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Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story
Discover the story of New Zealand through this richly illustrated visual history by award-winning illustrator Gavin Bishop.
Over a thousand years ago, the wind, sea currents and stars brought people to the islands that became known as Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud.
Navigate your way through this sumptuously illustrated story of New Zealand. Explore the defining moments of our history, captured by celebrated children's book creator Gavin Bishop, from the Big Bang right through to what might happen tomorrow. Discover Maori legends, layers of meaning and lesser-known facts.
A truly special book, Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story deserves a space on every bookshelf, to be taken off and poured over, thumbed and treasured, time and again.
Over a thousand years ago, the wind, sea currents and stars brought people to the islands that became known as Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud.
Navigate your way through this sumptuously illustrated story of New Zealand. Explore the defining moments of our history, captured by celebrated children's book creator Gavin Bishop, from the Big Bang right through to what might happen tomorrow. Discover Maori legends, layers of meaning and lesser-known facts.
A truly special book, Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story deserves a space on every bookshelf, to be taken off and poured over, thumbed and treasured, time and again.
64 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2017
About the author
Gavin Bishop
85 books15 followersGavin Bishop is a highly acclaimed children’s book author and illustrator. Born in Invercargill, he spent his childhood in the remote railway settlement of Kingston on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. Studying under Russell Clark and Rudi Gopas, Gavin graduated from the Canterbury University School of Fine Arts with an honours degree in painting. He taught art at Linwood High School (now Linwood College) and at Christ’s College in Christchurch.
He won the Margaret Mahy Medal in 2000, and has also won numerous other fellowships and national book awards. His book The House that Jack Built won the Book of the Year and Best Picture Book at the NZ Post Children’s Book Awards 2000. Weaving Earth and Sky won the non-fiction section and the Book of the Year Award of the NZ Post Children’s Book Awards 2003, and was shortlisted for the LIANZA Elsie Lock Medal in 2003. He has won the LIANZA Russell Clark Medal for Illustration four times. Among his successful partnerships has been that with writer Joy Cowley, with whom he won the Best in Junior Fiction and Book of the Year at the 2008 NZ Post Children’s Book Awards for Snake and Lizard.
The Storylines Gavin Bishop Award for Picture Book Illustration was established in 2009 to encourage emergent illustrators and to acknowledge Gavin’s contribution to the writing and illustrating of children’s picture books. In 2013 he was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, and President of Honour of the NZ Society of Authors, and he was the recipient of the 2013 Arts Foundation Mallinson Rendel Illustrator’s Award. Gavin’s artwork has featured in exhibitions internationally, including Japan and Czechoslovakia. He has written and designed two ballets for the Royal New Zealand Ballet Company: Terrible Tom and Te Maia and the Sea Devil. In 2003, during the Ursula Bethell Residency, he wrote and illustrated Giant Jimmy Jones, the world’s first three-dimensional animated picture book for HITLab at the University of Canterbury.
He won the Margaret Mahy Medal in 2000, and has also won numerous other fellowships and national book awards. His book The House that Jack Built won the Book of the Year and Best Picture Book at the NZ Post Children’s Book Awards 2000. Weaving Earth and Sky won the non-fiction section and the Book of the Year Award of the NZ Post Children’s Book Awards 2003, and was shortlisted for the LIANZA Elsie Lock Medal in 2003. He has won the LIANZA Russell Clark Medal for Illustration four times. Among his successful partnerships has been that with writer Joy Cowley, with whom he won the Best in Junior Fiction and Book of the Year at the 2008 NZ Post Children’s Book Awards for Snake and Lizard.
The Storylines Gavin Bishop Award for Picture Book Illustration was established in 2009 to encourage emergent illustrators and to acknowledge Gavin’s contribution to the writing and illustrating of children’s picture books. In 2013 he was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, and President of Honour of the NZ Society of Authors, and he was the recipient of the 2013 Arts Foundation Mallinson Rendel Illustrator’s Award. Gavin’s artwork has featured in exhibitions internationally, including Japan and Czechoslovakia. He has written and designed two ballets for the Royal New Zealand Ballet Company: Terrible Tom and Te Maia and the Sea Devil. In 2003, during the Ursula Bethell Residency, he wrote and illustrated Giant Jimmy Jones, the world’s first three-dimensional animated picture book for HITLab at the University of Canterbury.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 30, 2018
This was my pick to win the NZCYA NF award and the Margaret Mahy award! Visually stunning - every school, library, classroom, home in New Zealand should have it.
November 6, 2017
In this incredible picture-book Gavin Bishop achieves what seemed to be impossible. In sixty-five pages, he manages to cover the history of Aotearoa from the time it broke away from Gondwanaland through to the future. Each large format spread features Gavin's beautiful illustrations along with some minimal text and repays detailed study. Each spread contains a limited palette. Earlier spreads are rich in blue/green and brown/orange tones, however, as time passes other colours are introduced to great effect - black and red/orange for WWI and II, grey for disasters, blue for 'The Long Depression' and a hopeful green for 'Tomorrow . . .'
Maori imagery features throughout and Gavin comments that "The wairua, or spiritual force of Hinepau appears on every page of this book to remind us of the Maori presence in Aotearoa yesterday, today and tomorrow."
The book ends with a glossary of the Maori words used in the book along with a couple of other notes. This is no index, but each double page spread has a title and the contents page lists these with page references given, so it should be relatively easy to find what you are looking for. Many pages contain maps of New Zealand and this book was originally conceive as a book of maps but Gavin has gone beyond that brief to give us something much richer. This is not the sort of picture book you read all in one sitting but is, instead, a book to linger over and savour. It is a picture-book for all ages that has a place in every New Zealand home.
Reviewed by Penny Guy (Bookrapt)
Maori imagery features throughout and Gavin comments that "The wairua, or spiritual force of Hinepau appears on every page of this book to remind us of the Maori presence in Aotearoa yesterday, today and tomorrow."
The book ends with a glossary of the Maori words used in the book along with a couple of other notes. This is no index, but each double page spread has a title and the contents page lists these with page references given, so it should be relatively easy to find what you are looking for. Many pages contain maps of New Zealand and this book was originally conceive as a book of maps but Gavin has gone beyond that brief to give us something much richer. This is not the sort of picture book you read all in one sitting but is, instead, a book to linger over and savour. It is a picture-book for all ages that has a place in every New Zealand home.
Reviewed by Penny Guy (Bookrapt)
December 31, 2017
An absolute treasure. Will get my vote for non-fiction book of the year. A must-have for every school library in New Zealand, and you'll probably require multiple copies.
October 8, 2022
What a brilliant overview of NZ's history! I loved the little interesting facts tucked in and around the illustrations.
December 21, 2017
A smart, layered book that rewards re-reading. A must have for any kiwi family
October 4, 2017
I'm still thinking about this one hence the 3 stars. It will probably become a noteworthy book for New Zealanders and for adults and children to share and to prompt further in depth reading and thought.
However I'm not so happy with it visually - every double page spread of a different era or topic has the same background colour --- yes it is usefully fairly neutral, I can understand why it is used. But the worst thing is the portraiture or representation of famous and well known New Zealanders. Not good and I am not sure of the value of just having a load of pictures of these people without saying anything about them.
It is almost as if the author/illustrator and editor couldn't make up their minds as to whether this was an I spy book or a useful but brief history.
I'll be looking at it again but it feels very uneven, great artistry at the beginning then it deteriorates.
I still think this despite it winning the 2018 PANZ Book design prize, to win a prize like that the design needs to be great overall!
However I'm not so happy with it visually - every double page spread of a different era or topic has the same background colour --- yes it is usefully fairly neutral, I can understand why it is used. But the worst thing is the portraiture or representation of famous and well known New Zealanders. Not good and I am not sure of the value of just having a load of pictures of these people without saying anything about them.
It is almost as if the author/illustrator and editor couldn't make up their minds as to whether this was an I spy book or a useful but brief history.
I'll be looking at it again but it feels very uneven, great artistry at the beginning then it deteriorates.
I still think this despite it winning the 2018 PANZ Book design prize, to win a prize like that the design needs to be great overall!
October 16, 2025
beautiful art, but the way the texts on the pages were laid out made it messy to read, personally.
Read
April 22, 2020From the Big Bang and creation of Aotearoa, the following long winter and the return of life to New Zealand’s future - electric busses, whale sanctuaries and wasp bio-control; where have we come from, who do we identify with and where are we going?
Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story is relevant, current stimulating and engaging for children and their parents. It presents a modern and bilingual view on the forming of our nation and provides an overview of Māori legend and mythology for every New Zealand child to become familiar with. Some would say library material should reflect language and cultural background, Bishop seamlessly integrates all these aspects in an authoritative and appropriate manner with clear and evocative illustration.
New Zealand’s story is depicted from pacific explorer Kupe discovering Aotearoa while being chased by Te Wheke-a-Muturangi the giant octopus, to The Musket Wars of 1818-1840 leading to the signing of The Treaty of Waitangi. Shady land deals and differing Treaty translations led to much unrest and dissolution. Significant episodes of war, economic depression, the birth of the transport industry is all carefully illustrated and elaborated. The changing face of employment, housing, education and the effects of immigration, New Zealand’s unique story and one we all should be familiar with.
Children’s attention is captivated by the weaving of word and illustration in small bite sized portions suitable for the very young through to middle-aged children.
The food we eat throughout the decades, the clothing we have worn, our sports and sportspeople all take pride and place within these pages. Landmarks and attractions, natural disasters and unique Māori voices are all captured within the illustrations and captions.
Bishop’s tale of Aotearoa leads naturally to many more questions. What do we do about the possum and deer eating 21,000 tonnes of plants per night (p.59)? Why were 800 New Zealand pacifists detailed in prison camps during WWII (p.37)? What transpired at the battle of Gate Pā in 1864 (p.22)?
The question for the reader is what is our part in protecting our nation and ensuring its safekeeping as we pass our land onto future generations?
This is a succinct and modern telling of our unique story with an authentic Māori voice.
The seeds are sewn in enquiring minds to seek out further information on the stories behind the illustrations, the people and places; the why’s and the how’s. This quality hardback will stand the test of time as it is returned to time and time again for snippets of factual information and figures.
Library materials should be of high quality, current and accurate, reflect values and opinions and reflect local community culture. These elements are represented and accurately reflect both the cultural heritage of New Zealand and our community.
Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story is a story told many times and has evolved over the decades of retelling. This version is colourful, inclusive, accurate, modern and culturally inclusive. It is a story that demands attention and deserves pride of place on every library shelf in New Zealand.
Bishop tells it best… ‘New Zealand…always’ (p.62).
Reviewed by Jane from Richmond Library.
Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story is relevant, current stimulating and engaging for children and their parents. It presents a modern and bilingual view on the forming of our nation and provides an overview of Māori legend and mythology for every New Zealand child to become familiar with. Some would say library material should reflect language and cultural background, Bishop seamlessly integrates all these aspects in an authoritative and appropriate manner with clear and evocative illustration.
New Zealand’s story is depicted from pacific explorer Kupe discovering Aotearoa while being chased by Te Wheke-a-Muturangi the giant octopus, to The Musket Wars of 1818-1840 leading to the signing of The Treaty of Waitangi. Shady land deals and differing Treaty translations led to much unrest and dissolution. Significant episodes of war, economic depression, the birth of the transport industry is all carefully illustrated and elaborated. The changing face of employment, housing, education and the effects of immigration, New Zealand’s unique story and one we all should be familiar with.
Children’s attention is captivated by the weaving of word and illustration in small bite sized portions suitable for the very young through to middle-aged children.
The food we eat throughout the decades, the clothing we have worn, our sports and sportspeople all take pride and place within these pages. Landmarks and attractions, natural disasters and unique Māori voices are all captured within the illustrations and captions.
Bishop’s tale of Aotearoa leads naturally to many more questions. What do we do about the possum and deer eating 21,000 tonnes of plants per night (p.59)? Why were 800 New Zealand pacifists detailed in prison camps during WWII (p.37)? What transpired at the battle of Gate Pā in 1864 (p.22)?
The question for the reader is what is our part in protecting our nation and ensuring its safekeeping as we pass our land onto future generations?
This is a succinct and modern telling of our unique story with an authentic Māori voice.
The seeds are sewn in enquiring minds to seek out further information on the stories behind the illustrations, the people and places; the why’s and the how’s. This quality hardback will stand the test of time as it is returned to time and time again for snippets of factual information and figures.
Library materials should be of high quality, current and accurate, reflect values and opinions and reflect local community culture. These elements are represented and accurately reflect both the cultural heritage of New Zealand and our community.
Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story is a story told many times and has evolved over the decades of retelling. This version is colourful, inclusive, accurate, modern and culturally inclusive. It is a story that demands attention and deserves pride of place on every library shelf in New Zealand.
Bishop tells it best… ‘New Zealand…always’ (p.62).
Reviewed by Jane from Richmond Library.
January 1, 2020
A novel way to learn history! It's easy to jump in and out of this whenever you have time and I enjoyed flitting about the page identifying a new piece of text to read. As an adult now, and a previous history student, I realised I did in fact know some of the key content. Phew! However, I didn't know that "if a stick insect lands on a woman it means she is pregnant" or the origin of the name Phar Lap. I'm surprised I haven't heard Edith Cavell's heroic and humanitarian story before now. I want to know more about Tītokowaru's story and the British deserter who joined him - Kimble Bent. It was definitely interesting to read of a classroom of 101 pupils in Auckland in 1920. No need to complain if I have over 30! I was expecting the start of NCEA to feature on the 'Education' page as well as the Finn brothers of Crowded House fame to be among those on the 'Some People Told Our Stories' page or 'Some People Became Well Known'. How nice that Gavin Bishop's own family featured in the 'Clothes' page and they're spread far and wide around New Zealand.
February 21, 2020
This is a beautifully illustrated book about the horrors of New Zealand. It tells about the horrors of animals people insects and the traders and wars and the changes of new Zealand over the years. This is a very information picture book.
February 19, 2024
Enjoyed a lot reading this book to learn more about Aotearoa while making it fun. Besides the illustrations were beautiful. But sometimes there was a lot to read on the same page and it lacked a bit consistency.
January 15, 2018
Brilliant information and illustrations telling you about Aotearoa/New Zealand/Land of the long white cloud.
July 9, 2023
Another of this author's large format books - with a ribbon marker! Beautifully illustrated and configured and great to pore over and dip into.
November 13, 2017
Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story
by Gavin Bishop
Discover the story of New Zealand through this richly illustrated visual history by award-winning illustrator Gavin Bishop.
Over a thousand years ago, the wind, sea currents and stars brought people to the islands that became known as Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud.
Navigate your way through this sumptuously illustrated story of New Zealand. Explore the defining moments of our history, captured by celebrated children's book creator Gavin Bishop, from the Big Bang right through to what might happen tomorrow. Discover Maori legends, layers of meaning and lesser-known facts.
A truly special book, Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story deserves a space on every bookshelf, to be taken off and pored over, thumbed and treasured, time and again.
Review
This book is visually stunning and a fantastic edition to anyone's home library, apart from imparting historical facts, it also relays important cultural information. This is one of those book's that adults will love just as much as children will. Gavin Bishop has really outdone himself this book is amazingg.
by Gavin Bishop
Discover the story of New Zealand through this richly illustrated visual history by award-winning illustrator Gavin Bishop.
Over a thousand years ago, the wind, sea currents and stars brought people to the islands that became known as Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud.
Navigate your way through this sumptuously illustrated story of New Zealand. Explore the defining moments of our history, captured by celebrated children's book creator Gavin Bishop, from the Big Bang right through to what might happen tomorrow. Discover Maori legends, layers of meaning and lesser-known facts.
A truly special book, Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story deserves a space on every bookshelf, to be taken off and pored over, thumbed and treasured, time and again.
Review
This book is visually stunning and a fantastic edition to anyone's home library, apart from imparting historical facts, it also relays important cultural information. This is one of those book's that adults will love just as much as children will. Gavin Bishop has really outdone himself this book is amazingg.
January 22, 2019
This book was about how New Zealand was formed and how the people in New Zealand came to New Zealand. And also, this book is about the legend or the myths of New Zealand.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews