The poetic and illustrative magic of Margaret Mahy and David Elliot
The Word Witch is a book containing a selection of the wonderful poetry of Margaret Mahy. It is beautifully illustrated by David Elliot.
Do you know about the Word Witch? Has she cast her spell over you? She can lasso with a limerick, haunt with a haiku and wrap you tight in a rhyme, quick as lightning. Her cauldron is a dictionary, her wand a mighty pen, and she stirs her words at midnight, making tempting treats for children, to please and tease and tantalise them with imaginary treasures and delectable dreams. She weaves words into adventures, sets verses wildly dancing, makes similes sing and stamp their feet and poems purr like pussycats who've eaten all the cream. Her name is Margaret Mahy. These are her spells.
Kids Competition
Can you cook up a good spell and magic up an amazing illustration? Write a spell for a Word Witch or Wizard, illustrate it and be in to win!
Download and print an Entry Form or pick one up from the Taupo Library or Taupo Museum. 
Judging by David Elliot
Entries close 4.30pm 9th March
Bring your entry to Taupo Museum or Taupo Library
Winners announced Saturday 12 March
All entries will be displayed at Taupo Museum from 11 March until 5 April.
Enter the Word Witch Raffle
Buy a raffle ticket at the Taupo Library and be in to win your own copy of The Word Witch. Tickets are a bargain at 50cents each. The raffle will be drawn by David Elliot when he visits on March 11-12th.
Proceeds from this raffle go to Friends of the Taupo Library and Friends of the Taupo Museum who have jointly funded the Making of the Word Witch activities here in Taupo.
Make sure you head along to the Making of the Word Witch Exhibition which runs from Saturday 12th February to Monday 4th April at the Taupo Museum. Check out the collection of Margaret Mahy ephemera along with 100 framed working and finished drawings created for the Word Witch.
This exhibition has been funded jointly by the Friends of both the Taupo Library and the Taupo Museum.
For more information about the exhibition, visit the Taupo Museum Website.
Kids, pick up one of Kevin's famous Library Brainteasers from the Taupo Library. Answer the ten questions by finding the clues amongst the kids books at the library and be in to win a Secret Prize Package.
Entry forms will be available at the Taupo Library from Friday 11th February. You will need to find the ten answers and get your entries in to the box at the library by Monday 4th April.
Don't miss out on your chance to meet the Illustrator of Margaret Mahy's The Making of the Word Witch.
Gain insight into David Elliot's work and find inspiration for your own.
David is flying into town on: Friday March 11th
He lands at: The Taupo Public Library
Come along and hear him talk at: 3.30pm
Tickets are: Free, there is no need to book
And: Anyone of any age can come!
Bring your family along to the Family Day.
Come and see the art of David Elliot and hear the fantastic poems of The Word Witch by Margaret Mahy. Make a craft, enter a treasure hunt competition, do crosswords and colouring-in and view the original art work from this amazing book.
Come dressed as a Witch or Wizard! There will be a Prize for the Best Dressed!
When: Saturday 19th March - 10.30am - 1.30pm.
Where: Taupo Library and Taupo Museum.
Would you like to learn the art of illustrating and writing Children's Books? Register for a Full-Day Workshop with Award-Winning Author and Illustrator, David Elliot. This workshop is suitable for senior students/adults, Places are limited to 12 so be in quick!
When: Saturday 12th March - 9.30am - 4.00pm.
Where: Taupo Museum.
Cost: $70
More Information
Phone: Chris 07 376 0416 / 021 034 2898
Email: info@taupomuseum.co.nz
Margaret Mahy is a former Children's Librarian at Christchurch City Libraries and is one of the world's best and most famous children's authors. Margaret Mahy was born in Whakatane in 1936, and wrote her first story at the age of seven. After graduating from Auckland University College and Canterbury University College, in 1955, with a BA, Margaret Mahy then attended the New Zealand Library School in Wellington, received her Librarian's diploma, and then went to work for the Petone Public Library. In 1967 she worked for the School Library Service in Christchurch. During this time she had stories published in the New Zealand School Journal. Margaret Mahy's first book to be published was A Lion in the Meadow in 1969. In 1976 Margaret Mahy was appointed Children's Librarian at Canterbury Public Library. In 1980 she became a fulltime writer and has gone on to win numerous awards for her books including The Carnegie Medal, the Hans Christian Andersen Award and the Prime Minister’s Literacy Award.
Find out more on The Margaret Mahy Pages.
Find Books by Margaret Mahy in the Taupo Library.
David Elliot was born and raised in Ashburton before moving to Christchurch to study a Diploma in Visual Arts at the University of Canterbury. After he graduated, David worked as a designer for a couple of years before travelling to Antarctica, through Asia and Europe, and onto Scotland where he became gatekeeper at Edinburgh Zoo. It was during this time that David became increasingly interested in writing and illustrating books for children. David has provided illustrations for numerous New Zealand children's books, including Janet Frame's only book for children, Mona Minim and the Smell of the Sun. He has also written and illustrated five picture books of his own. David’s work is increasingly in demand overseas and he has illustrated books by UK author, Brian Jacques (Redwall series) and US author TA Barron (Great Tree of Avalon series). David currently teaches drawing part-time, as part of a visual arts course in Dunedin. The rest of his week is spent on his own work, in his Port Chalmers studio.
Visit David Elliot's Website.
Find Books Written or Illustrated by David Elliot in the Taupo Library.