so honest and refreshing in her wording and observation that I have become nearly addicted. Buy it!!!!

If you ever read any New Zealand literature, spare yourself the monotony of Pohuitakawa tree descriptions and read Perkins. She reminds me of early Bret Easton Ellis and is surely the best NZ writer EVER.

This book is funny, raw and honest. It made me laugh out loud. The characters are real and Perkins says what we all think about people, but never say: "She's fat. Her legs, her arms, her bum, her stomach ... Half undressed makes her look bulgy in the wrong places." I love Perkins style of writing and would recommend "Not Her Real Name" for "Generation X-ers". Perkins is smart and witty, and this book is an excellent read.