Aotearoa/New Zealand Recent Picks

Poututerangi/March2011

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Fantastica : the world of Leo Bensemann / Peter Simpson. Fantastica is the first book to survey the life and work of Leo Bensemann (1912-1986). Accomplished in many fields - drawing, painting, print-making, music, calligraphy, typography, book design and illustration, editing, printing, publishing - Bensemann stood at the heart of New Zealand's literary and cultural life from the 1930s to the 1980s as designer and illustrator at Caxton Press, member of The Group, and friend of Charles Brasch, Rita Angus, Douglas Lilburn, Lawrence Baigent, Denis Glover, and Doris Lusk. (Catalogue annotation)

A micronaut in the wide world : the imaginative life and times of Graham Percy / Gregory O'Brien. Graham Percy is one of New Zealand's highest achieving illustrators on a global scale. Though he lived in London from 1964 until his death in 2008, he spent his formative, apprentice years in New Zealand and never ceased thinking of himself as an expatriate New Zealand artist. This book rediscovers the life and work of this talented and original artist-illustrator-typographer. (Catalogue annotation)

White cloud worlds : an anthology of science fiction and fantasy artwork from Aotearoa New Zealand / edited by Paul Tobin. White Cloud Worlds is a never-before-seen collection of stunning science fiction and fantasy artwork from Aotearoa New Zealand, ‘The Land of the Long White Cloud’. Embark upon a journey of exploration into a wealth of visually rich worlds and imaginings, conjured to life by 27 established and emerging artists. The artists are profiled with a selection of their art accompanied by text written in their own unique voice, sharing their origins, inspirations and a rare glimpse into how they work. White Cloud Worlds includes written contributions from some of the world’s most celebrated leaders in the field of science fiction and fantasy art, such as Guillermo Del Toro, Richard Taylor, Alan Lee and John Howe. This book honours the imaginations of the artists it showcases and gives readers a unique opportunity to be a part of their worlds. Go on, be inspired. (Publisher Website)

Kakapo : rescued from the brink of extinction / Alison Ballance. The kakapo is one of New Zealand's most charismatic yet mysterious birds. It is also one of the world's most threatened species and a New Zealand conservation success story. An ancient, flightless, nocturnal, herbivorous giant parrot, the kakapo was once numerous throughout the country but is now extinct in its natural range. At its low point, the population was reduced to as few as 40 known individuals, but thanks to the hard work and innovation of the Kakapo Recovery Programme, New Zealand's fl agship threatened-species conservation programme, the kakapo population now exceeds 120. Despite this exciting turnaround, there has not been a significant book on the kakapo since 1989. The story of this remarkable bird embraces science, conservation, ingenuity and personal dedication. Through an informative and entertaining mix of hard facts, history, and accounts of the daily and seasonal routines of kakapo and their minders, Alison Ballance brings together these threads to describe the natural history of the bird and tell the inspiring story of the Kakapo Recovery Programme. Illustrated throughout and with an appendix giving details of all known kakapo, this book will appeal to anyone with an interest in the natural world of New Zealand. (Catalogue annotation)

One shot for glory : the All Whites in South Africa / Andrew Cornaga. The All Whites' 2010 World Cup campaign transfixed a nation. Written off as easy-beats, the New Zealand side proved the soccer world wrong, returning home undefeated ndash; a truly historic accomplishment. This book is a photographic celebration of this exciting time for New Zealand soccer, and includes a foreword from the Patron of the All Whites, Prime Minister John Key, and thoughts from some of the players themselves. It features all of the on-field action as well as behind-the-scenes moments with the team on their remarkable crusade. Join the All Whites as they make their One Shot for Glory! (Catalogue annotation)

Mana / [written by James Kerr ; photographs by Nick Danziger].
The photographs were taken, during June 2010, when the All Blacks' played against Ireland and Wales in the Steinlager Series. For the first time, a camera goes deep inside the sacred space of the All Black camp - revealing the highs and the lows, the pain and the passion, the commitment and the courage of New Zealand's iconic sporting team. Best-selling photojournalist Nick Danziger and writer James Kerr have been granted unprecedented access to the All Black environment as the team builds towards the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The result is a landmark publishing event that looks at the men of the All Blacks and the land that they come from - focussing on how New Zealand has shaped its national team, and how its national team has helped shaped New Zealand. Intimate, beautiful and revealing, MANA is an historic event in New Zealand publishing and, importantly, a chance for those who love rugby and Aotearoa to give something back: all profits from the Mana Project will go to Kids Can Stand Tall, official charity partner of the All Blacks, to provide school lunches, raincoats and shoes for the most disadvantaged of Kiwi kids - 'because no New Zealand child should be left out in the cold'. (Catalogue annotation)

Coasters : exploring New Zealand's coast & its people / with Al Brown. Al Brown explores the connection Kiwis have with their coasts. As he travels our stunning and varied coastline he visits iconic landmarks, meets colourful characters and hears rich tales from past and present. Each chapter covers a different stretch of coast - Red Rocks to Pencarrow (Wellington), Hot Water Beach to Whitianga (Coromandel), Cape Brett to Rocky Point (Bay of Islands), Mokau to New Plymouth (Taranaki), Westport to Punakaiki, Doubtful Sound and Fiordland and Birdlings Flat to Lyttelton (Christchurch). These are chosen to represent the wide array of coastal locations within in New Zealand, as well as for their combination of superb scenery and captivating stories. As well as the stretches of coastline and the great Kiwi characters who live there, the book looks at the different influences on the coast - how it was formed, how it was settled, the weather that has shaped it, the wildlife and fisheries that influence it and recreation and daily life it offers to those that live along it. It also includes one very simple recipe from Al from each area. Groper, snapper, turbot, scallops - the dishes vary with each section of coast - beautiful fresh fare treated with the respect this precious resource deserves. Think Hunger for the Wild - an excellent, heartland book that's informative and enjoyable. (Catalogue annotation)

Rural delivery : poems and images from New Zealand farms / photography by Stephen Robinson. Who knew that inside the rugged exterior of many a farmer beats the heart of a poet? Photographer Stephen Robinson came across some of these poems on his travels and set out to collect up more of them to accompany a wide-ranging set of his farm-themed images. From the joys and exhaustion of high-country mustering by veteran herders to the tribulations (and eventual acceptance) of never-ending mud by a dairy farmer's wife, these are the pictures and stories of a part of the real New Zealand that is not often seen by city folk! Striking photos of leaping sheep, sweeping landscapes, lost lambs and the hurly-burly of the shearing-shed pack the book with colour and character. (Catalogue annotation)

Are our standards slipping? : debates over literacy and numeracy standards in New Zealand since 1945 / Roger Openshaw and Margaret Walshaw. In a number of Western nations, concern over literacy and numeracy standards has put huge political pressure on education systems to improve the situation. Here in New Zealand, the government has recently introduced literacy and numeracy standards designed to improve basic skills in these key fields of achievement. What is perhaps less evident is that literacy and numeracy standards have featured prominently in the news over a long period of time - and that news has usually been bad. The authors of this book argue that, despite ongoing concern, there has been little sustained scholarly analysis of the particular social conditions and political dimensions that have driven the intense interest that literacy and numeracy have received over the last 60 years. They observe that, whilst criticism has been relatively continuous, there have been distinct periods of time when criticism peaks. The authors identify three of these: the mid-late 1950s; the late 1970s and the most recent period. Each case study is seen to illustrate how debates over literacy and numeracy standards can be placed within a wider social, political, economic and cultural context. In so doing the authors explore long-standing debates regarding the fundamental purposes of education. ARE OUR STANDARDS SLIPPING? provides a background and context for ongoing discussion.

An expanding subterra / Wayne Barrar.
"A leading figure in New Zealand photographic circles, Wayne Barrar consistently challenges audiences to think about land use, place and borders in an increasingly controlled world. An expanding Subterra brings together for the first time a body of work that Barrar has been working on for the last seven years, depicting commodified mined spaces and uncanny architecture of the underground in New Zealand, Australia, France and the United States of America. This project provides a timely insight into a highly industrialized and commodified underground, where vast areas are taken up storing data and nuclear waste, multinational organizations operate 24/7 and teams of workers continue to prospect for rare materials"--Gallery website.

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