Celebrate Hairy Maclary’s 40th Birthday at the Library!

This month marks a very special anniversary for a very special dog — it’s Hairy Maclary’s 40th birthday! First scampering their way onto the pages in July 1983 in Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy, Lynley Dodd’s playful canine creations Hairy Maclary, Hercules Morse, Muffin McLay, Bitzer Maloney, Bottomley Potts, and Schnitzel von Krumm have been delighting readers (and running away from frightening felines!) for more than two generations.

To celebrate this very special occasion, we are hosting some very special Hairy Maclary-themed activities next week for the whole whānau to enjoy. Nau mai — everyone is welcome! We would love to see you there.


Hairy Maclary Family Storytimes!

Scatter your paws and clatter your claws as you trot on down to the library to celebrate 40 years of canine capers at our special Hairy Maclary-themed storytimes! Join us for stories, songs, and a special craft. Recommended for tamariki aged 2+ with their caregivers.

Hairy Maclary’s Great CRAFTerschool Caper

Out of the gate and off for a walk… to the library for CRAFTerschool! Join us at the library to celebrate Hairy Maclary’s 40th birthday with a special craft activity for tamariki to enjoy. Recommended for tamariki aged 5+ with their caregivers.

Let’s Go LEGO®: Hairy Maclary and Friends!

Have you ever thought about what Donaldson’s Dairy might look like if you made it out of LEGO®? Help us celebrate Hairy Maclary’s 40th birthday with this specially-themed LEGO® session at the library. Recommended for tamariki aged 5+ with their caregivers.


Can’t make it to one of our special Hairy Maclary events? Don’t worry, we have plenty of books featuring Aotearoa’s favourite pooch in our collection, including copies in te reo Māori and Chinese.

Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy / Dodd, Lynley
“A small black dog and his canine friends are terrorized by the local tomcat.” (Catalogue)

Hairy Maclary scattercat / Dodd, Lynley
“Feeling very frisky, a little black dog enjoys chasing all the cats he meets until he comes across Scarface Claw.” (Catalogue)

Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack / Dodd, Lynley
“Zachary Quack, a small and determined duckling, sets out to play with a rather reluctant Hairy Maclary. A ‘cat and mouse’ chase follows, with the two characters ending up peacefully snuggled together after Zachary Quack has saved a soggy Hairy Maclary from the river.” (Catalogue)

Hairy Maclary’s showbusiness / Dodd, Lynley
“When Hairy Maclary bounces and pounces his way into the cat show, his flustering and blustering bring a very unexpected result…” –Back cover.” (Catalogue)

Hairy Maclary hide and seek : a lift-the-flap book / Dodd, Lynley
“Hairy Maclary is playing hide and seek with the neighbourhood cats. Can you find him?” (Catalogue)

Hairy Maclary and friends : a touch & feel book / Dodd, Lynley
“Introduces Hairy Maclary, his canine friends and Scarface Claw, the toughest Tom in town. On board pages, with materials to touch and feel. Suggested level: preschool.” (Catalogue)

Hairy Maclary no te teri a tanarahana / Dodd, Lynley
“Ki waho i te keti te hikoitanga a Hairy Maclary no te Teri a Tanarahana …Ka haere tahi nga hoa o Hairy Maclary ki a ia mea noa ake, ka oho mai he aue, he ngawi, he ngawe, makere kau ana ta ratou omanga ke. Na te aha ra a matihao ma i marara ai? ‘Eutaki ai te tamaiti ki te ao pukapuka.’ The Times” (Catalogue)

Schnitzel Von Krumm forget-me-not / Dodd, Lynley
“Schnitzel von Krumm’s family is packing to go on holiday. The little dog meddles and snoops and gets underfoot until everyone is driven mad. At last the car is packed; seatbelts are fastened and they all set off. But when they’ve driven far out of town they stop and realise their horrible mistake. Schnitzel has been left behind!”–Publisher information.” (Catalogue)

Zachary Quack minimonster / Dodd, Lynley
“When mischievous duckling Zachary Quack meets a flicketty-quick dragonfly, he hustles it into the air. But who is really hustling who? Zachary Quack stars in his own big adventure as he chases a dragonfly through some very sticky situations.” (Catalogue)

Hairy Maclary, shoo / Dodd, Lynley
“When Hairy Maclary decides to snoop inside a parked delivery van, he’s in for a chaotic adventure. After a rattling, roaring ride, and finding himself far from home, he desperately tries to get back to the Dairy creating havoc and incurring the wrath of shopkeepers, schoolteachers and passers-by along the way.” (Catalogue)

Hairy Maclary’s caterwaul caper / Dodd, Lynley
“With a twitch of his tail and a purposeful paw, down by the river crept Scarface Claw!” (Catalogue)

Hairy Maclary from a Donaldson’s Dairy

“Out of the gate and off for a walk went Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy…”

Sound familiar? That’s because the Hairy Maclary series, written and illustrated by Lynley Dodd, is one of New Zealand’s (and the world’s) best-loved picture books. Who can’t love that cheeky wee dog, Hairy Maclary, and all his furry mates – from Bottomley Potts (covered in spots), to the villain of many books, Scarface Claw!

But did you know that Scotland has claimed these books as their own?  “WHAT?? How can that be?” we hear you cry!

Although the Hairy Maclary series are peppered with loads of New Zealand references such as the word “dairy” (this would be called a “corner shop” in Scottish lingo), and illustrations with cabbage trees, Pōhutukawa, ponga trees and flax, the name “Maclary” is a decidedly Scottish-sounding name!

What’s in a name?

Scottish and Irish  surnames frequently have the prefix Mac or Mc. When these surnames were originally developed, they were formed by adding the Gaelic word mac, which means son of, to the name of the original bearer’s father. For example, the surname MacDougall literally means son of Dougall.

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Image: Matt Lewis, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Where is Scotland anyway?

Scotland is a part of the United Kingdom (UK) and occupies the northern third of Great Britain. Scotland’s mainland shares a border with England to the south. Scotland also has almost 800 islands, including some famous ones like Shetland (known for its sheep and complicated knitting patterns), Orkney (known for its prehistoric sites), and Skye (known for its history and beautiful scenery).

See if you can find Scotland on a world map HERE

Who is Lynley Dodd?

Lynley Dodd is an internationally celebrated writer for children. She wavs born in Rotorua and now lives in Tauranga. Lynley graduated from the Elam School of Art in Auckland with a diploma in Fine Arts, majoring in sculpture. She went on to teach art before taking a break to start a family. She began to work as a freelance illustrator and illustrated another popular picture book My Cat Likes To Hide in Boxes by Eve Sutton. There was no looking back as Lynley went on to write and illustrate her own books for children. These include the Hairy Maclary series (of course!), The Nickle Nackle Tree, The Smallest Turtle

Who is Hairy Maclary?

File:Hairy Maclary and Friends Sculpture.jpg

Image: Hairy Maclary and Friends Sculpture in Tauranga (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Hairy Maclary (or ‘HM’ for short) is a small hairy dog created by  Lynley Dodd. HM can be described as a ‘bitser’, which means he’s of mixed breed. “Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy” was first published in 1983 and the series has gone on to sell over 5 million copies worldwide. HM’s adventures are usually in the company of his other animal friends and he’s depicted as a friendly, but lively little dog that gets into a lot of mischief. There is now a series of 12 books and a further nine books about his friends, all with catchy rhyming stories and realistic, colourful and fun illustrations.

In recognition of the success of these books, a sculpture of Hairy Maclary and other characters from the books was officially unveiled on the waterfront in Tauranga in 2015, the city where Lynley Dodd lives.


If you haven’t discovered the wonders of Hairy Maclary and his equally hairy mates, why not add these to you Summer Reading Adventure lists and enjoy some good ole Kiwi reading fun:

Hairy Maclary treasury : the complete adventures of Hairy Maclary / Dodd, Lynley
“A collection of ten stories featuring the mischief and mayhem of Hairy Maclary.” (Catalogue)
Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy / Dodd, Lynley
“A small black dog and his canine friends are terrorized by the local tomcat.” (Catalogue)


The nickle nackle tree / Dodd, Lynley
“In the Manglemunching Forest there’s a Nickle Nackle tree, Growing Nickle Nackle berries that are red as red can be. And that’s not all that’s nestling on the twisty branches of this laden tree. Count up some fabulous Lynley Dodd creations, such as one Ballyhoo bird, kicking up a din and two squawking Scritchet birds with legs so twiggy thin, to nine friendly Natter birds, building nice new nests to ten fussy Fissick birds in yellow feathered vests”–Publisher information.” (Catalogue)


Hairy Maclary’s caterwaul caper / Dodd, Lynley
“Hairy Maclary leads all the other dogs in the neighbourhood to investigate the terrible caterwauling created when the tough cat Scarface Claw is caught up in a tree.” (Catalogue)
The life and art of Lynley Dodd / Macdonald, Finlay
“Dame Lynley Dodd is New Zealand’s best known author and illustrator of children’s books. Her career was launched in 1973 with the publication of My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes, which she collaborated on with cousin Eve Sutton. Other picture books soon followed and in 1983 the world famous Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy was launched. Hairy Maclary’s success placed Dodd in the international spotlight and the Hairy Maclary and Friends series is today one of the world’s most successful series of picture books. The Life and Art of Lynley Dodd is a beautiful full-colour hardback telling the story of Lynley’s early years, time at art school, teaching career, marriage and success as a children’s author. The book is a pictorial history as much as a written one, and as such includes photos of the author’s early years as well as the artwork she produced as she moved towards her world-renowned style – art school pieces, early political cartoons and illustrations for the correspondence school among others.” (Catalogue, abridged)

My cat likes to hide in boxes / Sutton, Eve
“Cats from many different countries may like to do all kinds of strange things, but my cat, an ordinary round-the-house cat, likes to hide in boxes.” (Catalogue)
Scotland / Harman, Alice
“This series provides an introduction to the study of the United Kingdom for young children as the illustrated ‘Fact Cat’ character leads the reader on a trail through the book, helping them to discover answers to key questions.” (Catalogue)
Encyclopedia of surnames / Ayto, John
“The Encyclopedia of Surnames is not just another dictionary! With entertaining coverage of more than 7,000 surnames listed alphabetically, it provides a complete and accessible companion to tracing the history of names.” (Catalogue, abridged)

 

 

Spring Into Tawa with Hairy Maclary

Tawa Library is celebrating Spring Into Tawa on Saturday 8th September with several events.

First up is a special storytime on Hairy Maclary. It’s Hairy Maclary’s birthday in September, so join us at the library at 10.30am to hear some of Lynley Dodd’s stories read aloud. It’s tongue-twisting fun for children, and children-at-heart.

Hairy Maclary

People from Tawa College Adult Education are also visiting Tawa Library for Spring Into Tawa. From 10am – 12.00pm there will be demonstrations on flax-weaving, wood-carving, patchwork and felt-making, and at 12pm there will be performances by ukulele and Irish whistle experts.

Also, don’t forget to visit the Wellington City Council stall in the main road outside the library.

Spring into Tawa is on September 8th from 9am – 12.30pm at Tawa Plaza and the Main Road shops.