Books by Gavin Bishop

"Long before waka touched Aotearoa's shores, the land of the long white cloud was home to an array of creatures uniquely adapted to its environments and protected by its isolation. Encounter New Zealand's incredible wildlife in this spectacular visual exploration. Journey through... ocean, sky and land to meet a marvellous range of organisms. Discover fascinating facts, and learn how we influence the survival of our living treasures"--Publisher information.
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An hilarious and lively picture book by two of the luminaries of New Zealand's children's picture books. Mister Whistler always has a song in his head and a dance in his feet. But when he has to catch a train, he is so distracted that he loses his ticket-and has to dance his way ...out of his clothes to find it!
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A sequel to Taming the Sun and Riding the Waves, Gavin Bishop's latest stunning book contains four more Maori myths, including two well-known legends (Ranginui and Papatuanuku and Hinemoa and Tutanekai) and two less well-known legends (The battle of the birds and Kae and the whal...e). Aimed at children 3-10 years, these myths are simply written and yet powerful. They're exciting and scary but each story is nicely resolved. Gavin allows the essence of the original myths to remain while also re-telling them for a new generation of children.The illustrations are stunning - the different colour palette for each story and the strong mix of techniques create bold and beautiful images. Counting the Stars is a collection that continues to take traditional myths to a new level. Created by one of New Zealand's most talented and passionate children's book writers and illustrators.
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"The House that Jack Built is a book with two strands. The main rhythmic text, based on the well-known rhyme, tells the story of Jack Bull, who travels to New Zealand from London as a new settler in 1798. "The detailed contemporary illustrations ... tell the story from a Maori pe...rspective - beginning with the myth of creation: Papatuanuku the earth mother, Ranginui the sky father and their children as guardians of the land. As the story goes on and Jack's house grows, Papatuanuku is shown in the illustrations to weaken and fade.
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Written and illustrated by well-known children's writer and illustrator Gavin Bishop, Taming the Sun contains four stories, including two well-known legends (Maui And The Sun and Maui And The Big Fish) and two less well-known legends (Rona And The Moon and Kahu The Taniwha). Aime...d at children with reading ages 3-7 years, these myths are simply and yet elegantly written. Gavin's characteristic sense of humour is evident in all of the stories; and while each story is exciting and often a little bit scary, they are resolved beautifully. Gavin allows the essence of the original myths to remain while also re-telling them for a new generation of children. The illustrations are stunning - the different colour palette for each story and the strong mix of techniques create bold and beautiful images that integrate with the words in a powerful and meaningful way. Taming the Sun is an imaginative, fresh and much-needed addition to the picture book genre, which takes traditional myths to a new level. Created by one of New Zealand's most talented and passionate children's book writers and illustrators.
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