100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

🐉 🔥 Happy Threshing Day! Pre-order the Deluxe Edition of Rebecca Yarros' newest release today! 🔥 🐉

The Peach King

Brief Description
A contemporary fable about the resilience of nature from Inga Simpson, one of Australia's leading nature writers, with paintings by acclaimed illustrator Tannya HarricksWhen Little Peach Tree was just a sapling, all they could see was row upon row of other peach trees. And, on top... Read More
Format: Hardback
$2999
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

A contemporary fable about the resilience of nature from Inga Simpson, one of Australia's leading nature writers, with paintings by acclaimed illustrator Tannya Harricks

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
A contemporary fable about the resilience of nature from Inga Simpson, one of Australia's leading nature writers, with paintings by acclaimed illustrator Tannya Harricks

When Little Peach Tree was just a sapling, all they could see was row upon row of other peach trees. And, on top of the hill, watching over the orchard - the Peach King.

As seasons pass, bringing cycles of change, Little Peach Tree grows and grows.

But darker changes are stirring. Soon rain is scarce, the forests turn brown, animals flee and the sky turns red.

To protect the orchard, the Peach King faces grave danger and Little Peach Tree must find their voice.

'A modern classic . . . An exquisite book destined to be treasured by generations . . . Its timeless quality and gentle wisdom invite return visits, making it a rewarding and enduring read' BOOKS+PUBLISHING

'Simpson's writing is exquisite: spare, lyrical and deeply evocative. There is not a word wasted or out of place. Her story is perfectly matched with illustrations that sweep from corner to corner bringing the seasons alive. Together they create a timeless tale of growth, change and resilience . . . A book destined to become a classic' GOOD READING MAGAZINE

'A fable for our times - one that feels both timeless and urgent' AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780734418517

Publisher: Hachette Australia

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 30 September 2025

Country: Australia

Imprint: Lothian Books

Contributors:

  • Illustrated by Tannya Harricks

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 9.0mm

Width: 242.0mm

Height: 318.0mm

Weight: 448g

Pages: 32

About the Author

Inga Simpson (Author)

Inga Simpson began her career as a professional writer for government before gaining a PhD in creative writing. In 2011, she took part in the Queensland Writers Centre Manuscript Development Program and, as a result, Hachette Australia published her first novel, Mr Wigg, in 2013. Nest, Inga's second novel, was published in 2014 and was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award and the Stella Prize and shortlisted for the ALS Gold Medal. Inga's third novel, the acclaimed Where the Trees Were, was published in 2016.

Inga was awarded the final Eric Rolls Prize for her nature writing and has obtained a second PhD, exploring the history of Australian nature writers. Inga's account of her love of Australian nature and life with trees, Understory, was published in 2017. Her first book for children, The Book of Australian Trees, illustrated by Alicia Rogerson, was published in 2021. The Last Woman in the World, her critically acclaimed environmental thriller, was published in 2021 and shortlisted for the 2022 Fiction Indie Book Award. Her bestselling and critically acclaimed 2022 novel Willowman was shortlisted for the BookPeople Adult Fiction Book of the Year 2023 and in 2024 was selected by Australia's leading booksellers in BookPeople's 100 Must-Read Australian Novels. Her 2024 literary thriller The Thinning has been shortlisted for the 2025 ACT Literary Award for Fiction and was longlisted for the 2025 Stella Prize and the 2025 Fiction Indie Book Award. The Peach King, illustrated by Tannya Harricks, is her second book for children, and published in 2025. Once We Were Wildlife is her eighth novel.

Inga lives on the New South Wales south coast among trees.

Tannya Harricks (Illustrator)

Tannya Harricks is an illustrator and artist who lives in Sydney. Her award-winning art practice draws inspiration from the Australian landscape, its animals and her love of adventure. Tannya studied Graphic Design and Illustration at Randwick TAFE (now Design Centre Enmore) and will soon complete a degree in Visual Culture at Curtin University. She has previously illustrated six picture books, including Night Watch and Mallee Sky, both by Jodi Toering. Tannya illustrated The Heartbeat of The Land by Cathy Freeman and Coral Vass which was shortlisted for the Wilderness Society Karajia Award. Tannya has illustrated the titles Kookaburra and Dingo both by Claire Saxby. Dingo was joint winner of the Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature at the NSW Premier's Literary Award (2019), won the Royal Zoological Society of NSW's Whitley Award (2018) and was shortlisted in 2019 for the CB

Also by Inga Simpson

View all
  • The Thinning
    A powerful literary page-turner about two young people in a race against time to reach a monumental solar eclipse, from famed Australian novelist Inga Simpson. We haven't always lived like this . . . Fin grew up by an observatory, learning about telescopes and planets, inspired by the passions of her parents, then leaders in their fields of astrophotography and...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Willowman
    SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKPEOPLE ADULT FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 SHORTLISTED FOR THE ACT NOTABLE BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION 2023 Willowman may well be the perfect Australian novel. — Readings Beguiling and entertaining. — Peter Lalor, Weekend Australian A sweet strike that goes beyond the boundary. — The Age Joyous storytelling at its best. I was enthralled. — Sarah...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Mr Wigg
    Beautiful and absorbing — Sydney Morning Herald It's the summer of 1971, not far from the stone-fruit capital of New South Wales, where Mr Wigg lives on what is left of his family farm. Mrs Wigg has been gone a few years now, and he thinks about her every day. He misses his daughter, too, and wonders when he'll see...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Nest
    '[a] truly rich novel' SYDNEY MORNING HERALD Once an artist and teacher, Jen now spends her time watching the birds around her house and tending her lush sub-tropical garden near the small town where she grew up. The only person she sees regularly is Henry, who comes after school for drawing lessons. When a girl in Henry's class goes missing,...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Last Woman in the World
    AFTER THE FIRES. AFTER THE VIRUS. THEY CAME. A remarkable literary novel from the multi-award-nominated Australian writer It's night, and the walls of Rachel's home creak as they settle into the cover of darkness. Fear has led her to a reclusive life on the land, her only occasional contact with her sister. A hammering on the door. There stands a...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Understory
    'a controlled and literate work that earns its emotional peaks' - Saturday Paper 'a delight' - The Australian A memoir about staying in one place, told through trees, by the award-winning author of MR WIGG, NEST, and WHERE THE TREES WERE. "The understorey is where I live, alongside these plants and creatures. I tend the forest, stand at the foot...
    Paperback
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Where The Trees Were
    Shortlisted for the Indie Award for Fiction 2017 Longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award 2017 'All in?' Kieran pulled me up, and the others followed. We gathered around the bigger tree. No one asked Matty - he just reached up and put his right hand on the trunk with ours. Kieran cleared his throat. 'We swear, on these trees,...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Book of Australian Trees
    Trees tell stories about places. Australia has some of the tallest, oldest, fattest and most unusual trees in the world. They have changed over thousands of years, adapting to this continent's deserts, mountains, and coasts. Many have found clever ways of dealing with drought and fire. Their leaves, flowers and seeds are food for birds, insects and mammals. Old trees...
    Hardback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Once We Were Wildlife
    A tender, luminous collection of interconnected tales that explore love, longing and the wilderness - both within and around us. In this compulsive compilation of eleven stories and one poem - set against scorched landscapes, wild oceans, and rocky terrain - Simpson follows people on the edge of desire, heartbreak and change. In 'Poached', an ex-soldier finds himself between a...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Thinning
    LONGLISTED FOR THE 2025 STELLA PRIZE LONGLISTED FOR THE 2025 FICTION INDIE BOOK AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2025 ACT LITERARY AWARD FOR FICTIONA dying world. A race against time. Two unlikely heroes. The paperback edition of the critically acclaimed novel from Inga Simpson, perfect for teens. Fin grew up by an observatory, learning about telescopes and planets, and inspired by...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

More from Children's Books

View all
  • New Release
    Royalslinger
    K Pop Demon Hunters fans will love this! Graci Kim is back with the second book in her exciting and fantastical Slinger series where dragons and phoenixes roam the skies of Seoul; meals magically appear based on your mood; and dreams literally come to life. Praise for Dreamslinger: “A mind-blowingly original fantasy adventure—Graci Kim has done it again!”—Rick Riordan, New York Times #1...
    Paperback
    $1999
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Detective Beans and the Map of Mystery
    Enjoy this new DETECTIVE BEANS adventure in the bestselling and award-winning graphic novel series by Li Chen! Your favourite kitten detective is back with a new mystery to solve . . . and treasure to find! When Captain Scuttlebeard gives Beans a treasure map, Beans is determined to find the prize at the end. The clues take him all over...
    By Li Chen
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2200
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Mei Mei the Bunny
    New Release
    Mei Mei the Bunny
    Mei Mei the Bunny is Laufey's picture book debut about a bunny learning to believe in herself through music. Experience a heartwarming tale of self-belief in this enchanting picture book by GRAMMY Award-winning musician Laufey. Meet Mei Mei, a little bunny with a big dream—to spread joy through her music! As her debut recital at the H'Opera House draws near,...
    By Laufey
    Hardback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Hunted: Wolf Girl 15
    Just when Wolf Girl is finally reunited with her father, he is torn away from her once more, and Gwen vows to stop at nothing to track him down. But danger is closing in: a giant snow leopard and a mysterious hooded figure are hot on their trail. As Gwen and the pack race through deep caverns to snowy peaks,...
    By Anh Do
    Paperback
    $1699
    Elsewhere:
    $1899
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    What If You Could
    From the former prime minister of New Zealand comes a guide for teens on chasing your dreams and embracing the unexpected qualities that truly make a person strong. When Jacinda Ardern became prime minister of New Zealand, she was one of the youngest people in the world leading a country. Many people thought she would never succeed — herself included....
    Paperback
    $2599
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Lonasei and the Mystery of Origin Grove
    Eleven-year-old Lonasei is lonely — she wishes her older sister Eva Grace wasn't so mean, and that her mum Aria didn't have to work so much. But when Aria inherits her childhood home, Lonasei discovers she can enter her late Aunt Malia's paintings and experience the memories within. Through them, she discovers that her mother had another sister, Agnes, who went...
    Paperback
    $2199
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    The Case of the Viral Video: Violet and the Velvets 3
    Violet and the Velvets can hardly believe they've come so far in the BandChamps competition with only hard work, a smidge of talent, and a whole lot of thinking outside the box. This time, they get to record their new song in a proper recording studio and star in their very own music video! But Violet is letting her perfectionism...
    Paperback
    $1600
    Elsewhere:
    $1899
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Dawn Raid: The Apology
    This sequel to Dawn Raid follows Sofia Savea’s family, 50 years later, as Sofia's grandson becomes involved in the quest for a government apology. INVERCARGILL, 2020 Wow, I thought I knew a bit about the dawn raids, but this is HUGE. It happened to my OWN family and I never knew! I had no idea that Granfia and her family...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2099
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Big Bang Bread
    New Release
    Big Bang Bread
    In this time-travel storybook and cookbook with a cosmic twist, take a journey through time and space to discover the secrets of baking! Did you know that bread is made from stardust? Board the rocket and blast off on an adventure through time and space to discover the secrets of a home-baked loaf! Big Bang Bread is a kids' time-travel...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • B is for Bird
    From award-winning artist, Lily Emo, comes a beautiful celebration of birds. Paired with a fun rhyming story, gorgeous illustrations, and fold-out pages, this book is set to be a favourite for everyone and the perfect gift. Make your way through the alphabet with this stunning book featuring a cast of familiar birds. From albatross to fantails, gannets to quail, and...
    Hardback
    $1999
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    (1)
    Backorder
    Ships mid August
  • Signed Copy
    New Release
    The Curse of the Carnivorous Cactuses
    (Sam: Nothing could be as bad as being covered in icky purple blobs ... wait, what does carnivorous mean again?) The gang is determined to defeat Glam-Evil and her nasty curses so that they can save their park and get back for Shackleton and Amelia's very first sleepover. But Glam-Evil has a few new tricks up her ultravillainous sleeve ......
    Paperback
    $1400
    Elsewhere:
    $1499
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Bluey: Rain
    On Sale
    17% off
    New Release
    Bluey: Rain
    It's raining! Bluey is trying to dam the water in the front yard, but does she need Mum's help? Join Bluey as she plays in the water when a heavy summer rain thunders over the Heeler home. Can Mum stop Bluey from dirtying the house? Featuring: A nearly wordless picture book with visual storytelling that mimics the dialogue-free episode. A...
    By Bluey
    Hardback
    $1500
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 80,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.