Mangō: Sharks and Rays of Aotearoa
The fascinating lives of Aotearoa New Zealand’s sharks and rays.
By Ned Barraud
Publication date: October 2023
Pages: 48 pages
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 978-1-99-116556-5
RRP: $35
Buy from
Te Papa Store
The oceans surrounding Aotearoa New Zealand are home to over a hundred astonishing and strange species of sharks and rays. This fact-filled book takes you down into the fascinating underwater lives of these expert hunters, illustrates their evolution and explores their place in our culture. And it explains why these ancient fish and their environments need our kaitiakitanga more than ever.
Awards
Chosen as a Storylines Notable Book 2023, non-fiction (age range from 3 years to 18 years).
Review Highlights
The Sapling, reviewed by Linda Jane Keegan. “Another wonderfully illustrated nature book from Ned Barraud, Mangō is a great introduction to New Zealand’s sharks and rays for the beginner or more sealife-enthused reader.”
Poetry Box reviewed by Paula Green. “. . . an informative, fascinating storehouse of mangō knowledge. An essential book for every school library and home bookshelf.”
Kids Books NZ, reviewed by Maria Gill. “An excellent resource for Primary and Intermediate students. Also kids who have a fascination for marine life. Ned has well-researched the topic with expert help from Te Papa's shark expert, Andrew Stewart. The book is brought to life with stunning illustrations of sharks' underworld. It is further enhanced with Kate Barraclough's design and motif work.”
What Book Next?, reviewed by Adele Broadbent. “We love the movies and books where sharks are the baddies, but pick up this book and you will find that sharks are so much more than villains of the oceans. A book for Everyone!”
Bob’s Books Blog, “This superb picture-book sized book looks at the history of sharks on this planet with particular attention to sharks that swim in New Zealand’s waters . . . Superbly illustrated by Ned Barraud this is the best and most accessible book on sharks I have read. I have given some facts but there are more astonishing ones in this book. Read it and see.”
Kete, reviewed by Alex Eagles. “I’m crazy about sharks and rays, and so are my kids. And now, at last, there is a book for young New Zealanders that celebrates our mangō and whai, encouraging others to share our admiration for these amazing animals.”
Author interviews
RNZ Afternoons, Andrew Stewart interviewed by Jesse Mulligan.
About the author/illustrator and contributor
Ned Barraud is a Wellington-based author/illustrator of over twenty children’s books exploring the natural world. These include Tohorā: The Southern Right Whale, Rock Pools: A Guide for Kiwi Kids and New Zealand’s Backyard Beasts. Along with author Gillian Candler, he has also illustrated the popular Explore & Discover series, which includes the prize-winning At the Beach.
Andrew Stewart is Assistant Curator Natural History at Te Papa and co-author of the landmark The Fishes of New Zealand (2015). His particular areas of expertise are the deep-water fishes and Southern Ocean (Antarctic) fishes, and of course, sharks and rays.
