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For children aged 3+.
Reviews
Rebekah Lyall, NZ Booklovers ~ This is author Leonie Agnew’s first picture book and it’s a fun, heartwarming story about being yourself and finding your tribe. As a teacher herself, Agnew knows what draws children to a book, and she writes with empathy, imagination and humour. She conveys the importance of accepting others, embracing difference and inclusivity in a gentle way. The language Agnew uses sings from the page – from rumbling roars to sewing machines that hum lullabies, there are some lovely phrases that capture the imagination. These language features, along with the themes, make it a lovely book to read aloud. Illustrator Julia Hegetusch also has an educational background. The warm, earthy, muted tones she uses echoes the book’s topics with empathy and charm. They are detailed, funny, and whimsical, capturing attention and imagination. With an ending that couldn’t be more perfect, this is a gorgeous book that celebrates individuality, friendship and difference.
About the Kiwi creators
Leonie Agnew is a children’s writer and teacher. She won the Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award with her first book for Scholastic, Super Finn, which also won the Junior Fiction award, Best First Book and Children’s Choice awards at the NZ Children’s Book Awards in 2012. Leonie has written a number of other middle-grade fiction titles, including the Esther Glen award-winner The Memory Thief. She has also been the recipient of a writing residency at the University of Otago. She lives in Auckland, New Zealand. The Only Dinosaur in School is her first picture book.
Julia Hegetusch was born in New Zealand but has spent much of her life living in Germany, growing up in a family of artists. She has formally and informally studied graphic design, photography, abstract and figurative art. It was during Covid that she discovered a love for illustration and narrative storytelling. Julia works part-time as a childhood educator, which provides a great insight into the stories that children enjoy. In her free time, she enjoys walking in the mountains or forest, or on the beach. She currently resides in the Horowhenua with her partner and daughter. Her first book with Scholastic was 2024’s Sleep is for Babies!
