Past books

Prophecy, empire, and sacrifice – enter the dramatic world of the Aztecs!

Behind the scenes with the experts on famous paintings

A powerful book of portraits offering an extraordinary, evocative snapshot of New Zealanders facing the First World War.

This elegant, expert, and utterly up-to-date book contains over 1,500 samples from New Zealand's distinctive vocabulary.

A lavish range of stationery featuring a selection of all-new reproductions of JG Keulemans’ classic artworks of New Zealand native birds.

A complete, all-new edition of the classic 19th century ornithological paintings of John Gerrard Keulemans for Walter Buller’s iconic A History of the Birds of New Zealand, featuring fresh reproductions of the original watercolour paintings

Greatly revised and expanded, the latest edition of this highly respected guide is the must-have reference for birds in the New Zealand region.

A comprehensive guide to the objects associated with the voyages of James Cook held at New Zealand's National Museum

A landmark publication that takes another look at craft and its broader cultural role.

A truly original compendium of stories and poems for 8–12 year olds, by New Zealand's best children's authors and with whimsical illustrations from award-winning Sarah Laing.

Every known native New Zealand tree and shrub – in colour and life size. Winner of the Montana Medal for Non-fiction 2007 and winner of the Illustrative section of the Montana New Zealand Book Awards 2007.

Now back in print for the first time in 20 years. Elsdon Best (1856–1931) was New Zealand’s foremost ethnographer of Māori social life and customs. Today, his work remains a unique and valuable record of Māori tradition.

The Essential Audrey Eagle: Botanical Art of New Zealand offers botanists, gardeners, and art lovers Audrey Eagle’s exquisite botanical artworks – in a compact, portable format.

A richly illustrated view into the world of New Zealand’s lost birds. Finalist in the Montana New Zealand Book Awards 2007 – Environment.

The most detailed reference to the fishes of New Zealand ever published – definitive and completely illustrated.

An inside look at the art of the world's biggest entertainment and creative industry.

Test your genius in these awesome bug activities.

They may be small, they may be creepy, but bugs have super-sized powers!

Majestically beautiful, remote and rugged, the high country of New Zealand is central to the country’s history and identity. This visually stunning book, High Country New Zealand, documents and celebrates the land, its people, and their way of life through the changing seasons.

A powerfully human and compelling illustrated history of New Zealand’s war experience.

A significant and bold selection from the collections of New Zealand’s national museum. Beautifully illustrated with engaging essays and commentary, both in English and Māori.

These five stylish books introduce fascinating objects from Te Papa’s art, history, natural history, Pacific and Māori collections.

The definitive guide to identifying seabirds in the oceans around New Zealand.

Judy Darragh: So…You Made It? profiles the recent work and ongoing career of artist 'Queen of Kitsch' Judy Darragh.

Showcasing more than 60 Rongowhakaata taonga, and through the English and te reo Māori text focuses on key threads including innovation and kaitiekitanga (sustainable processes).

The first ever book about the birds of this subantarctic island group

An accessible, illustrated guide to the history, artistry and cultural significance of the whare whakairo or Māori meeting house.

Join Māui as he shares stories for tamariki based on taonga from the Te Papa collection

New Zealand’s photographer pioneers of the 1960s and 1970s.

Forget old-fashioned colouring books! Let the world of New Zealand art unleash your children’s imaginations in The NZ Art Activity Book: 100+ Ideas for Creative Kids.

This stunning book, New Zealand Art: From Cook to Contemporary, uses colour reproductions and essays from New Zealand’s top curators to take the reader on a lively tour of Te Papa’s best-loved artworks.

New Zealand Fashion Design is a big, beautifully designed book profiling 25 top New Zealand fashion designers from the past 30 years. It is lavishly illustrated with over 500 stunning photographs, featuring insights into the designers’ own archives and private collections.

New Zealand Film: An Illustrated History is the first comprehensive, illustrated, and locally authored New Zealand film history, celebrating over 100 years of our film industry.

From the sublime to the surreal, the familiar to the forgotten and the 1850s to the present – see New Zealand photography like never before in this unique visual history.

New Zealand Seaweeds is the first photographic identification guide to New Zealand’s unique marine algae, by the country’s pre-eminent seaweed expert Wendy Nelson.

This beautiful book, Pacific Art in Detail, takes a fresh look at the wealth of art from the Pacific – from simple to ornate, domestic to sacred, traditional to contemporary.

Pacific Art Niu Sila is essential reading for all those interested in the contemporary arts of both New Zealand and the Pacific.

Highly illustrated catalogue of hundreds of rare art and artefacts from all over the Pacific.

From Montana award-winning author Jill Trevelyan comes the first biography of Peter McLeavey, the charismatic, pioneering art dealer who since the 1960s has shaped – even transformed – New Zealand art.

Winner in the Environment category of the Montana New Zealand Book Awards 2006.

Real Modern tells a vibrant and varied story of real life in this compelling era through images and, above all, objects.

Rita Angus: An Artist's Life is the first biography of this significant and much-loved New Zealand artist

Rita Angus: Life & Vision is the accompanying catalogue to the Te Papa exhibition and which marks the centenary of Rita Angus’s birth.

The companion catalogue to the major Rita Angus show at Te Papa.

Sage tea: an autobiography is an intimate first-person portrayal of the early life of the New Zealand landscape artist Toss Woollaston.

A magnificent illustrated history of New Zealand's mountain tourism industry

Speaking in Colour is a breakthrough art book, in which ten artists of Pacific Island descent talk candidly about their lives and work.

The catalogue of the major 2021 Surrealism show at Te Papa

Taiāwhio is a collection of fascinating profiles of more than 20 Māori artists working in various media.

Taiāwhio II: Conversations with Contemporary Māori Artists has proven invaluable to art lovers, students, teachers, and those with a passion for New Zealand art. This volume profiles a fresh range of contemporary Māori artists.

A superb reminder of the treasures that were shown to national and international acclaim in the Te Māori exhibition 1983-87.

This highly illustrated book reveals the most extensive collection of Māori taonga (treasures) held outside of New Zealand – those in the British Museum.

This powerful series of photographs documents the story of Samoan tattoo art, and the work of world-renowned and controversial tattoo artist Su’a Sulu’ape Paulo II.

Inside the iconic New Zealand museum that has benchmarked international best practice.

This compact book full of beautiful images is the complete guide to, and memento of, your visit to the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

A companion book to the magnificent exhibition of the treasures from the tomb of the First Emperor of China.

Beautifully illustrated and informative, this book gives the reader a unique insight into the tradition of tivaivai in the Cook Islands

From Te Papa’s collections comes an illuminating introduction to not only Māori art, but also Māori life, culture and beliefs.

The revealing letters of a great New Zealand landscape artist – riveting to read and generously illustrated.

A spectacular look at the history and traditions of the wedding dress. This book is an excellent accompaniment to Te Papa's exhibition, Unveiled: 200 Years of Wedding Dresses from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

For centuries whales and dolphins have captured our imaginations. We have revered and mythologised them, hunted them to the brink of extinction and passionately protected them. But how much do we really know?

This sumptuous book opens Te Papa’s storeroom doors to reveal its magnificent collection of kākahu (cloaks), and the art and traditions of weaving.

A fascinating, fun and engaging book on New Zealand’s amazing natural world

Twelve dynamic essays by leading New Zealand thinkers mark 125 years since New Zealand won the right to vote