Books to celebrate Seaweek

Seaweek is a national annual event that has been running since 1992. The Library usually celebrates Seaweek with sea-themed Storytimes and a range of other events, but things look a bit different this year. So, since most libraries can't share books with you at Seaweek Storytimes this year, I thought I'd tell you about some lovely new books in our collection that focus on conservation, the sea, and sea creatures. 

Celia Seagull and the Plastic Sea

Celia Seagull rather likes plastic, and busily uses it to build herself a bigger and better nest. But while she's busily building, she realises that the plastic floating in the ocean can be a hazard for sea creatures. Celia also learns just how important it is to help others. The messages of conservation and kindness are such important ones that this book has been endorsed by Jane Goodall. This is author Nicole Miller's debut picture book, and received support from The Bobby Stafford-Bush Foundation.

Kaewa the Kororā

This sweet story by Rachel Haydon is about a little kororā penguin named Kaewa. When Kaewa is injured, she is taken to the National Aquarium of New Zealand so she can rest up and recover. The other penguins at the Aquarium help Kaewa feel right at home, until she's strong enough to look after herelf out in the ocean again. The kororā who feature in the book are some of the real inhabitants of the National Aquarium's Penguin Cove. Haydon is the General Manager of the Aquarium, so she is the perfect person to bring this story to life—each penguin in has their own personality, and you really get the feeling that she knows each one like a friend. The penguins all came to the Aquarium in different circumstances, many were abandoned as chicks, some were injured, and some just couldn't find enough to eat out in the wild. This story not only shows us a penguin-eye view of life at the Aquarium, it also highlights the struggles of the worlds smallest penguin.

Incredible Journeys: New Zealand wildlife on the move

Many of the native creatures of Aotearoa New Zealand spend a huge part of of their lives travelling, both in and over the sea. Kōura crayfish crawl along the seabed for hundreds of kilometers; honu leatherback sea turtles spend hours underwater at a time, travelling not only around the waters of Aotearoa, but across the pacifici ocean. Prolific author Ned Barraud brings this fascinating book to life with his stunning illustrations. You can read about migration patterns of twelve amazing animals, many them being record breakers, travelling further or for longer than any other migratory animals. Some of these animals are also vulnerable: mangō white sharks die in fishing nets, tāiko black petrel nests are invaded by predators, or the birds are accidentally caught by fishers, and tītī are threatened by overfishing. 

While all these books all tell us about the vulnerability of our ocean dwelling friends, they also show us just how much positive impact we can have on the world around us.

Find more

• Threats to our moana book list Resources for older readers to extend students' learning after participating in the BLAKE NZ-VR: Threats to Our Moana programme.
• Stories of New Zealand wildlife: Author and illustrator, Ned Barraud