The king and the sea

Summary: Twenty-one short stories simple but  profound tales that will reverberate in the readers mind long after the book is put down. 'Buzz off,' said the king, shooing the bee from his flower. 'Dont you know Im the king?' 'And I'm the queen,' said the bee, stinging the kings nose. In each story, the king has an encounter which he tries to rule over. But of course the rain doesnt stop just because a king orders it, and tired eyelids can be much stronger than a king's will. These encounters show the king that his power has limits; the world is diverse and much of it operates under its own rules

Alice in Wonderland

Pbk. ed
Based on the original story by Lewis Carroll
"Best-loved classics"--Cover
Summary: When Alice follows a white rabbit down a hole she finds herself in the extraordinary world of Wonderland, where a magical adventure begins

The little gardener

First edition
Summary: There was once a little gardener and his garden meant everything to him. He worked hard, very hard, but he was just too little (or at least he felt he was). (From back cover)

Finding Winnie : the true story of the world's most famous bear

Other Title: Winnie
 Other Title: True story of the world's most famous bear
First edition
In story format. Includes factual material
Summary: A woman tells her young son the true story of how his great-great-grandfather, Captain Harry Colebourn, rescued and learned to love a bear cub in 1914 as he was on his way to take care of soldiers' horses during World War I, and the bear became the inspiration for A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh

The night world

First edition
Summary: Sylvie the cat persuades her boy to go into the darkness very late at night, where they are greeted by the shadows of roses and other flowers, and by nocturnal animals who whisper, 'it's almost here

Whose beak is this

Summary: Whose beak is this? lets children guess the identity of iconic New Zealand birds from the pictures of their beaks, while finding out some facts about the birds along the way. This fun approach introduces an important science concept about adaptation - birds' beaks are a very obvious adaptation to the kind of food they eat. Being encouraged to look closely at the pictures teaches observation skills and helps children realise how diverse bird species are. (Publisher)

Hoot Owl, master of disguise

Summary: Hoot Owl is no ordinary owl - oh no! - he's a master of disguise! And he will use his formidable camouflage powers to trick his unsuspecting prey into succumbing to him! Hoot Owl's prey keeps escaping...Hmmm, perhaps he isn't quite as masterful as he believes. (From publisher)

When dad showed me the universe

Summary: Tonight Dad wants to show his son something very special: the universe. Of course, they can't possibly embark on such a daring adventure unprepared, so they wrap up warm, gather provisions, and then off they go. It's a long walk, but eventually they get there. Along the way, they learn that sometimes the journey is more important than the destination, and sometimes the biggest lessons happen when you least expect them

Mister Spears and his hairy ears

New Zealand author; New Zealand illustrator
Summary: Mister Spears' hairy ears are a cause for concern! What can he do to bring the hair under control

J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan

 Other Title: Peter Pan
Originally published as: J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan and Wendy. 1998
Summary: All children grow up, all except one. The magical story of Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up, has captivated generations of children. Rose Impey's sensitive adaptation of the story makes it accessible to younger children, while retaining the spirit of the original J. M. Barrie text
J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan and Wendy