Dawn McMillan

How do you describe colour to someone who is blind? Isaac and Luke are friends. Luke is blind and believes that he doesn’t need colours in his life. Isaac can’t imagine a world without colour and decides to teach his friend about them. Because Luke is blind, Isaac must appeal to his other senses. Through his vivid descriptions and by...

Is he a hippo that looks like a mouse? Or is he a mouse too big for this house? Just who or what is Squeakopotamus? And how will the kids, Mum and Dad keep him fed? No one yet has ever had a pet like the astonishing, demolishing Squeakopotamus. A memorable tale for younger readers from the bestselling authors of...

That time when Grandpa and his mates performed Swan Lake at the village concert... “Grandpa wore a tutu in the days of old, when his legs were hairy and his muscles bold.” Back in the day, Grandpa was a dairy farmer who milked cows while dreaming of dancing ballet. His dream comes true when the local farmers put on a...

There’s trouble at home — Dad is stinking up the house! Red Pants Boy jumps into action and enlists the whole family to help with a Father’s Day gift for Dad. They combat the smell with roses, perfume and even a cleverly constructed contraption: Hey presto! Hurray! We’ve made an exhaust pipe to take Dad’s farts away. Now the air...

This bilingual Maori and English edition marks ten years since the first publication of I Need a New Bum! All of the colourful main text is in Maori, following our hero as he searches for a tou hou/new bum, after discovering that his current one has a crack. 'Subtitles' in English run at the bottom of the page, helping readers...

There’s a rainbow in my river. He’s the colours of the sky. As we’re walking up the track he’s passing quickly by. A picnic by the river becomes an exciting experience of river life and colour, with Rainbow Trout cruising the waters in a starring role. Soon Water Spider, Diving Beetle, Kōura, Tuna Kūwharuwharu and friends are there too. Come...

Dawn McMillan and Bert Signal provide an answer to that age-old question - why exactly do dogs sniff bottoms?

What treasures might a boy find in a dusty old attic? Carlos is surprised to find a shiny silver harmonica in a dusty old box in the attic. He secretly plays it in his room at night and outside, amongst the tall grasses. Finally, taking it to his mother, he discovers that it was once his Uncle Jack’s, who he...

Who would believe it? Santa and Red Pants Boy are sitting together for tea. But as well as festive cheer, Santa brings a problem: his bum is ill-fitting from all of the sitting! Can our hero and his family help Santa get his bum back in shape in time for Christmas present deliveries? This festive and funny tale will spread...

There's a Crab in My Castle features a cool crab in the castle! He'd like to be the king. He sits there on his throne, watching everything. The newest addition to Dawn McMillan's Nature Stories series takes readers to the rocky shore, where crab meets sandhopper, snapper, kina, manta ray, and more. Enticing rhymes and Nikki Slade Robinson's evocative illustrations...

There's a Moa in the Moonlight. He's in our garden plot. He's munching all our melons. He likes the seeds a lot. Moa and friends are invading the garden - Huia is hanging out in the hibiscus, Wren is darting around and Adzebill is hunting lizards! What will Mum say when she sees all these animals in her garden? An...

There's a Tui in our Teapot. He's looking out at me. A tui in the teapot? Yes ... he wants a cup of tea! A tui and his various friends including takahe, kea, korimako (bellbird), pukeko and hoiho (yellow-eyed penguin) invade the family kitchen, getting up to all kinds of high jinks and making a tremendous mess! What will Nan...

Irresistible rhymes and drawings Bilingual English and Maori, in classy hardback Companion volume to There's a Tui in our Teapot! Weta and friends, including beetle, centipede, stick insect and huhu, come to school with the kids. But they don't want to stay in the classroom! Can Koro help his mokopuna keep the critters safe?