Scholastic New Zealand Award
for Best Children’s Book 2018
Winner
Designer: Vida & Luke Kelly, Kelly Design; illustrations by Gavin Bishop
Title: Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Format: 370 x 270mm, 64pp, hardback, section sewn. Case printed on 128gsm gloss art over 3mm Mingou grey board with matt lam and spot uv (gloss) plus ribbon marker. Text printed on 160gsm Lucky Bird
Typography: Cover font Mr Lucky; text Mr Lucky 20/22 pt.
The aim of the book was to tell the story of Aotearoa New Zealand in maps. These illustrations would be the primary vehicle to convey the story, with a minimum of captioning to support it. The designers were briefed to work with the book’s author and artist Gavin Bishop, who would be working in watercolour and ink. The designers would develop an overall text design to support the illustrations, and collaborate with Gavin on the overall design and organisation of each spread, to ensure a sense of order, progression and cohesion. Readers’ eyes should be drawn to and focused immediately on the main theme in order to gain a sense of the whole, before moving on to explore and discover the details at will. The colour palette is inspired by the natural environment of New Zealand and the Pacific. Generous book dimensions maximize the space for content and illustrative detail. Woodfree paper stock was chosen to lend a slightly historical/nostalgic feel.
Judges’ Comments Here we have Aotearoa on a scale fit for a child warrior! Legends, lore and language combine in this illustrated history of the land of the long white cloud. Filled with fascinating facts, social history and a retro colour palette, this book has beautiful production values and attention to detail, including endpapers, a ribbon marker and spot varnish. Playing with the delight that children (and adult) readers alike have with a ‘Where’s Wally?’ treasure hunt style book, Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story also takes readers on a cultural and historical journey via a sophisticated partnering of typography and illustration.
