If you’re getting ready to travel as a family to New Zealand or just want to learn more about the country, here are Storybook List’s picks for children’s books featuring Japan.

All About New Zealand. A fun introduction to traveling to New Zealand, New Zealand: Travel for Kids accompanies Dinobibi and Jack as they learn about New Zealand’s history, symbols, wildlife and culture.

Nature in New Zealand. There are lots of great choices to introduce readers to New Zealand’s natural world. A fun place to start is Critters of Aotearoa: 50 Bizarre But Loveable Members of Our Wildlife Community, that features “slimy, stinky, creepy, crawly and gross… but also a little bit of cute!” Two books that feature efforts to protect New Zealand’s wildlife are Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot and Pelorus Jack, The New Zealand Dolphin: Inspiring a Government to Protect and Individual Animal. Finally, for an interactive option, the Welcome to New Zealand: A Nature Journal has beautiful illustrations that encourage young readers to observe and document their own findings in nature.

Maori Tales. By Maori author Robyn Kahuikwa, Nga Atua: Maori Gods introduces Maori gods with beautiful illustration, explaining the area of life for which each deity is responsible.

Holidays. A cute read for younger readers, The Little Kiwi’s New Year accompanies a kiwi in the bush as she wakes all her friends up to spend the Maori New Year together.

The complete list of books is below, and if you or your family have other favorites, please let me know!

1. New Zealand: Travel For Kids

2. Critters of Aotearoa: 50 Bizarre But Lovable Members of Our Wildlife Community

3. Kakapo Rescue: Saving the Worlds Strongest Parrot

4. Pelorus Jack, the New Zealand Dolphin: Inspiring a Government to Protect an Individual Animal

5. Welcome to New Zealand: A Nature Journal

6. Nga Atua: Maori Gods

7. The Little Kiwi’s New Year

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