The author of a book described as a taonga for this generation and the next has taken out the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year award for the fifth time.
Gavin Bishop's book Atua: Māori Gods and Heroes was praised by the judges at the New Zealand Book Awards for children and young adults, for its sense of magic and the way it celebrates mātauranga and te ao Māori.
Before last night's awards ceremony, finalists hosted tamariki for a day of workshops, book signings and panel discussions to inspire Aotearoa's next generation of authors.
Lauren Crimp was there.
