Storylines Children’s Literature Charitable Trust of New Zealand | Te Whare Waituhi Tamariki o Aotearoa
Isobel Te Aho-White is a talented illustrator known for her captivating work that celebrates Aotearoa’s native plant life and explores themes of mana wahine, kaitiakitanga, te taiao, and ancestral healing. She earned her Diploma in Visual Arts from UCOL and a Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Illustration from Massey University.
Isobel’s illustration career took off in 2015 when she began freelancing and creating her own illustrated stories, which quickly garnered attention from publishers like School Journal and Huia. Her debut book, Santa’s Worst Christmas (2019), was nominated across multiple categories in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.
Her subsequent work includes illustrating Whiti: Colossal Squid of the Deep (2020), which won a prestigious Whitley Award for Best Children’s Book.
Isobel has also contributed illustrations to notable works such as Witi Ihimaeras’ Te Kōkōrangi /The Astromancer (2022) and The Maori Picture Dictionary/Te Papakupu Whakaahua by Josh Morgan, Margaret Sinclair and Ross Calman (2022).
Beyond children’s book illustration, her artistic endeavors span graphic design, editorial work, and community mural projects, showcasing her versatility across various media including ink, watercolour, acrylic, oil, and gold leaf.
