Dame Lynley Stuart Dodd DNZM (born 5 July 1941[1]) is a New Zealand children's book author and illustrator. She is best known for her Hairy Maclary and Friends series, and its follow-ups,[2][3] all of which feature animals with rhyming names and have sold over five million copies worldwide.[4] In 1999, Dodd received the Margaret Mahy Award.

Dame

Lynley Dodd

BornLynley Stuart Dodd
(1941-07-05) 5 July 1941 (age 82)
Rotorua, New Zealand
OccupationWriter, illustrator
LanguageEnglish
GenreChildren's, picture books
Notable works
Notable awardsMargaret Mahy Award
RelativesEve Sutton (cousin-in-law)

She was appointed a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2002 New Year Honours, redesignated as a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2009.

Life and career edit

 
Sculpture of Hairy Maclary and other characters from the books in Tauranga, New Zealand on the waterfront.

Dodd was born in Rotorua in 1941. She was an only child and lived with her parents in Kaingaroa Forest, near Taupō.[5] She was educated at Iwitahi School and Tauranga College.[3] Dodd graduated from the Elam School of Art in Auckland with a diploma in Fine Arts,[5] and became an art teacher spending five years teaching at Queen Margaret College in Wellington.[6] While there she met her husband Tony;[6] he died in 2014 after an illness.[7] After their marriage she began to work as a freelance illustrator.[6] Her first book was My Cat Likes To Hide In Boxes, published in 1974, which she wrote along with Eve Sutton. Her first book written solo was The Nickle Nackle Tree (1976).[3]

In 1983 the first book in her Hairy Maclary series, Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy, was published. It was followed by Hairy Maclary’s Bone (1984), Hairy Maclary Scattercat (1985), Hairy Maclary's Caterwaul Caper (1987), Hairy Maclary's Rumpus at the Vet (1989) and Hairy Maclary's Showbusiness (1991). The first, third, fourth and sixth of these all won the New Zealand Children's Picture Book of the Year Award; the second and fifth were shortlisted but did not win.[3][8] In 1997, Dodd was the screenwriter for a TV series based on the Hairy Maclary series featuring 10 five-minute episodes narrated by Miranda Harcourt.[9][10] In 2005 her book The Other Ark won the Children’s Choice Award at the New Zealand Post Book Awards.[3] In 2015 a waterfront sculpture of Hairy Maclary and other characters from the books was officially unveiled in Tauranga by former New Zealand prime minister John Key.[11][12] In an episode of the TVNZ series Goodnight Kiwi, airing on 25 December 2019, the prime minister Jacinda Ardern read Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy.[13][14] As of 2019 Dodd lived in Tauranga.[3][15]

Honours and awards edit

In 1990, Dodd was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.[16] In 1999, she became the ninth recipient of the Margaret Mahy Award.[17][18] She was appointed a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2002 New Year Honours, for services to children's literature and book illustration.[19] Following the re-introduction of titular honours by the New Zealand government, she accepted redesignation as a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2009.[20]

Books edit

  • 1973 – My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes
  • 1976 – The Nickle Nackle Tree
  • 1978 – Titimus Trim
  • 1982 – The Apple Tree
  • 1982 – The Smallest Turtle
  • 1983 – Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy
  • 1984 – Hairy Maclary's Bone
  • 1985 – Hairy Maclary Scattercat
  • 1986 – Wake Up, Bear
  • 1987 – Hairy Maclary's Caterwaul Caper
  • 1988 – A Dragon In A Wagon
  • 1989 – Hairy Maclary's Rumpus at the Vet
  • 1990 – Slinky Malinki
  • 1991 – Find Me A Tiger
  • 1991 – Hairy Maclary's Showbusiness
  • 1992 – The Minister's Cat ABC
  • 1993 – Slinky Malinki Open The Door
  • 1994 – Schnitzel von Krumm’s Basketwork
  • 1995 – Sniff-Snuff-Snap
  • 1996 – Schnitzel von Krumm Forget-Me-Not and Hairy Maclary Six Stories
  • 1997 – Hairy Maclary SIT
  • 1998 – Slinky Malinki Catflaps
  • 1999 – Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack
  • 2000 – Hedgehog Howdedo
  • 2001 – Scarface Claw and The Apple Tree and Other Stories
  • 2002 – Schnitzel von Krumm, Dogs Never Climb Trees
  • 2004 – The Other Ark
  • 2005 – Zachary Quack Minimonster
  • 2006 – Slinky Malinki's Christmas Crackers
  • 2007 – Hairy Maclary's Hat Tricks
  • 2008 – The Dudgeon is Coming
  • 2009 – Hairy Maclary, Shoo
  • 2012 – Slinky Malinki Early Bird
  • 2017 – Scarface Claw - Hold Tight!

References edit

  1. ^ "Interviews with NZ Children's Authors: Lynley Dodd". Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  2. ^ "Hairy Maclary named as the bestselling book of the decade in New Zealand". Stuff. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Dodd, Lynley". Read NZ Te Pou Muramura. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  4. ^ Terry, Fiona (8 August 2008). "Times Online: Interview with Lynley Dodd". London: Times Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
  5. ^ a b "Lynley Dodd". storylines.org.nz. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  6. ^ a b c "National Portrait: Lynley Dodd, The Rhymer". Stuff.
  7. ^ Gibbs, Carly (30 September 2017). "Big read: Lynley Dodd's success with storytelling" – via www.nzherald.co.nz.
  8. ^ "AIM Children's Book Awards - Picture Book". Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Hairy Maclary | Series | Short Film". NZ On Screen.
  10. ^ "Hairy Maclary Series". New Zealand Film Commission. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  11. ^ "Hairy Maclary's New Home". www.penguin.co.nz.
  12. ^ "The Strand Reserve". tauranga.govt.nz. Tauranga City Council. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  13. ^ "Jacinda Ardern to read classic Hairy Maclary for Goodnight Kiwi". Stuff. 8 December 2019.
  14. ^ "Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to front Christmas episode of Goodnight Kiwi". 8 December 2019 – via www.nzherald.co.nz.
  15. ^ "Scarface Claw to be dedicated in museum expo". Sun Live. 28 January 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  16. ^ Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 123. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
  17. ^ "Margaret Mahy Medal Award". Christchurch, New Zealand: Christchurch City Libraries. 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  18. ^ "Margaret Mahy Award". Storylines.org.nz. Auckland, New Zealand: Storylines Children's Literature Charitable Trust of New Zealand. 2012. Archived from the original on 6 July 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  19. ^ "New Year honours list 2002". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2001. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  20. ^ "Full list of New Year Honours". The New Zealand Herald. 31 December 2001. Retrieved 15 October 2011.