From creating zines to being shoulder tapped to illustrate a picture book, award-winning Aotearoa illustrator-author, Isabel Joy Te Aho-White (Izzy) comes onto The KidLit Pod to share her impressive career.

In episode 21, Izzy, Ngāi Tahu and Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Wairoa, discusses her childhood creativity and how art captured her early on, while her twin sister and older sister were more sporty. Izzy's parents facilitated this love of art by encouraging her to d, private art classes, guiding her art education path early on.

Izzy transitioned from a love of high school art and hanging out in the art room to further education that would support a career in art and illustration. From there, she paved her early career in storytelling selling zines at market that showed her art skills and love of pūrākau (ancestral storytelling).

These zines resulted in Izzy being “shoulder-tapped” by a publisher, which led to her illustrating 30+ children’s books. Izzy explains her niche combining nature, pūrākau, and kōwhaiwhai as a secondary visual narrative, and how guidance from Mark Kopua affirmed her use of Māori design.

Shara and Izzy discuss the development and success of Izzy's debut picture book, Whenua: Māori Pūrākau of Aotearoa (Little Moa), its development first for UK, then was adapted for a NZ audience. Izzy shares the research with her twin and kaumātua, South Island perspective mapping, and winning the 2026 Elsie Locke Award, before they discuss the soon to be released and equally spectacular sequel, Wāhine.

Izzy also shares her digital watercolor-like Procreate process, collaboration with Witi Ihimaera, other projects, a future book in the Whenua series, and a dream historical graphic novel that brings together both sides of her lineage.

LINKS:

Whenua: Māori Pūrākau of Aotearoa by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White

Wāhine: Māori Pūrākau of Aotearoa by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White

Isobel Joy Te Aho-White on Instagram: @izzyjoyart

Isobel Joy Te Aho-White Website: izzyjoyart.com

Little Moa (imprint of Hachette New Zealand)

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Find out more about The KidLit Pod host, Shara Curlett, here:

Shara Curlett on Instagram (@sharacurlett)

Shara Curlett Website (www.sharacurlett.com)