This deceptively simple, beautifully produced board book is an absorbing exploration of reo Māori and reo Pākehā. A representatively diverse whānau member and a favourite toy gaze out from each spread, inviting the reader to interact, ask questions, point, talk and learn. A mix of both common and surprising kupu is repeated and built upon in various contexts, enabling a deeply powerful learning experience. The vivid colour palette and bold, uncluttered images are perfect for pēpē and highlight connection with the people and toys that fill their world. Titiro Look is a taonga of a board book from an acclaimed Aotearoa storyteller.

Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat is a delightful feline-fuelled mystery where a kitty detective earnestly goes about trying to find his hat. This book is both literally and figuratively colourful – Beans interacts with a cast of entertaining characters on his sleuthing mission, which his Mum is fine with as long as he’s home by 8pm. The graphic novel format is expertly used to capture the character expressions, tone, and movement of the narrative. This is a skilfully crafted work, an all-ages book that is both fun and funny, with humour that hits on multiple levels.

This expertly crafted, very Wellington resistance narrative urges readers to think critically about where humanity is headed by probing ideas of autonomy, prioritisation of the ‘greater good’ and what happens when systems fail. Though set in the future, it reflects contemporary concerns around invasive technology, inequality and societal division. Rangatahi lead the charge throughout, thinking for themselves, challenging norms and breaking rules to right wrongs. They are – as in life – bold, heart-led, and capable of shaping society. The Paradise Generation is an extraordinary novel that balances both heart-pounding tension and emotional depth, from a highly talented, self-published, first-time author.

This book is a must-read condensing of an extraordinarily complex and difficult subject, now made accessible to young people. It doesn’t simplify or leave out key parts of the history or the origins of our founding document, nor the implications of what te Tiriti can mean to all of us. Imagine how difficult it must have been to distil so much information – information so important to our sense of who we are – but this is precisely what Ross Calman has done. The Treaty of Waitangi is a deeply important book at a crucial time, a book that will give young people the courage they need to explore this part of our history and identity.

Hineraukatauri me Te Ara Pūoro tells the pūrākau of the becoming of Hineraukatauri, from chrysalis to atua of taonga pūoro – and Rehua Wilson's illustrations embody the kaupapa with a breath-taking synaesthetic skill that seems quite magical. There is an innate musical quality in the light and shade, the stabs and washes of bright colour, the delicate linework tracing a visual melody. Familiar atua are encountered in perhaps unfamiliar forms, the line between the literal and the figurative is always permeable, and the relationship between te Ao Wairua and te Ao Kikokiko is reflected in a way that feels right, feels tika.

He mea tiki atu ngā kupu kei te kōrero o Hineraukatauri me Te Ara Pūoro i tētahi oriori. Mā te mārire o te manawataki o ngā kupu e kite ai te kaipānui i hā, te rangi me te reo o te kōrero, i a Hineraukatauri e kimi atu ana i tōna hā, tōna rangi me tōna reo. Ko te tikanga, me pānui ā-waha tēnei pukapuka ki te reo Māori. He mea tito tēnei nā Elizabeth Gray, ā, kei te reo tonu te toikupu, mā konā e totohu ai te kaipānui ki roto ki te kaupapa. Kāore e kore, ka warea anō te kaipānui i te whakapākehātanga, engari ko tōna ātaahuatanga ka ngaro. E tika rawa atu ana kia riro tēnei tohu i tēnei pukapuka.

In Hineraukatauri me Te Ara Pūoro, the kupu take the form of an oriori, a chant, a lullaby. The words' gentle rhythm invites readers to find their own intonation, melody, and voice, as Hineraukatauri finds hers. This is a book meant to be read aloud in te reo Māori – it is the poetry intrinsic to the language itself, so skilfully composed by kaitito Elizabeth Gray, that allows us to fully inhabit the kaupapa. While a translation would no doubt enchant readers in English as well, something beautiful would necessarily be lost. There could not be a more deserving first recipient for this award.

He nui ngā mānuka ka takoto i mua i te aroaro o Ariā me ōna hoa i a rātou e kake ana i ngā whetū, e kimi ana i a Whānui, ā, māna e whakaora mai ngā māra kūmara o te ao, engari kua ara kē mai ko Matariki. Ko tā te pūkōrero, tā Witi Ihimaera, he whakaora mai i te tikanga o te kōrero pūrākau ki tēnei paki whakaaweawe kua whakamāorihia e Hēni Jacob. Ko te tikanga, me pānui ā-waha, ā, mā te rōnaki o te reo, me ngā whakaahua whakamīharo e kukume mai te tamaiti, kia kite ai ia i a ia anō e hāereere ana i te taha o Ariā. Waihoki, mā tēnei pukapuka e tahuri ai te iwi ki te kōrero mō te hiranga o Matariki.

Ariā and her fellow apprentices face many challenges as they climb to the stars in search of Whānui, to save the world’s dying kūmara crops – but Matariki is already rising. Master storyteller Witi Ihimaera brings the wisdom of traditional pūrākau to life in an inspirational tale that has been translated expertly by Hēni Jacob. Meant to be read aloud, the smoothly flowing reo and captivating illustrations will draw tamariki in, so they feel they are travelling alongside Ariā on her quest. This pukapuka will also provide a platform to spark conversation about the significance of Matariki.

Rich, atmospheric prose propels this beautifully-inked fantasy quest, set in a medieval realm in which reading and writing are forbidden arts restricted strictly to the elites. Contemporary concerns are given profound, allegorical parallels and resonate on the page. Claire Mabey's genuine love of language shines brightly and her ability to craft pacey narrative sweeps you up and away into this dark, dangerous world where young bookbinder Getwin, her friends and a one-eyed raven seek to unravel the mysteries of Prime. The Raven’s Eye Runaways is the work of a writer who wields her words with exquisite care and understands the power of great storytelling.