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

Stephen Clothier

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)