Leafy green inspiration must have been floating, spore-like in the air, in 2023. From art books to more whimsical first-person narrative natural history to the illustrative work of Donovan Bixley, it was definitely the year of the intriguing plant book!

Author/illustrator: Ned Barraud with Andrew Stewart. Reviewer Alex Eagles.

‘For almost 50 years, ‘the Jaws effect’ has resulted in what psychologists have termed galeophobia — an irrational fear of sharks. Even though statistics show driving to the beach is far more likely to result in injury…’ Alex Eagles reviews this celebration of mangō and whai for young New Zealanders and joins the authors in encouraging others to admire these amazing animals.

October 2023 release

Editors: Carlos Lehnebach, Claire Regnault, Rebecca Rice, Isaac Te Awa and Rachel Yates. Reviewer: Linda Herrick.

‘Flora, Te Papa’s showcase of botanical art from its collections, is huge, sumptuous and gorgeous.’

November 2023 release

Author: Robert Vennell. Reviewer: Alex Eagles.

‘The latest book from bestselling natural history author Robert Vennell is a fantasy foray through the forests of Aotearoa, full of fascinating facts about fungi, lichens, liverworts, mosses and slithery slime moulds.’

September 2023 release

Author: Harry Boorman with Felicity Boorman. Reviewer: Alex Eagles.

‘Boorman writes in an easy-to-read chatty style as though he is telling you all about his escapades over a cup of tea and bikkies. Reading my way through the book I couldn't help but get caught up in Boorman’s enthusiasm and found myself willing him to succeed in his frequently madcap missions to add another tick to his 'been there, seen that bird' list.’

October 2023 release

Author: Mardo El-Noor. Publisher: Beatnik Publishing.

‘“Louie is an absolute meatball,” he said with a clear sense of defeat…’

Meet Michael and Louie in this extract from Dogs With Stories, a fun, flamboyant photographic collection featuring about a hundred good dogs (and dog owners) in hyperrealistic staged scenes.

August 2023 release

Author: Megan Kitching. Publisher: Otago University Press.

The Kete Questionnaire: How to grow a poet - Megan Kitching on how her PhD, looking at the influence of the natural sciences on 18th century poetry, shaped her debut poetry collection At the Point of Seeing.

June 2023 release

Author: Alison Ballance. Reviewer: Alex Eagles.

‘Like the birds, Takahē: Bird of Dreams is colourful and heavy-duty; its glossy pages filled with fascinating information and beautiful photos…’

June 2023 release

Author: Alan Froggatt. Publisher: White Cloud Books (Upstart Press).

‘Saving the black robin, which is endemic to the Chatham Islands, from certain extinction was one of the world’s most spectacular conservation stories and set a standard for how the world’s most endangered birds can be saved…’
Read the full extract.
June 2023 release

Author: Philippa Gander. Reviewer: David Gadd.

Written by a world-leading chronobiologist, Night Owls and Early Birds illuminates the fascinating science of biological time and offers a stark warning to anyone giving up on a night’s sleep to get more out of their busy waking hours.

June 2023 release

Author: Kennedy Warne. Reviewer: Gem Wilder..

In Soundings, Kennedy Warne connects his lifelong exploration of the underwater world with a global story of humanity’s relationship with the sea.

June 2023 release

Author: Helen Lehndorf. Reviewer: Alex Eagles.

A memoir about belonging and motherhood, told through author Helen Lehndorf’s lifelong passion for wild food.

March 2023 release