Northland author-illustrator debuts with a universal 'tail ' about who we are – or think we are

I'm a Submarine

Nigel McHardy

Hello whale!’

‘Whale? I’m not a whale. I’m a submarine.’

 

A seagull is a seagull, and a whale is a whale. 

Seagull knows a thing or two about sea creatures and submarines. But after meeting Whale, Seagull learns that things are not always what they seem!

 

Whale tries hard to convince Seagull that he/she may look like a whale, but is actually a submarine!

When a storm arrives, Seagull gets to put Whale’s claims to the test, acting like an avian Jonah and finding that with a little imagination, we can be who we want to be.

 

In this highly original debut book, designer and nature enthusiast Nigel McHardy takes young readers on a fun journey that is all about the joy of pretending and questioning what you see. 

As an illustrator and designer, Nigel had been mulling over the idea of a book for over a decade. A redundancy finally pushed him to get serious and flesh out the concept, and Oratia Books agreed to take on the project.

While the primary characters in the book are a seagull and a whale (or is it a submarine?) the beautifully illustrated story is as much about identity as it is the ocean. 

“It’s also about how people perceive the world differently. While people may look similar on the outside, we’re certainly not the same on the inside. That idea was very much on my mind when I developed this story.

 

“I wanted to share the idea that we should have the freedom to choose our own identity,’ says Nigel. “Having kids myself encouraged me to put this into a book.”

 

Another inspiration is his father’s shipwreck. In 1968, he was aboard the Maranui when it sank off the coast of the Coromandel in a terrible storm. Only a third of the crew survived. It’s something Nigel only learned about in the past few years, and it had a profound impact on him. 

There’s a shipwreck in an underwater scene in the book, and Nigel used photos of the Maranui as a subtle tribute to that part of his family’s history.

  

The author

Nigel McHardy lives in the countryside with beautiful views over the Whangarei Harbour that inspire his stories. A professional designer by day, he enjoys dreaming up new projects inspired by his love of nature, and spending time with his family. This is his first book. To find out more, visit https://www.nigelmchardy.com 

Publication: 3 April 2025  |  ISBN: 978-1-99-004280-5 | RRP $21.00

Paperback, 230 x 215 mm portrait, 32 pages, colour

Seven Lives on Salt River returns in New Zealand Classics facsimile edition

Seven Lives on Salt River

Dick Scott

Second in New Zealand Classics series reissues innovative local history that won 1988 NZ Book Award for non-fiction

‘Scott proves it is possible to hold history in the palm of your hand.’ —   Fiona Kidman 

First published in 1987 and here in its third edition, Seven Lives on Salt River is a local history that transcends its boundaries along the northern Kaipara Harbour around Pahi to be a universal story of how European arrivals adapted to life among Māori in a new land. 

Dick Scott was renowned for bringing the suppressed history of Parihaka to light in Ask That Mountain, and like that earlier work, Seven Lives has become a classic of popular storytelling. 

The book portrays seven European families central to settlement in the area — the Blackwells, Coates, de Labrosses, Jackmans, Pooks, Scotlands and Stevens — with local Ngāti Whātua and other settlers.

Interwoven with stories and photos of the community are lives both ordinary and outstanding, including Gordon Coates, the first New Zealand-born prime minister; Jane Mander, renowned author of The Story of a New Zealand River; and Henry Scotland, a father of the peace movement and champion of Māori land rights. 

Beyond their legacies, it is the detail of how these families fitted in and the spectacular illustrations that gives this highly illustrated book its enduring fascination. 

This facsimile edition, printed locally, takes its place in Oratia’s New Zealand Classic series, bringing key works of our history back into print.

The author

Prime Minister David Lange (left) with Dick Scott at the launch of
Seven Lives on Salt River in 1987

Dick Scott (born 1923) was a fearless and often peerless popular historian whose works included the ground-breaking 151 Days, Ask That Mountain and Would a Good Man Die? He stumbled on Pahi while researching the early vineyards of Northland, and later had a holiday home on the peninsula. Dick passed away on New Year’s Day 2020.

Publication: 11 October 2021  |  RRP $39.99  |  ISBN:  978-1-99-004210-2

Facsimile paperback, 250 x 182 mm, 160 pages, b&w

New book celebrates and profiles New Zealand's regions

When bringing up her children in New Zealand, Oratia's media director Alessandra Zecchini felt she could have used a book that introduced them to the country's regions. 

Having grown up in Italy, Alessandra couldn't answer some of their questions, so came up with the idea of a book that did - helping not only children but also adults new to New Zealand to understand its regional identities.

Oratia's publisher Peter Dowling and editorial director Carolyn Lagahetau set out to make the book – conceived as an easy guide that is suitable for children from age 10 up, and is in English simple enough for most immigrants and tourists to access. 

Regions of New Zealand is a colourful, large-format hardback that gives readers all the basics about the diverse geography and characteristics of the nation (see link, https://www.oratia.co.nz/product/regions-of-new-zealand/)

Through maps, photos, fact boxes and simple text, the book takes readers on a tour from Northland to Southland, Tokelau to Antarctica.

Each region features in a spread of the book, with a colour map showing towns and features, summary text, photos illustrating key locations and tourist destinations, fact boxes and key info. 

In addition are sections on Māori regional relationships, early provincial divisions, outlying territories and study links.

Peter authored the book under Carolyn's editorial direction, with design by Cheryl Smith and input from a range of experts, official sources, proofreaders and photographers.

German children's book publisher Katja Korintenberg (left) gets a preview
of Regions of New Zealand with Peter Dowling at the recent Frankfurt Book Fair

Sales and marketing consultant Belinda Cooke is promoting Regions of New Zealand and can be reached for publicity enquiries on belinda@oratia.co.nz

Publication Date: 24 October 2017  |  ISBN: 978-0-947506-35-3 |  RRP $29.99

Hardback, 270 x 210 mm, 40 pages colour