'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Tuesday 12 November 2019

Review: Hello, New Zealand

Fourth book in the Hello… series is New Zealand. It made me take out my travel book and start making plans for a longed-for dream. From the North to the South Island, a wondrous wonderland of the senses unites with countless cultural experiences.

Northland is where the giant kauri tree is found. Hobbiton was built for the filming of Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit movies. Flat-bottomed boats travel along the Avon River, and Heritage trams through the streets. 

The TransAlpine train travels through the native beech forests and along the Waimakiriri River. In Queenstown the Remarkables mountain ranges loom, and Arrowtown boasts an historic gold mining settlement; Milford Sound a world-famous fiord.

There is so much to experience in this ‘land of the long white cloud’.  The volcanic black sand of Auckland’s beaches or the limestone caves of Waitomo where glow-worms shed their light beckon. Rotarua’s geysers, mud pools and volcanic rock formations, vie with the redwood trees and volcanic craters. Every place is magical.

Detailed information on all there is to see and how to get about, issues from every fully-illustrated page. History, topography, language, architecture, and features and creatures of the natural world wait to be discovered. It is a tourist guide of sorts, but full of warmth with an obvious adoration for the country and all that it is connected to.

Megan McKean is a designer and illustrator.  The layout of the book in striking bold images and colours are testament to her artistic flair. Created on fine quality paper that adds to the excellence of the whole publication, six kiwis take readers on a journey through New Zealand, its landmarks and memorable sights. They challenge children to seek and find them on every page.

I loved this book. Full of glamour and attraction, I’m filled with longing for the day my eyes will be able to take in all this beauty.

Title: Hello, New Zealand
Author/Illustrator: Megan McKean
Publisher: Thames& Hudson, $24.99
Publication Date: September 2019
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760760366
For ages: 8 - 110
Type: Picture Book