Auckland Council Libraries: Creatures in NZ waters

Creatures in NZ waters

​Find out what lives beneath the surface of Aotearoa’s lakes and rivers.

Things in the sea are touching me!

Linda Jane Keegan

Picture book

This light-hearted rhyming story follows the experience of a little girl's day at the beach with her two mums, as she unexpectedly encounters a range of sea life; with a fun twist at the end!

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Celia Seagull and the plastic sea

Nicole Miller

Picture book

Celia Seagull gathers plastic pieces from the ocean to build a bigger, better nest. Busy Celia refuses to help sea creatures who are tangled in the scrap. But when Celia runs into trouble, who will help her?

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Twinkle, tickle little star

Anne Hunter

Picture book

Anne Hunter's delightful rhymes and Dave Gunson's superb illustrations perfectly capture the unique range of creatures and plant life that young children commonly encounter when exploring the New Zealand seashore.

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Taniwha, Taniwha

Robyn Kahukiwa

Picture book

Manu and Hina, the heroes, are looking for the taniwha. Where is he?

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The eight gifts of Te Wheke

Steph Matuku

Book

Tamati and his sister, Aria, are playing on the beach when Aria hurts herself and can't stop crying. Te Wheke, an octopus, tricks Tamati and snatches Aria. To save his sister, Tamati devises a plan to trick the octopus back.

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Tuna and Hiriwa

Ripeka Takotowai Goddard

Picture book

This is the story of how the tuna got its silver belly but forever had to live in the dark depths of the river. Tuna is in awe of a nymph, Hiriwa, that glows and dances in the moonlight. He hatches a plan to take the nymph's light.

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Ringlet and the day the oceans stopped

Felicity Williams

Book

Ringlet, an eleven-year-old mergirl, finds herself in a race against time to save the oceans from deadly stagnation. She struggles alone. And worse still, something monstrous is hellbent on stopping her.

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Charlie Tangaroa and the creature from the sea

T.K. Roxborogh

Book

An ancient grudge between the Māori gods Tane and Tangaroa has flared up because a port is polluting the ocean. This has reignited anger between the gods, causing raging storms, earthquakes and huge seas.

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Let's go on a beach walk

Abel Junior Tutagalevao

Book

Few things are as good for mental wellness as going outside and learning to use our senses. This book turns walking on the beach into an interactive, playful, learning adventure.

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Up the river: explore and discover New Zealand's rivers, lakes and wetlands...

Gillian Candler

Book

Explore the creeks, rivers, lakes and wetlands of New Zealand and discoer the animals and plants that live in freshwater habitats.

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Under the ocean: explore and discover the seas around New Zealand

Gillian Candler

Book

Under the Ocean introduces young children to the creatures that live in the seas around New Zealand. The book describes different habitats: underwater reefs, the sea floor, the open ocean and the deep ocean.

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24 hours on the Kiwi seashore

Gillian and Darryl Torckler

Book

When the sun rises on the seashore, all manner of creatures emerge from their slumber to see the breaking dawn . . . Discover the busy ecosystem of our country's seashore over a 24-hour cycle.

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What's that living in my stream?: whitebait

Amber McEwan

Book

Have you seen our gorgeous galaxiids in your local stream? These beautiful native fish are shy and often can't be seen, not only because some of them are only active at night, but because their numbers are declining.

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Velvet and Elvis: a mother and son story of New Zealand's longfin eels

Stephanie Bowman

Book

Old Velvet the longfin eel has made Lake Rotoiti her home for 101 years. Now, she’s pregnant, and she knows her time in this protected water is ending.

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New Zealand's great white sharks: how science is revealing their secrets

Alison Ballance

Book

Great white sharks are one of the world's most impressive and familiar predators - but until recently we knew surprisingly little about them. This book changes all that.

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Auckland Council Libraries:Book list Recommended reading lists about different topics and genres to help you find new books to read.