Ken Catran

Book of the Year
Weaving Earth and Sky: Myths and Legends of Aotearoa, Robert Sullivan and Gavin Bishop (Random House)

Children's Choice
Why Do Dogs Sniff Bottoms? Dawn McMillan, Bert Signal and Ross Kinnaird (Reed)

Best First Book
Buddy, V M Jones (HarperCollins)

Senior Fiction
Alchemy, Margaret Mahy (HarperCollins)

Junior Fiction
Buddy, V M Jones (HarperCollins)

Picture Book
Pigtails the Pirate, David Elliot (Random House)

Non Fiction
Weaving Earth and Sky:Myths and Legends of Aotearoa, Robert Sullivan and Gavin Bishop (Random House)

Finalists

• Right Where It Hurts, David Hill (Mallinson Rendel)
• Alchemy, Margaret Mahy (HarperCollins)
• The Thin Line, Vivienne Joseph (Mallinson Rendel)
• Tomorrow The Dark, Ken Catran (Lothian Books)
• Letters from the Coffin-trenches, Ken Catran (Random House)

• Buddy, VM Jones (HarperCollins)
• A Friend in Paradise, Des Hunt (HarperCollins)
• Something Weird About Mr Foster, Ken Catran (Scholastic New Zealand)
• The Dragon's Apprentice, Linda McNabb (HarperCollins)
• When the Kehua Calls, Kingi McKinnon (Scholastic New Zealand)

• Pigtails the Pirate, David Elliot (Random House)
• The Christmas Caravan, Jennifer Beck & Robyn Belton (Scholastic New Zealand)
• The Immigrants, Alan Bagnall & Sarah Wilkins (Mallinson Rendel)
• Auntie Rosie & the Rabbit, Diana Noonan & Christine Ross (Scholastic New Zealand)
• Why do dogs sniff bottoms? Dawn McMillan, Bert Signal & Ross Kinnaird (Reed Publishing)

• Which New Zealand Insect? Andrew Crowe (Penguin Books)
• New Zealand Trees: The Kauri, Alina Arkins & Len Doel (Reed Publishing)
• New Zealand Wild: The Shaping of New Zealand, Brian O'Flaherty (Reed Publishing)
• Weaving Earth and Sky: Myths and Legends of Aotearoa, Robert Sullivan & Gavin Bishop (Random House)
• Weta: A Knight in Shining Armor, Joy Cowley & Rod Morris (Scholastic New Zealand)

Book of the Year
A Bird in the Hand, Janet Hunt (Random House)

Children's Choice
Oh Hogwash, Sweet Pea! Ngareta Gabel, Ali Teo & Astrid Jensen (Huia Publishers)

Best First Book
Thunder Road, Ted Dawe (Longacre Press)

Honour Award
Napoleon and the Chicken Farmer, Lloyd Jones and Graeme Gash (Mallinson Rendel Publishers)

Young Adult Fiction
Thunder Road, Ted Dawe (Longacre Press)

Junior Fiction
Juggling with Mandarins, VM Jones (HarperCollins)

Picture Book
Cuthbert's Babies, Pamela Allen (Viking)

Non Fiction
A Bird in the Hand, Janet Hunt (Random House)

Finalists

• Watermark, Penelope Todd (Longacre Press)
• Thunder Road, Ted Dawe (Longacre Press)
• Tiggie Tompson's Longest Journey, Tessa Duder (Puffin)
• No Safe Harbour, David Hill (Mallinson Rendel)
• Lin and the Red Stranger, Ken Catran (Random House)

• Evil Fred, Kylie Begg & Jacob Leaf (Scholastic New Zealand)
• Fred the (Quite) Brave Mouse, Murray Ball (Scholastic New Zealand)
• My Story: Journey to Tangiwai, David Hill (Scholastic New Zealand)
• Juggling with Mandarins, VM Jones (HarperCollins)
• The Serpents of Arakesh, VM Jones (HarperCollins)

• Selafina, Catherine Hannken & Trish Bowles (Mallinson Rendel)
• Oh Hogwash, Sweet Pea! Ngareta Gabel, Ali Teo & Astrid Jensen (Huia Publishers)
• Cuthbert's Babies, Pamela Allen (Viking)
• Grandpa and Thomas, Pamela Allen (Viking)
• Enough is Enough! Scott Willis & Jenna Packer (Scholastic Australia)

• To the Max, Mark Inglis (Random House)
• Pick up a Pack, Keith Olsen (Reed Publishing)
• The Life-size Guide to New Zealand Wildflowers, Andrew Crowe (Penguin Books)
• A Bird in the Hand, Janet Hunt (Random House)
• I am an Insect, Dr Simon Pollart (Reed Publishing)

Book of the Year
Clubs: A Lolly Leopold Story, Kate De Goldi and Jacqui Colley (Trapeze)

Children's Choice
The Other Ark, Lynley Dodd (Mallinson Rendel)

Best First Book
Cross Tides, Lorraine Orman (Longacre Press)

Young Adult Fiction
Malcom and Juliet, Bernard Beckett (Longacre Press)

Junior Fiction
Aunt Effie and the Island that Sank, Jack Lasenby (Longacre Press)

Picture Book
Clubs: A Lolly Leopold Story, Kate De Goldi and Jacqui Colley (Trapeze)

Non Fiction
Welcome to the South Seas, Gregory O'Brien (Auckland University Press)

Finalists

• Coming Back, David Hill (Mallinson Rendel)
• Dark, Penelope Todd (Longacre Press)
• Malcolm and Juliet, Bernard Beckett (Longacre Press)
• Out of Tune, Joanna Orwin (Longacre Press)
• Robert Moran - Private, Ken Catran (Lothian Books)

• Aunt Effie and the Island that Sank, Jack Lasenby (Longacre Press)
• Beyond the Shroud, VM Jones (HarperCollins)
• My Story: A New Song in the Land, Fleur Beale (Scholastic New Zealand)
• Walking Lightly, Fleur Beale & Michaela Sangl (Mallinson Rendel)
• You've Got Guts, Kenny Melrose, Shirley Corlett (Scholastic New Zealand)

• Clubs: A Lolly Leopold Story, Kate De Goldi and Jacqui Colley (Trapeze)
• Koro's Medicine, Melanie Drewery & Sabrina Malcolm (Huia Publishers)
• The Night Kite, Peter Bland & Carl Bland (Mallinson Rendel)
• The Other Ark, Lynley Dodd (Mallinson Rendel)
• Taming the Sun, Gavin Bishop (Random House)

• Everything You Need to Know About the World by Simon Eliot, Lloyd Jones & Timon Maxey (Four Winds Press)
• From Weta to Kauri, Janet Hunt & Rob Lucas (Random House)
• The Life-size Guide to the New Zealand Beach, Andrew Crowe (Penguin Books)
• John Britten, Jennifer Beck (Scholastic New Zealand)
• Welcome to the South Seas, Gregory O'Brien (Auckland University Press)

Book of the Year
The House the Jack Built, Gavin Bishop (Scholastic New Zealand)

Best First Book
2MUCH4U, Vince Ford (Scholastic New Zealand)

Children's Choice
Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack, Lynley Dodd (Mallinson Rendel)

Senior Fiction
The Tiggie Thompson Show, Tessa Duder (Penguin Books)

Junior Fiction
2MUCH4U, Vince Ford (Scholastic New Zealand)

Picture Book
The House the Jack Built, Gavin Bishop (Scholastic New Zealand)

Non Fiction
Te Wao Nui a Tane, Hirini Melbourne & Te Maari Gardiner (Huia Publishers)

Finalists

• Golden Prince, Ken Catran (Lothian Books)
• Closed, Stranger, Kate De Goldi (Penguin Books)
• The Tiggie Tompson Show, Tessa Duder (Penguin Books)
• The Shaman and the Droll, Jack Lasenby (Longacre Press)
• Love & Other Excuses, Jane Westaway (Longacre Press)

• Going for Gold, Trevor Wilson (Scholastic New Zealand)
• A Villain's Night Out, Margaret Mahy (Penguin Books)
• 2MUCH4U, Vince Ford (Scholastic New Zealand)
• Time Out, David Hill (Mallinson Rendel)
• Three's A Crowd, Penelope Huber (Longacre Press)

• The House that Jack Built, Gavin Bishop (Scholastic New Zealand)
• The Video Shop Sparrow, Joy Cowley & Gavin Bishop (Mallinson Rendel)
• Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack, Lynley Dodd (Mallinson Rendel)
• Sydney and the Sea Monster, David Elliot (Random House)
• Mouse Opera, Richard & Pamela Wolfe (Scholastic New Zealand)

• Red-eyed Tree Frog, Joy Cowley & Nic Bishop (Scholastic New Zealand)
• I am a Fish, Wade Doak (Reed Publishing)
• Te Wao Nui a Tane, Hirini Melbourne & Te Maari Gardiner (Huia Publishers)
• The Life-size Guide to Insects, Andrew Crowe (Penguin Books)
• Myths and Legends of Aotearoa, Annie Rae Te Ake Ake (Scholastic New Zealand)

Canterbury literary legend, Margaret Mahy and internationally-recognised Dunedin illustrator, David Elliot, have won the country’s most prestigious gong for children’s literature, The New Zealand Post Children’s Book of the Year Award for their picture book, The Moon & Farmer McPhee

Young Adult Fiction Finalist

Smiling Jack
Ken Catran
HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN 978-1-86950-812-8 pb RRP $23.50
Target age 12+

A classic whodunnit with a startling and unexpected twist, Ken Catran's dark and brooding murder mystery is a real pageturner that will have you looking over your shoulder like Robert, desperately trying to second-guess Smiling Jack.

The finalists for the 2011 New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards were announced on Tuesday, 22 February.