Josh Morgan

Morgan, Josh (1984-) (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Rongowhakaata, Scottish/English/Irish) is an award-winning children’s illustrator. Josh holds a Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Visual Communication Design from Massey University, and also works as a freelance illustrator, graphic and visual designer.

Together with partner Sacha Cotter, Josh has published five books with independent Māori publishers Huia. The two work as writer-illustrator-designer team Cotter & Morgan, with The Spinoff books editor Claire Mabey commenting that “in the vast universe of picture books their stories shine ultra bright.”

Their first book, Keys (Huia, 2014), was a finalist in the picture book category and the Māori edition Ngā Kī was winner of the Te Kura Pounamu award of the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults 2015. Ngā Kī also won Te Tohu Taurapa Award in the LIANZA Children’s Book Awards 2015 and was selected for the IBBY Honour List for Outstanding Translation in 2016.

The Marble Maker / Te Kaihanga Māpere, in which a child dreams of creating a brand new marble, was published in 2016. It won the Te Kura Pounamu Award for Te Reo Māori at the NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults in 2017.

In 2019 Cotter & Morgan published The Bomb / Te Pohū, later published as Cannonball in the United States. The Bomb received the Picture Book Award, Margaret Mahy Book of the Year award, and was a finalist in the Russell Clark Award for Illustration at the NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults in 2019. It also won the Scholastic NZ Award for Best Picture Book and was a finalist for the HarperCollins Award for Best Cover in the PANZ Book Design Awards 2019, and won a Storylines Notable Book Award. Cannonball was placed on the United States Board on Books for Young People (USSBY) Outstanding International Books List (OIB) 2021.

Convenor of judges for the NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, Crissi Blair, noted that “joy and humour permeate the story and illustrations of The Bomb, and the reader is rewarded with each encounter – they see a new layer, another detail is revealed, fresh energy bubbles up.”

In 2023, Cotter & Morgan published Dazzlehands / Ringakōreko to critical acclaim: the book was described by Paula Green for Poetry Box as ‘utterly glorious'. It won a Storylines Notable Book Award in 2023, and NZ Booklovers Award for Best Children’s Picture Book 2024.

A Guide to Rocks / He Taonga Te Toka was published in 2025, and deals with feelings and emotions. Rebekah Lyell reviewed it for NZ Booklovers, noting “Morgan's artwork is stunning, as usual. From the bright yellow colour to intricate rocks, the book bursts with colour, drawing the reader in. Each character is vibrant and unique, and Morgan makes sure every page is a feast for the eyes. Three double page spreads towards the middle of the book illustrate the duo's excellence - with artwork, text, story and design coming together in perfect harmony.”

Josh has also illustrated a number of other Huia texts, including Rona (Chris Szekely, 2016); The Māori Picture Dictionary, Te Papakupu Whakaahua (Margaret Sinclair and Ross Calman, 2022 - co-illustrated with Isobel Joy Te Aho-White); My World Travel Activity Book / Te Matapihi ki Tōku Ao Pukapuka Mahi (2016); and Māui’s Taonga Tales: A Treasury of Stories from Aotearoa and the Pacific / He Paki Taonga i a Māui; and He Putanga Kōrero Mai i Te Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa, Kia Kaha: A Storybook of Māori who changed the world. He’s also produced illustrations for Annual 3, the School Journal, and the cover for the UK edition of Witi Ihimaera’s Whale Rider.