Gavin Bishop

Waikato, Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāti Awa

Ngāti Pūkeko

1946 -

Gavin Bishop was born in Invercargill and educated at Kingston Primary School at Lake Wakatipu, Clifton Primary School, Invercargill, and Southland Technical College. He studied at the School of Fine Arts in Christchurch from 1964-68 graduating with Dip. F.A. (Hons) and in 1968 he attended Christchurch Teachers’ College and obtained a Teaching Diploma. Bishop taught Art at Linwood High School in Christchurch for twenty years and subsequently was Head of the Art Department at Christ’s College until 1998 when he became a full-time writer/illustrator of children’s books. He has won many awards for his books including the Russell Clark Medal for Illustration (1982), New Zealand Picturebook of the Year (1982, 1994 and 2000), and the Grand Prix of the Noma Concours, Japan, (1984). He was awarded NZ Children’s Book of the Year in 2000 and 2003. In 2000 he was presented with the Spectrum Print Award for the Best Use of Illustration in a New Zealand Book and was awarded the New Zealand Book Council Margaret Mahy medal for Services to Children’s literature – New Zealand’s highest honour for children’s literature. He was awarded a Christchurch Writers’ Walkway Bronze Plaque in 2002 and won the NZ Children’s Non-fiction Book of the Year in 2003. His children’s books are published internationally and articles about his work have appeared in the Library Association Journal, Times Education Supplement (London) and various other Australian, American and British publications. He was included in the 1990 edition of International Authors and Writers Who’s Who published by Burkes Peerage of London. In 1994 he designed 12 covers for a pre-school magazine for Chinese children published by the Shanghai Children and Juvenile Publishing House. In 1994 and 1995 he was a member of the Children’s Literature Grants committee of the NZ Arts Council. Bishop was author of a module on “Writing and Illustrating for Children” for the National Diploma of Children’s Literature at the Department of Extension Studies, College of Education, Christchurch. In 1996 he was guest lecturer at the Art Centre School of Design in Pasadena, California, and tutored “Drawing” and “Children’s Picturebook Design” for the spring semester at the Rhode Island School of Design. In 1997 he was awarded a QE II Arts Council Children’s Writers’ Project Grant to complete an historical picture book. Also in that year he gave lectures and ran a workshop on Children’s Picture Book Illustration and Design in Jakarta, and for the Asian Cultural Centre for UNESCO in Tokyo. From 1999-2001 he taught Image and Text at the Art & Design College of Aotearoa NZ.

Bishop is a member of the New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN New Zealand Inc.) and the New Zealand Illustrators’ Guild. He participated in the Words On Wheels Tour of Marlborough and Nelson in February 2000 with Elizabeth Knox, Vincent O’Sullivan, Catherine Chidgey, Briar Grace Smith and Lydia Wevers. In May of that year, Bishop was guest speaker at the Children’s Book Council of Australia Conference in Canberra, and later in 2000 presented two papers at the 18th World Congress of Reading in Auckland. In March 2001 he led the Words on Wheels Tour of Northland. In 2002 he was appointed to the Christchurch Books and Beyond Festival Trust and was also judge for the Noma Concours Children’s Picture book Art Competition in Tokyo. In 2003 he was Writer-in-Residence at the University of Canterbury and received a Smash Palace Art and Science Collaboration Grant with the HIT Lab, Canterbury University. Bishop was a Jury Member for the Noma Concours competition for international Picture Book Illustrators, UNESCO, Tokyo, Japan. In 2004 he had a major exhibition of art from The House that Jack Built (Scholastic, 1999) at the Dowse Gallery, Lower Hutt, which toured to Rotorua, Blenheim, Palmerston North, Nelson and Gisborne. Also in 2004 he had an exhibition of art from Weaving Earth and Sky at the Salamander Gallery in Christchurch. In 2005 he represented New Zealand at the 20th Biennale of Illustration held in Bratislava. Hinepau Capital E Production toured North Island in 2005 and had an Australian season in October 2006. In 2006 he an exhibition of original art at the Salamander Gallery in Christchurch.

"Bishop supplied illustration to Joy Cowley’s 2004 children’s book The Little Tractor (2004), and to Jean Prior’s The Waka, published by Scholastic in 2005. The latter of which was selected as a joint finalist in the Picture Book Category of the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. Between these projects, Bishop wrote and illustrated Taming The Sun: Four Mâori Myths (Random House, 2004), wherein he retells four essential Maori myths: Maui and the sun, Kahu and the taniwha, Maui and the big fish, and Rona and the moon. Taming The Sun: Four Mâori Myths was a finalist in the picture book category at the 2005 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children & Young Adults, as well as for the Russell Clark Award at the 2005 LIANZA Children's Book Awards. Its sequel, Counting the Stars: Four Maori Myths, was published in 2009.

Kiwi Moon (2006) was published by Random House Publishing and won the The Russell Clark Award, a national distinction rewarding the finest pictures or illustrations for a children’s book. 'Kiwi Moon has all the appeal and promise of a future folktale classic', said the judging panel. 'It is an outstanding example of how text and illustrations can be interwoven to produce a marvellous whole.' Kiwi Moon traces the story of a little white kiwi that looks to the similarly-coloured moon as his mother-figure, with Bishop locating the kiwi in a changing Maori world where intertribal warfare, Pakeha interference, and the extinction of wildlife feature.

Bishop again lent his artistic hand in 2007 to illustrate Joy Cowley’s Snake & Lizard (Gecko Press, 2007), which the following year was awarded Best in Junior Fiction and Book of the Year at the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.

Venturing into the realm of early autobiography, Bishop wrote and illustrated Piano Rock in 2008 to immortalize his childhood memories from the railway town of Kingston. Piano Rock won the 2009 PANZ Book Design Award in the children's category.

The Storylines Gavin Bishop Award was established in 2009. It aims to encourage the publication of new and exciting high-quality picture books from New Zealand illustrators. It also recognises the contribution Gavin Bishop has made to the writing and illustrating of children’s picture books and gives an emerging talent the opportunity to benefit from his expertise. Fourteen of Bishop's works have been listed as Storylines Notable Books, including four in 2010: Tom Thumb (2002), The Three Billy Goats Gruff (2004), Taming the Sun: Four Maori Myths (2005), Kiwi Moon (2006), The Waka (2006), Te Waka (2006), Riding the Waves: Four Maori Myths (2007), Snake & Lizard (2008), Rats! (2008), Piano Rock: A 1950s Childhood (2009), There Was a Crooked Man (2010), Cowshed Christmas (2010), Friends: Snake & Lizard (2010), and Counting the Stars: Four Maori Myths (2010).

More recently, Bishop has continued his collaboration with Joy Cowley by illustrating her 2009 book Cowshed Christmas, a finalist in the picture book category of the 2010 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. Friends: Snake & Lizard, also written by Joy Cowley and illustrated by Gavin Bishop, was the Children's Choice Junior Fiction Category Winner.

A new edition of The House that Jack Built - and the first Te Reo Maori version - was published by Gecko Press in 2012 as Koinei te Whare na Haki i Hanga. Also published in 2012 was Mister Whistler, written by Margaret Mahy and illustrated by Gavin Bishop, which was awarded Best Picture Book at the 2013 New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards. Also in 2013, Bishop received the Arts Foundation Mallinson Rendel Illustrator's Award.

In 2013, Bishop joined the New Zealand Book Council board.

Bishop’s latest written and illustrated work is Teddy One-Eye (2014). Within the book, Bishop continues the autobiographical trend that he previously established in Piano Rock (2008), and - via the central character of Teddy One-Eye - leads the reader through the incidences and joys of his childhood.

Bishop’s latest artistic offerings are to be found alongside Joy Cowley’s text in The Road to Ratenburg, where Cowley and Bishop imaginatively present the exploits of a group of rats who journey to find the blissful Ratenburg. The Road to Ratenburg is scheduled for release in April 2016."



Biographical sources

  • Correspondence with Gavin Bishop, 1992, 19 Aug and 15 Nov 1997, 12 July 1998, 14 March 2004, 2 February 2006 and 6 March 2008.
  • Arts Times Winter 1990: 18.
  • Bishop’s website is: www.gavinbishop.com
  • http://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/Writers/Profiles/Bishop,%20gavin 28 September 2016

    Biography

  • Piano Rock: A 1950s Childhood. Auckland, N.Z.: Random House New Zealand, 2008.

  • Children's literature

  • Mrs McGinty and the Bizarre Plant. Auckland, N.Z.: Oxford UP, 1981. Written and illustrated by Gavin Bishop.
  • A story of how a cucumber seedling bought at a “bring and buy” sale transformed the life of grumpy Mrs Delilah McGinty. Bishop won the New Zealand Library Association’s Russell Clark Medal for illustration of Mrs McGinty and the Bizarre Plant in 1982, and the book was a finalist in the New Zealand Children’s Picture Book of the Year in 1981. It was named by the NZ Listener as one of the ten “Most Significant New Zealand Children’s books”.
  • Bidibidi. Auckland, N.Z.: Oxford UP, 1982. Rpt. in a paperback edition. Auckland, N.Z.: Ashton Scholastic, 1991. Rpt as Bidibidi. [Māori version] Nā Gavin Bishop. Nā Apirana Mahuika i whakamāori. Auckland, N.Z. [N.Z.]: Scholastic, 2001. Written and illustrated by Gavin Bishop.
  • The adventures of a sheep called Bidibidi who set off to find the land of the rainbow. This book was a finalist for the New Zealand Picture Book of the Year in 1982 and prizewinner in the Asian section of the 1982 Noma Concours Award for children’s book illustration.
  • Mr Fox. Auckland, N.Z.: Oxford UP, 1982. Rpt. as Ta Pokiha [Māori edition] Trans. Katarina Mataira. Auckland, N.Z.: Oxford UP, 2001. Retold and illustrated by Gavin Bishop.
  • Bishop writes a retelling of the children’s story of the acquisitive Mr Fox who is finally outwitted by the little golden woman. This picture book was awarded the New Zealand Picture Book of the Year in 1983, was Grand Prix winner of Noma Concours, Japan, in 1984, and has been exhibited at Bratislava Biennale and the Bologna Book Fair. It was named by the NZ Listener as one of the ten “Great New Zealand Children’s books.”
  • Chicken Licken. Auckland, N.Z.: Oxford UP, 1984. Rpt. as P˚p˚ paopao. Kua kōrerohia anō, kua waituhia hoki e Gavin Bishop. Nā Kāterina Mataira i whakamāori. Auckland, N.Z.: Scholastic, 2001.
  • Retold and illustrated by Gavin Bishop. The adventures of Chicken Licken who, when an acorn fell on its head one morning, set off to tell the queen that the sky was falling. This book was selected for exhibition at the Premi Catalonia D’ll-lustracio in Barcelona in 1984.
  • The Horror of Hickory Bay. Auckland, N.Z.: Oxford UP, 1984.
  • A fantasy about a great hungry monster at Hickory Bay who is finally destroyed by the sound of India Brown’s violin, Uncle Athol’s harmonica and Smudge’s barking. This book was selected for exhibition for the Bratislava Biennale 1985 and exhibited at Premi Catalonia D’ll-lustracio in Barcelona in 1986.
  • The Hungry Fox. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1985.
  • A commissioned reader for American publisher Houghton Mifflin.
  • Mother Hubbard. Auckland, N.Z.: Oxford UP, 1986.
  • This picture book is a retelling of the children’s nursery rhyme.
  • A Apple Pie. Auckland, N.Z.: Oxford UP, 1987.
  • A children’s alphabet book. A Chinese edition of A Apple Pie was published by the Beijing Children and Juvenile Publishing House in March 1995.
  • The Three Little Pigs. New York: Scholastic, 1989. Rpt. as Ngā Poaka e Toru. Kua kōrerohia anō kua whakaiorohia hoki e Gavin Bishop; nā Kāterina Mataira i whakamāori [Māori trans.]. Auckland, N.Z.: Scholastic, 2001.
  • Retold and illustrated by Gavin Bishop. A retelling of the children’s story Three Little Pigs.
  • Katarina. Auckland, N.Z.: Black Cat, Random Century New Zealand Ltd (An imprint of the Random Century Group), 1990.
  • Bishop draws this story from the experiences of his great-aunt Katarina who left her whanau in the Waikato in 1861 and settled in Murihiku with her Scottish husband William McKay. Bishop portrays Katarina’s loneliness and homesickness for her Waikato whanau amidst the climate of the land wars and the gold rush.
  • Hinepau. Auckland, N.Z.: Ashton Scholastic, 1993. Rpt. 1994.
  • The story of Hinepau who although exiled from her tribe ultimately returns to save them from the wrath of Maungariri. Editorial notes state that “Hinepau carried [Bishop’s] mother’s name, an old family name which goes back hundreds of years, she is Ngåti Pukeko (Ngåti Awa) from near Whakatane, on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand.” Hinepau won the New Zealand Picture Book of the Year in the 1994 Aim Book Awards.
  • Spider. [Hong Kong]: Wendy Pye, 1995.
  • Graded reader. Illustrations by Peter Stevenson Bishop writes in this emergent reader “a spider crawls through a window, across the floor and onto a table where it spins a web from the pepper pot to Auntie Nell’s nose.”
  • There is a Planet. [Hong Kong]: Wendy Pye, 1995.
  • Illustrations by Andrew Trimmer. An early reader. Bishop writes “this is a telescopic story which starts with, ‘There is a Planet...’ and finishes with, ‘And on that dog there is a flea, hee, hee, hee, hee, hee, hee.’”
  • I Like to Find Things. [Hong Kong]: Wendy Pye, 1995.
  • Graded reader. Illustrations by Neil Vesey. An early reader in which “a small boy collects things like snails, frogs and so on and keeps them all in his bedroom.”
  • The Cracker Jack. [Hong Kong]: Wendy Pye, 1995.
  • Illustrations by Jill Allpress. In this emergent reader the text “tells you how to do a dance called the Cracker Jack.”
  • Maui and the Sun. New York: North South Books, 1996.
  • A trade picture book. Bishop writes that in this story "Maui and his brothers capture and slow the sun to make the days longer." This book was a finalist in the NZ Post Children’s Book Awards.
  • Good Luck Elephant. [Hong Kong]: Wendy Pye, 1996.
  • Text and illustrations by Gavin Bishop. An early reader in which "an elephant goes for a walk down a scary road at night. He is not afraid because he has all his lucky charms with him, but the moon comes out from behind a cloud and casts a big shadow ‘monster’ on the road in front of him."
  • Cabbage Caterpillar. [Hong Kong]: Wendy Pye, 1996.
  • Illustrations by Jim Storey. An early reader about a cabbage caterpillar. The caterpillar “moves from a cabbage to a cauliflower and then to some broccoli before running out of places to go as the farmer cuts vegetables for his lunch. The caterpillar escapes once and for all by turning into a cabbage butterfly and flying off to a new cabbage garden.”
  • Little Rabbit and the Sea. New York: North South Books, 1997. Words and pictures by Gavin Bishop.
  • Little Rabbit dreams of seeing the sea. A seagull gives him a shell to help him.
  • Jump Into Bed. Auckland, N.Z.: Shortland, 1997.
  • Illustrations by Craig Brown. An emergent reader in which "a young bear does not want to go to bed because there are lots of other things that he would rather do."
  • The Secret Lives of Mr and Mrs Smith. [Hong Kong]: Wendy Pye, 1997.
  • Illustrations by Korky Paul. In this reader for older children “Mr and Mrs Smith lead secret lives as undercover agents and neither of them know about each other.”
  • Maui and the Goddess of Fire. Auckland, N.Z.: Scholastic NZ Ltd, 1998. Retold by Gavin Bishop. Illustrated by Gavin Bishop.
  • Bishop writes that in this book “Maui visits his grandmother to get some fire for his village but does not show enough respect for her mana.”
  • It Makes Me Smile. [Hong Kong}: Wendy Pye, 1998.
  • Illustrations by Emanuela Carletti.
  • Mice Like Rice. [Hong Kong}: Wendy Pye, 1998.
  • Graded reader. Illustrations by Astrid Matijasevic.
  • The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing. Auckland, N.Z.: Shortland, 1999.
  • Six Aesop fables.
  • The Lucky Grub. [Hong Kong]: Wendy Pye, 1999.
  • Illustrations by Jim Storey.
  • Stay Awake, Bear! New York: Orchard, 2000.
  • Text and illustrations by Gavin Bishop. Was shortlisted and was a CLFNZ Notable Book.
  • The House that Jack Built. Auckland, N.Z.: Scholastic NZ, 2000.
  • Won the Book of the Year and was a CLFNZ Notable Book in 2000.
  • Tom Thumb: The True History of Sir Thomas Thumb. Auckland, N.Z.: Random House, 2001. Paperback ed. 2002
  • Picture book produced for Random House NZ Ltd
  • The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Auckland, N.Z.: Scholastic NZ. 2003.
  • Was a finalist for the Russell Clark Medal for Illustration.
  • Hinepau. Auckland, N.Z.: Scholastic, 2004.
  • Taming the Sun: Four Māori Myths. Auckland, N.Z.: Random House, 2004
  • This collection was a finalist in both the 2005 Picture Book Category of the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, and The Russell Clark Award at the LIANZA Children’s Book Awards 2005.
  • Kiwi Moon. Auckland, N.Z.: Random House, 2005.
  • Riding the Waves: Four Māori Myths. Auckland, N.Z.: Random House, 2006. Translated into Māori as Whakaeke I Ngā Ngaru: E Whā Tino Purākau by Kāterina Te Heikōkō Mataira. Auckland, N.Z.: Random House New Zealand, 2006.Translation of Riding the Waves.
  • Rats. Auckland, N.Z.: Random House New Zealand, 2007.
  • There Was An Old Woman. Wellington, N.Z.: Gecko Press, 2008.
  • Counting the Stars: Four Māori Myths. Auckland, N.Z.: Random House, 2009.
  • There Was A Crooked Man. Wellington, N.Z.: Gecko Press, 2009.
  • Cowshed Springtime: A Kiwi Counting Book. Auckland, N.Z.: Random House, 2010.
  • Bruiser. Auckland, N.Z.: Random House New Zealand Ltd., 2011.
  • Māui and the goddess of fire. Auckland : Scholastic New Zealand, 2015. EditionA redesigned edition.
  • retold and illustrated by Gavin Bishop.
  • Quaky Cat helps out. Auckland, New Zealand : Scholastic, 2015.
  • written by Diana Noonan and Illustrated by Gavin Bishop.
  • The road to Ratenburg. Wellington, N.Z: Gecko Press, 2016.
  • written by Cowley, Joy and Illustrated by Bishop, Gavin.

    • Films/Video

  • Bidibidi. Dunedin, N.Z.: TVNZ Natural History Department, 1990.
  • Television series of 13 episodes for T.V.N.Z.’s Natural History Unit based on the Bishop’s book of the same title. This series was broadcast on television in November and December, 1990. Bishop writes "the story was extended with songs and live natural history footage. The characters were puppets and the settings were based very closely on the illustrations in the book."
  • Bidibidi to the Rescue. 1991.
  • This was a new story written for a television series of 13 episodes for T.V.N.Z.’s Natural History Unit as a follow-up to Bidibidi This series was broadcast in November and December 1991. Bishop writes that "it tells how Bidibidi the sheep, living in the mountains with the old rainbow maker, Rainbow Jackson, journeys to the West Coast to find a cure for her ailing friend, (Rainbow Jackson). She has many adventures including the discovery of a smuggling ring which captures native birds for illegal export to foreign zoos. Again there are lots of songs and live natural history footage spliced in from time to time."

    • Non-fiction

  • "Gavin Bishop; Kia ora Professor Cole." Inside Story: Year Book. 2000. 9-25.
  • Includes Bishop’s address at the Margaret Mahy Medal Award Lecture in 2000.

    • Other

  • Giant Jimmy Jones.
  • "Story and illustrations for the world’s first animated, 3-dimensional, pop-up picture book – produced in colaboration with One Glass eye and the HIT LAB University of Canterbury." See www.hitlabnz.org

    • Papers/Presentations

  • "Making Books That Matter and Surviving as a Writer at the Same Time." Author Luncheon - 18th World Congress of Reading. Auckland, N.Z., 12 July, 2000.
  • The text of this lecture can be found on Bishop’s website
  • "Putting It Together." Session Talk—18th World Congress. Auckland, N.Z., 12th July, 2000.
  • The text of this lecture can be found on Bishop’s website
  • "Kiaora Professor Cole Lecture for the Margaret Mahy Award 2000." Inside Story: Year Book 2000: 9-25.
  • The text of this lecture can be found on Bishop’s website
  • "Cinderellas of the Art World? Gavin Bishop Panel Session": Auckland, N.Z., Saturday 20th May 2000.
  • The text of this lecture can be found on Bishop’s website.

    • Performing Arts

  • Terrible Tom. 1985.
  • Bishop was responsible for the story and design of this commissioned ballet for the Royal New Zealand Ballet Company which toured nationally for 18 months and was performed at the Wellington Arts Festival in 1986 and 1994. Bishop writes "[t] he story tells of a naughty boy who runs away from his Grandma’s house to go to the park so that he can tease the birds in an aviary there." Philip Norman wrote the music for this hour-long ballet and Russell Kerr was the choreographer.
  • Te Maia and the Sea Devil. 1987.
  • Story and design for a commissioned ballet for the New Zealand Ballet Company which toured nationally. Bishop writes that the ballet is "set on the West Coast of the South Island [and that] it tells of a young Māori girl who lives with her father in a hut on the sea shore. Her mother mysteriously disappeared when she was a baby. One day a beautiful sea horse appears on the beach. She tells Te Maia to beware of the terrible sea devil, Taipo. There is a huge storm and Te Maia’s father is captured by Taipo and taken under the sea. Te Maia sets out to find her father and of course she does and as an added bonus she discovers that the sea horse is also her mother." Bishop designed the sets and costumes, Philip Norman composed the music and Russell Kerr did the choreography.

    • Reviews

  • "A Wink to the Grown-Ups." Rev. of The Night kite, by Peter Bland; Napoleon and the chicken farmer, by Lloyd Jones; Cat’s whiskers - 4 favourite Lynley Dodd stories, by Lynley Dodd. New Zealand Books 14.3 (2004): 5.

  • Theses

  • "Collective Ideas on Western Aesthetics and Māori Art. "Dip. FA Thesis. U of Canterbury, 1967.

  • Visual Arts

  • O’Brien, Katherine. The Year of the Yelvertons. Oxford UP, 1981.
  • Bishop was awarded the Ester Glenn Medal for these illustrations.
  • Leverich, Kathleen. The Hungry Fox. Boston. Houghton. 1986.
  • Dietz, Beveryley. The Lion and the Jackel. USA: Silver Burdett & Ginn, 1991.
  • Bailey, Philip H. The Wedding of Mistress Fox. New York, U.S.A.: North/South, 1994.
  • A re-telling of the original story by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Bishop writes that "the Mistress Fox retires to her room when her husband, the old Mr Fox dies, and when a string of suitors come knocking at her door she sends them all away except one." In 1996, French, Dutch, Japanese and Chinese editions were published.
  • Bailey, Philip H. The Wedding of Mistress Fox. New York: North/South Books, 1994.
  • Retold from the Brothers Grimm.
  • Watson, Joy. Pets. Wellington, N.Z.: Learning Media NZ, 1988, 1997.
  • Cowley, Joy. The Bears’ Picnic. Auckland, N.Z.: Shortland, 1997.
  • Lawrence, Richard C.. Woodchuck’s New Helper. New York: Scott Foresman, 1999.
  • Cowley, Joy. The Video Shop Sparrow. Wellington, N.Z.: Mallinson Rendel NZ, 1999.
  • Cowley, Joy. Maui and the Sun. USA: Wright Group, 2000.
  • Cowley, Joy. Pip the Penguin. Auckland, N.Z.: Scholastic NZ, 2001.
  • Sullivan, Robert. Weaving Earth and Sky. New Zealand: Random House, 2002.
  • Winner of the non-fiction section of the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards in 2003. Winner of the New Zealand Post Book of the Year in 2003.
  • Cowley, Joy. The Little Tractor. Auckland, N.Z.: Scholastic New Zealand, 2004.
  • Cowley, Joy. Tarakihana Pakupaku. Māori trans. Katerina Mataira. Akarana, Aotearoa: Scholastic New Zealand, 2004.
  • Leask, Jeffry. Little Red Rocking Hood. Auckland, N.Z.: Ashton Scholastic, 1992. Rev. ed. Auckland, N.Z.: Scholastic, 2005.
  • A Rock Opera written by Jeffrey Leask. Illustrated by Gavin Bishop. “Designed as part of the music programme for schools, sold also as a big book with pre recorded tape of music.” Accompanied by a dound disc. http://www.gavinbishop.com/red_rock.shtml
  • Leask, Jeff. Little Red Rocking Hood: A Rock Opera. Auckland, N.Z.: Scholastic, 2005.
  • Prior, Jean. The Waka. Auckland, N.Z.: Scholastic, 2005.
  • Prior, Jean. Te Waka. Auckland: N.Z.: Scholastic, 2005.
  • Maori translation by Katerina Te Heikōkō Mataira.
  • Cowley, Joy. Snake and Lizard. Wellington, N.Z.: Gecko Press, 2007.
  • Cowley, Joy. Friends: Snake and Lizard. Wellington, N.Z.: Gecko Press, 2009.
  • Cowley, Joy. Cowshed Christmas: A Kiwi Christmas Story. Auckland, N.Z.: Random House, 2009.
  • Noonan, Diana. Quaky Cat. Auckland, N.Z.: Scholastic, 2010.
  • Cowley, Joy. Just One More. Wellington, N.Z.: Gecko Press, 2011.
  • Stories by Joy Cowley, illus. by Gavin Bishop.

    Other

  • Agnew, Trevor. "A Creative Collision: the Pop-Up Book of the Future." Magpies:Ttalking about Books for Children. 19.1 (2004): Sup.1-3.
  • Barley, Janet. "Gavin Bishop." Winter in July. New Jersey: Scarecrow, 1995. 51-64.
  • "Bishop, Gavin 1946-." Something about the Author. 97 (SATA) 199?. 15-18.
  • Booklist May 1, 1996: 1508
  • Darnell, Doreen. "An Interview with Gavin Bishop." Talespinner 8 (1999): 23-29.
  • Dunkle, Margaret. "Gavin Bishop." The Story Makers. Melbourne: Oxford UP, 1987. 7.
  • Dunlop, Celia. "Fresh Flair." Listener 4 Feb. 1991: 80.
  • Profiles Bishop.
  • Fitzgibbon, Tom. "Gavin Bishop." Beneath Southern Skies. Auckland, N.Z.: Ashton Scholastic, 1993. 16-17.
  • Garry, Arthur. "Katarina." The Press 5 Jan. 1991: 5.
  • An interview with Bishop.
  • Gaskin, Chris. "Gavin Bishop." Picture Book Magic. Auckland, N.Z.: Heinemann Reed, 1996. 24-28.
  • Gilling, Naomi. "Māoritanga, Green Message Woven." The Press 3 Nov. 1993: 2.
  • Guerin, Louise. "A lasting effect." Listener 25 Sep. 1993: 46-47.
  • Hunt, Peter. "New Zealand." Children’s Literature: An Illustrated History. Oxford UP, 1995. 346.
  • McKenzie, John. "Gavin Bishop: a Quintessential New Zealand Picture Book Artist." English in Aotearoa 46 (2002): 3-17.
  • Marantz, Sylvia and Kenneth. "Gavin Bishop." Artists of the Page. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co, 1992. 28-34.
  • Interviews with 29 children’s book illustrators from around the world.
  • Nagelkerke, Bill. "Know the Author." Magpies: Talking about Books for Children 13.5 (1998): Sup. 4-6.
  • Packer, Ann. "Children’s Author’s Personal Odyssey." Evening Post 7 Apr. 1990. 30.
  • Packer, Ann. "Meet the Family." Listener 17 Nov. 2001. 58-59.
  • Packer, Ann. "Writing Heritage." North and South 215 (2004): 26-27.
  • Phelps, Karen. "Different Dimension." Sunday Star Times 8 June 2003: Sup. 32-33.
  • Publishers Weekly 28 Nov. 1994: 61.
  • Rewi, Adrienne. "Bishop’s Bunny is Winner." Sunday Star Times 23 Nov. 1997: E7.
  • Rewi, Adrienne. "It all Began with Roast Mutton." Press 13 Dec. 1997: Sup. 2.
  • School Library Journal Mar. 1990: 188
  • School Library Journal Dec. 1994: 122-123.
  • School Library Journal July 1996: 77.
  • Simpson, Peter. "Bishop Exhibition." Press 24 Aug. 1991: 29.
  • Slade, Colin. "Matching Picture with Text." Press 16 Aug. 1995: 13.
  • Thomson, Margie. "Writer-Artist Says Books for Kids Not Child’s Play." New Zealand Herald 1 Apr. 2000: J8.
  • Tyler, Janet. "Designs on Words." Quote Unquote 6 (1993): 11.

  • Reviews

    A Apple Pie
  • Hebley, Diane. "Children’s Books: The One-Minute Novel." Listener 2 Apr. 1988: 66-67.
  • "In Review: Fiction." School Library Review 8.2 (1988): 9-16.
  • Bidibidi
  • Plumpton, Frances (and others). "Book Reviews." Magpies: Talking about Books for Children 17.4 (2002): Sup. 6-8.
  • Chicken Licken
  • Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (Apr. 1985): 141.
  • Lavender, Ralph. School Librarian (June 1985): 133.
  • Giant Jimmy Jones
  • Agnew, Trevor. "A Creative Collision: the Pop-Up Book of the Future." Magpies: Talking about Books for Children 19.1 (2004): Sup.1-3.
  • McKenzie, John. "Eyemagic: the Book of the Future?" Talespinner 17 (2004): 33-35.
  • Hinepau
  • Du Fresne, Karen. "Weaving Magic." Listener 5 Feb. 1994: 52-53.
  • Katarina
  • Arthur, Garry. "Katarina." The Press 5 Jan. 1991: 20.
  • Gilderdale, Betty. "Classic, Exuberant Efforts from Mahy." New Zealand Herald 25 May 1991: 6.
  • Hall, Mary. "Non-fiction." InfoChoice: A Buying Guide for Primary School Libraries 8 (1991): 8.
  • Hoben, Ngaire. "Non-fiction." New and Notable: Books for the Secondary School Library 8.1 (1991): 23.
  • Morris, Bruce. "Moving Tale of Old New Zealand." Dominion 19 Jan. 1991: 9.
  • Packer, Ann. "A Beautiful Bicultural Mix." Evening Post 25 Jan. 1991: 5.
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  • Agnew, Trevor. The Source (Australian/New Zealand website)l 2005. No further details.
  • Maui and the Goddess of Fire
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  • Taming the Sun
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  • McKenzie, John L. "The Use (And Abuse?) Of History." Magpies: Talking about Books for Children 14.4 (1999): Sup.1-3.
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  • Reading Time 48.2, 2003. No further details.
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  • McKenzie, John. "The Spectator Gaze and the Other in Gavin Bishop’s Tom Thumb." English in Aotearoa 46 (2002): 18-26.
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  • Manuel, Carol. "Myths and Legends from Aotearoa." Reading Forum NZ 3 (2003): 26-28.
  • Nagelkerke, Bill (and others). "Book Reviews." Magpies: Talking about Books for Children 18.1 (2003): Sup.7-8.