Review of The Life and Art of Lynley Dodd – Finlay MacDonald

Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy has been read and loved by millions since its 1983 publication. Its protagonist’s shaggy face and mischievous eyes are now iconic. But what of his creator?

‘People don’t believe me when I tell them that Hairy Maclary fell out of a book – literally – but he did. It was just a scrap of paper I’d tucked between the pages of my ideas book, as you do. And I picked it up and thought, well, yes, I could do this. So I did.’

In The Life and Art of Lynley Dodd, Finlay Macdonald tells the tale of how a small girl raised in Kaingaroa Forest became the illustrator and virtuoso wordsmith behind so many picture books that are living classics. But this is not just a story about a storyteller, it is a book that explores Lynley Dodd’s working world. What is the secret behind her stories’ linguistic dexterity? How does her paintbrush capture the sometimes comic, sometimes tragic expressions of her animal characters with such precision? As well as many favourite and familiar book illustrations, this volume contains never-before-seen sketches and cartoons, character roughs and picture-book drafts.

The Life and Art of Lynley Dodd

Finlay MacDonald

Penguin

Supplied by Penguin Random House New Zealand

Reviewed by Jacqui Smith

I became a Lynley Dodd fan the same way many New Zealanders (and indeed many English speakers) have done, by reading her works aloud to a small child. My son, as a young boy, adored “Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy” especially when we got to the line that went, ‘“EEEEEOWWWFFTZ!” said Scarface Claw.’ which was always recited with great emphasis. Yes, I still can recite all the words… and most of the words from “Slinky Malinki” too.

So, although I don’t read biography as a general rule, I was very happy to receive a copy of “The Life and Art of Lynley Dodd” for review. And I was not disappointed.

The book is beautifully illustrated, as one might expect, with not just the final art from the books, but preliminary sketches and layouts as well as many photographs from Lynley’s life. The ’Life and Art’ is an apt title since the much of the first half of the book is largely about Lynley’s childhood in the Kaingaroa Forest, school years in Tauranga, university studies at Elam, and life as a young teacher. While the second half is more about her work as a writer and illustrator and her creative process. Which is quite fascinating.

I can see how this could be useful to people who want to write picture books – it’s definitely not as simple a matter as it might first appear. The only thing I found a bit jarring was the placement of the origin story of Hairy Maclary right at the beginning of the book, before Lynley’s own upbringing. Maybe I am just a bit linear.

 In any case I can definitely commend this book to all of her fans, it’s a delightful insight into a very special life.