Lift Education Award for Best Educational Book or Series – Primary 2022
Winner
Designers: Cover: Dave Gunson and Alice Bell
Interior: Alice Bell
Title: Inside New Zealand Wildlife
Publisher: Bateman Books
Format: 250 x 210mm, 48pp, section-sewn, cover drawn on, paperback. Two image lenticular cover with left to right flip.
Typography: H.H. Samuel in a range of sizes according to the hierachy of the text. Veneer Two in a range of sizes according to the hierachy of the text.
Judges’ comments A beautifully clear and superbly illustrated book which reveals the inner workings of a wide range of lifeforms, from fungi, plants to animals – kōwahi flowers, sharks and snails, to wētā, tuatara and dolphins. Experienced illustrator Dave Gunson has not only crawled inside worms, mushrooms and green turtles (metaphorically speaking) to paint their insides, but has described these species for us too, in short biographies aimed at children – he is both author and illustrator, clearly one with an infectious love for the natural world. Alice Bell’s calm layouts let Dave’s illustrations do the talking, and children will love their 3-D lenticular cover. Although aimed at children, there can be few adults who would not marvel at Dave’s sea star and kiwi innards.
