The Curioseum: Collected Stories of the Odd and Marvellous

Editor: Adrienne Jansen
Illustrator: Sarah Laing

Publication date: March 2014

Out of print.

What happens when you let a group of writers loose ‘backstage’ in a museum? Te Papa invited twenty-two of New Zealand's best children's authors to spend a day in the Museum’s collections, and to choose one of the museum’s taonga (treasures) as a starting point for an imaginative journey.

The result is a truly original compendium of stories and poems for 8–12 year olds, with whimsical illustrations from award-winning Sarah Laing. It’s a unique collaboration between Te Papa Press and the Whitireia Creative Writing and Publishing Programmes.

Authors

Margaret Mahy
Joy Cowley
Bill Manhire
Elizabeth Knox
Jo Randerson
Barbara Else
Ant Sang
Marisa Maepu
Mandy Hager
Paora Tibble
Frances Samuel
Phillip Mann
Raymond Huber
Tusiata Avia
Kyle Mewburn
John McCrystal
Dave Armstrong
Anatonio Te Maioha
James Brown
Moira Wairama
Emily Hunter
Tusi Tamasese

This title is out of print

NZ RRP (incl. GST): $29.99
Extent: 160 pp
Illustrations: 150+ black & white line drawings
Format: 198mm x 130mm portrait
Binding: PB
ISBN: 978-1-877385-92-6

Winner of the 2015 PANZ Book Design Award for Best Cover for designer Sarah Laing and Te Papa Press. “A great example of how a children’s book need not be childish,” said convening judge Cameron Gibb, Creative Director of neu design[graphic]. “The Curioseum is the story version of a 'wunderkammer’, supported by delightful illustrations and the use of hand-rendered type for chapter headings, all making for an engaging and fun read.”