Bono

If you haven't read any of New Zealand author Helen Brown's books, you're missing out. 

I first stumbled across Helen Brown looking for a book to read while on holiday in Melbourne. We'd just got a dog - a little puppy we called Dollar and who has been in a way a substitute for a child we were not able to have.

So it was 2012 and we were off on holiday to Melbourne - a 40th birthday present from my husband. Whenever I go on holiday I always really miss Dollar.and that leads to buying books about animals.

And that's how I spotted a book called Cleo written by Brown about a cat who had helped her through the most traumatic time of losing her young son.  I remember being engrossed in the book on the flight over to and back from Melbourne. I later read After Cleo came Jonah  and I'v just finished Brown's latest book called Bono. 

In this book Brown writes about her time in New York where she in part had gone to promote her earlier books but also to take stock of her life. Before even arriving in New York, she was asked if she would take on a terminally ill rescue cat during her stay there. Enter Bono. At first things don't look too good with Bono. He's struggling to settle into his new home and Brown has second thoughts about him staying. I won't give too much more of the book away but it's a heartwarming read about how animals can help us humans.

This book made me think a lot about how our dog Dollar, who's now nearly 7, has helped us. One of my favourite moments of the day is to sit on our couch with a cup of tea and a biscuit (for humans) with Dollar curled on my lap.  

If you enjoyed Brown's first two cat-related books, you will love Bono too.

  

Granny McFlitter The Champion Knitter

I was captivated by this book after seeing a photo on Facebook of the most delightful cake made for the book launch.

Granny McFlitter The Champion Knitter tells the story of Granny McFlitter who loves to knit. Knitting is her passion and it's a passion that is starting to annoy those around her but good on her she doesn't care. She keeps on knitting.

One day she is watching the news on her knitted TV and she sees a story about a ship running aground and spilling oil into the sea. Sound familiar? In 2011, a container ship called the MV Rena hit the Astrolabe Reef off the coast of Tauranga in New Zealand. The oil spill has been described as New Zealand's worst maritime environmental disaster.

In this story by New Zealand author Heather Haylock Granny McFlitter sets to work knitting jumpers for all the penguins who were left covered in oil. Once the oil was washed off the penguins were left shivering and so Granny McFlitter's jumpers were a warm relief.

This is a delightful book centred around the theme of putting your passions to good use. Talking about passion it's obvious the New Zealand illustrator of this book Lael Chisholm has an immense passion for art and design. I just loved the pictures throughout this book. It's hard to believe Lael was only 20 when this book was released earlier this year. She won The Storylines Gavin Bishop Award for her beautiful illustrations in this book.

The book was also a finalist in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.