PANZ Award for Best Educational Book or Series – Secondary/Tertiary 2026

Finalist

Designer: Cat Taylor

Title: Toitū te Whenua

Publisher: Penguin Random House New Zealand

Format: 250 x 212 mm, 320pp, paperback.

Publisher’s Brief:
“This needs to sit somewhere between a lonely planet guide and a war/military book. Design will need to include multiple elements (maps, lift out boxes, endnotes, archival illustrations) and anticipated challenges will include working with lower resolution/amateur photography of the sites, some of which are under-documented and quite remote.”

Judges’ Comments:
“A confident ownership of colour gives the book a distinctive identity, with the bold blue bringing a sense of freshness and energy. The palette works cohesively across the design, while the varied layouts, pull-outs, and section breaks create an engaging reading experience. The compact size for the book means a lot of information is delivered in bite-sized pieces rather than overwhelming the reader. The restrained colour palette binds the range of images, maps and text.”