‘100 Amazing Tales from Aotearoa’ is a new book being launched this month by New Zealand’s unique museum publisher, Te Papa Press. It showcases 100 treasured items from the Museum’s collection and comes with two DVDs of the popular TV series that the book is based on.

Like the TV series, ‘Tales from Te Papa’, the book tours both the public sections of the museum and travels into its storerooms where the different curators share their insights into the stories behind the collections. Stories range from the secrets of the first dinosaur fossil ever discovered, to details of fearsome traditional weapons and armour from around the Pacific, through to the very personal stories of the Maori taonga, plus some very contemporary items like New Zealand’s most famous motorbike helmet.

"Te Papa holds millions of pieces in trust for the nation, and only a fraction of those can ever be on public display at any one time," says publisher Claire Murdoch, "but each piece has a unique story and publishing books like this one helps us keep the stories about our culture alive and circulating."

‘100 Amazing Tales from Aotearoa’ is designed to be enjoyed by children and adults alike. It is available to purchase from bookshops nationwide or online at www.tepapastore.co.nz.