Find out more about New Zealand's Endangered Dolphins

A beautifully illustrated nonfiction book on the worlds smallest and most endangered dolphins

Mid-May my second book was released into bookshops. This book is an illustrated nonfiction book about the New Zealand dolphins formerly known as the Maui and Hector's dolphins. Scientists now prefer to name species after their country or what they look like.

I cover subjects such as:

• How rare?
• How big?
• How are they the same and different?
• How clever?
• What senses?
• What habits?
• What's on the menu?
• What is their life cycle?
• How do mothers care for their calves?
• How do they play?
• What threatens them?
• How do sanctuaries protect them?
• What can we do to help?
   

I approach each subject with a question because I imagined a young person asking those questions and wanted to answer them directly. I fell in love with the dolphins even more after learning how caring they are to each other and other species, including humans. And I love how playful they are, even playing tag and pass the parcel seaweed along to each other. I knew kids would want to read how we're protecting these precious taonga and have included how sanctuaries are doing that job and what we can do to help them.

I always like to make a double page interesting by putting in extra graphics - this time it's a fact bubble. You'll learn fascinating titbits like: Did you know that the closest living relation to dolphins and whales today is the hippopotamus! And dolphins' brains are 15-60 times bigger than a shark that are a similar size! You'll find one of these bubble facts on every double page spread. I've also include a New Zealand map, a diagram showing the size of dolphins in New Zealand waters, and a dolphin showing its labelled body parts - all expertly drawn by Marco Ivancic.

I've teamed up with Marco again and he's created some stunning illustrations of the North and South Island New Zealand dolphins. This is my favourite one.

 

 

I also teamed up with Thorsten Bux from Tripod-digital to make an Augmented Reality site with extra information. You just need to scan the QR code below and it'll take you to a webpage and then you hold your camera over each page in the book and it'll show you videos, photographs, and extra information. Do push the link to see the dolphins looking at themselves in the mirror, they are ever-so cute. You'll also see a progression of one of Marco's illustrations.

 

                                                         

 

The book was expertly checked by New Zealand's leading dolphin expert Dr Elisabeth Slooten. I'd like to thank Dr Elisabeth Slooten for her fact checking, Genevieve Robinson from Canterbury Regional Council for her photographs, Thorsten Bux for making the wonderful AR component, Marco Ivancic for his gorgeous illustrations, and Duncan Perkinson from White Cloud Books/Upstart Press for making this book happen.

I talk about the book some more on my website here. You can find my educational resource here. Here's my book trailer:

Thanks to the following reviewers for their reviews.

Bob from Bobs Books Blog says, "Marco Ivancic’s diagrams, photographs, maps and illustrations enhance the excellent information and easy text of Maria Gill. An award winning non fiction book if I ever saw one." Read more here.

Adele from What Book Next says, "This is a perfect book for young dolphin lovers, school projects and the Children’s Non-Fiction section of all NZ libraries." Read more here.

You can purchase it direct from Upstart Press, find your local independent bookshop at Bookhub, at PaperPlus, or buy signed copies from my lovely local bookshop Matakana Village Books.

I hope you enjoy it!

 

Maria Gill's first book for 2024

Greetings readers and writers

I hope you've had a relaxing break and read lots of wonderful books! I did.

This year I have two new books coming out with Upstart. I'll tell you about the second one in the next blog post closer to its release. But I can tell you about the latest book that was released into the wild yesterday (Thursday 8 February).

Queen of the Cosmos: Beatrice Hill Tinsley, beautifully illustrated by Alistair Hughes, is about one of New Zealand's most famous scientists. You may remember that I published another children's book about one of our other world-famous scientists - Ernest Rutherford - in February last year. Now, you'll be reading about the female equivalent.

Beatrice's story is a sad but empowering story. Born in the UK when London was being pelted with German bombs in World War II, her family moved to Christchurch when she was five years old. Later they moved to New Plymouth where Beatrice and her sisters grew up in the small seaside town. Beatrice was most likely a gifted student but she also worked hard at her studies. She had an aptitude for music and the sciences and those two subjects would be her joy for most of her short life. Beatrice married young and soon found that it would add to her workload and disadvantage her in ways that restricted her career. 

The newly married couple moved to America and while her husband's career took off, she found it difficult getting work in astronomy and cosmology - her area of expertise. Find out how she overcame these difficulties to become known as the Queen of the Cosmos.

Queen of the Cosmos is a story about sacrifice to achieve your lifelong dream and to make a difference in the world. In her case - answering the big questions - finding out how far away galaxies were, and whether the universe was expanding or would one day expire. The story is also about the dangers of melanoma, divorce, separation, and not giving up. Heady subjects, but written in a style that doesn't overwhelm young readers. They can find out more about the difficulties Beatrice faced at the back of the book, as well as a timeline, how she was recognised with awards and naming rights, and a glossary.

I can't wait for people to see it as it's an inspiring story that will hopefully encourage more young people to study the sciences and have a curiosity about the world. Readers will love Alistair Hughes gorgeous illustrations. His watercolour pictures really capture the magnificence of the night sky and the universe. He also captures the emotional moments in the story, and has a real talent in drawing people through their years.

Here's a book trailer you can watch:

 

Here's a teaching resource you can use:

The first review is out - thanks to Bobs Books Blog. He says: 

Simply told by Maria Gill who always gets it right and expertly illustrated by Alister Hughes whose expansive illustrations reflect the massiveness of the cosmology world that Beatrice was working in. A classy piece of work for juniors through to high school students. A life worth knowing about. certainly the Queen of the Cosmos. Read more here.

Thanks also to Adele Broadbent for her review on What Book Next:

This talented team has done it again – bringing an exceptional New Zealander to the fore and sharing their life with young kiwis. This time is it a gifted woman scientist whose work and research on the cosmos has been heralded around the world. It wasn’t an easy road for Beatrice by any means, but Maria Gill & Alistair Hughes have portrayed Hill Tinsley’s short but extraordinary life beautifully in another narrative non-fiction picture book.

Buy from Upstart or BookHub or your local bookstore or a signed copy from me.

Thanks to Beatrice Tinsley's family and her partner/colleague Dr Richard Larson for fact-checking the story. Also thanks to Alistair for his incredible artwork and Upstart for publishing this beautiful book.

ISBN: 978-1-77694-005-9

RRP $25.00 (paperback, 32 pages)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Epic New Zealand Adventurers

 2023 'Epic New Zealand Adventurers'

Ten true stories of daring and danger from New Zealand

adventurers. Race to the South Pole with Sir Edmund Hillary,

find the end of the Nile with Cam McLeay and Garth MacIntyre,

 circumnavigate the world in a yacht with sixteen-year-old Laura Dekker.

Trek solo with Helen Thayer and her husky to the Magnetic North Pole,

ride bikes down the spine of the Amercas with Mark Watson and Hana Black,

and many more exciting adventures - some known, some forgotten,

and some just discovered. 

My latest book 'Epic New Zealand Adventurers' is due out in all good book stores from the 13th July. You can pre-order it from Upstart, Aotearoa Books, and from me also.

The first review has come in. Bob says in his blog: All are told in a two page spread with fantastic illustrations by Marco Ivancic and thrilling writing from Maria Gill who has been a traveler herself.

Have a look at the book trailer:

Teachers, please download the free teacher resource:

2023 Ernest Rutherford book

My junior fiction historical novel turned into a creative nonfiction picture book instead. Alistair Hughes has illustrated stunning pictures for the book. Upstart Press released it in February 2023. I've been interviewed on radio, in newspapers, and on blogs. Here's some of the reviews this book has received: 

Maria Gill has done it again, taking young readers back in time to meet another world renown person born in New Zealand. Her effortless style draws the reader in and emphasizes that even a great like Nobel winning prize winner Ernest Rutherford, was once just an ordinary boy. What Book Next

Ernest is certainly one of New Zealand’s most famous people and I learnt a lot from reading this book myself. I think it would make an excellent resource for schools to show how, with perseverance and patience you can achieve great things in life. The inclusion of other famous scientists, a timeline and a Glossary make this a perfect book for a primary school library. Read NZ

'Ernest Rutherford: Just An Ordinary Boy' is a story about our country's most famous scientist, his humble beginnings and the importance of not giving up on your dreams. Gill has once again crafted an essential resource that is both entertaining and educational. NZ BookLovers

Maria Gill is one of our national treasures when it comes to nonfiction children’s books. Ernest Rutherford: Just an ordinary boy is no exception. His unfolding life is inspiring. Importantly, it is good to spend time with the curious child as much as it is the curious adult, and to read examples of Ernest’s key experiments and discoveries. Maria places him alongside other notable scientists (Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Isaac Newton), and offers a valuable timeline and glossary. This book is essential reading. Paula Green, The Poetry Box

Once again, Aotearoa New Zealand’s foremost writer of creative non-fiction books for children and young people hits the mark with her story about the life and times of Ernest Rutherford. It may be subtitled Just an ordinary boy but, of course, Rutherford’s scientific discoveries were anything but.   Dionne Christian, Kete Books

Alastair Hughes illustrations paint a picture of a bygone era in which young Ernest grew up and show the wonder he had for science. Excellent cover. Maria Gill on the money as usual. Bobs Books Blog

A Q & A with Stuff NZ.

If you teach, here is the Teacher Resource you can use with the book.

And here is the book trailer: