Rākau: The Ancient Forests of Aotearoa

By Ned Barraud

Publication: September 2025
Pages: 48
Format: Hardback 
ISBN:  978-1-99-107206-1 

RRP: $35

This beautifully illustrated and handsomely packaged guide to the evolution, habitats and variety of the rākau (trees) and ngahere (forests) of Aotearoa for young readers is written and illustrated in award-winning Ned Barraud’s hallmark accessible, informative and captivating style.

Featuring gatefolds and framed throughout by core mātauranga Māori and the expertise of curators at Te Papa, New Zealand’s national museum, Rākau takes young readers from pre-history to the present day. It introduces key species and highlights the significance and use of different native trees and the impact of humans on their vitality.

Ideal for both the library and home, this engrossing book helps young readers discover what makes our rākau so special and worthy of our care.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ned Barraud is an 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, New Zealand’s Backyard Beasts and Mangō: Sharks and Rays of Aotearoa, the last of which won an award for children’s natural history at the 2024 Whitley Awards. Along with author Gillian Candler, he has also illustrated the popular Explore & Discover series, which includes the prize-winning At the Beach.