‘I can still hear my mum reading it to me': Kate Preece on the power of picture books

The Spinoff

2 days ago

Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits of Aotearoa writers, and guests. This week: Kate Preece, author of Ten Nosey Weka (illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White) which is a finalist for the The BookHub Picture Book Award at the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.
The book I wish I'd written
Girl A by Abigail Dean. It is the type of thriller I would want my name on – not because of its (horrific) true crime-inspired subject matter, but because of the way everything you've learnt is turned on its head by the final page. Plus, the success story for this debut novel is every author's dream, from nine publishers competing for her manuscript at an auction, to Sony securing the screen rights.
Everyone should read
Small Great Things because of Jodi Picoult's character-building mastery. It is so uncomfortable to be placed in the mind of a white supremacist. He's just one character, in one of her many novels, but I remember him – or rather, I remember what he felt. I admit to being a late-comer to the Picoult fan club, but she (and Kristin Hannah) are now my go-to authors.
The book I want to be buried with
… hasn't been written yet. It will be the last one I ever read. It will be something worth reading, because it will take me on my final journey.
Dystopia or utopia
Dystopia, particularly when its reality is disturbingly imaginable – or when the concept makes you see things completely differently. I really enjoyed The Measure by Nikki Erlick, which pits eight people against their own mortality. Overnight, named boxes appear on every doorstep in the world, each containing a piece of string. The length of the string tells its owner how long they have left to live. From the choice of whether or not to open your box, through to the world's rapid development of prejudices in relation to life expectancies, I found the storyline very thought-provoking.
Fiction or nonfiction
Fiction, for my pleasure, but I believe nonfiction is a really powerful tool for children. Often, it can be what gets kids into reading – it satisfies their curiosity for the world around them, and they forget that they're actually reading. That's why I couldn't help myself from including facts in my books – did you know that the parea (Chatham Island wood pigeon) is a packet of biscuits heavier than a kererū?
The book that haunts me
There's a book that haunts me from my childhood. When the sun is setting and pink and blue colours are cast across the sky, I see this book. The problem is I have no idea what it's called! There are pink and a blue cloud parents (think 1980s), and a purple child. It was almost comic-like, and possibly within a collection of stories … Sometimes, I can see a red cover. So yes, haunted.
The book that made me laugh
Fox in Socks. A classic Dr Seuss tongue-twister, it's such a great read-aloud book. I have many fond memories of reading it to my children as quickly as humanly possible.
The book that made me cry
After a long spate of reading only Val McDermid's Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan series – so well written that the intensely gruesome crime scenes made sense (until you tried to relay them to someone else) – Where the Crawdads Sing moved me to tears. I am yet to see what the big-screen did to Delia Owens' bestseller, but something tells me that I don't want to.
Greatest New Zealand book
Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy. Lynley Dodd's clever use of rhyme, rhythm and repetition is something I aim to emulate, because it makes her writing so fun to read, and listen to. I have a weakness for Scarface Claw, too, but that's more because my son used to call him the 'toughest Tom in toe'.
Greatest New Zealand writer
The dearly beloved Margaret Mahy for all the treasures she's given generation after generation. When I think about 17 Kings and 42 Elephants I can hear my mum reading it to me. When there's a spider in the bathroom, I think about the scared lion from The Spider in the Shower. Then, for my children, it's A Lion in the Meadow they remember – especially as their mum is still known to respond with: 'Nonsense, little boy.'
Best thing about reading
It creates shared experiences. Books provide a common ground, enabling connection across all ages. Reading children's books together also influences family dialogues. Thanks to Ten Nosey Weka, my son always asks for biscuits using a number in ta rē Moriori, and I dearly hope similar things are happening in other areas of the motchu, too.
Best place to read
In an aeroplane. Travelling gives me a sense of freedom; the only thing you have to do in that time between A and B is 'get there'. It's bonus time, and I relish filling that with a good book. (I look with jealousy at my children who can read in the car without getting sick!)
What I'm reading right now
The latest offering from our book club. When I moved to Rēkohu, I reached out to the Book Discussion Scheme (Christchurch) to see if they would support a book club over here, and, thankfully, they've made it work (i.e. acknowledged that we have no control over the always-late post!). So, there are 11 of us reading The Believer by Sarah Krasnostein, a non-fiction book about 'ghosts and gods and flying saucers'. My favourite reads have been: Becky Manawatu's Auē, American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins, and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman, which is delightfully quirky.
The winners of the 2025 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults will be revealed at a ceremony in Wellington tonight, August 13. The Spinoff will be live-blogging the event alongside hosting the livestream.