Although the books are designed to entertain young children, they are not intended as "early readers", as are, for example, the " Cat in the Hat" books by Dr. Some of his friends have also had their own books: Schnitzel von Krumm (with a very low tum), the dachshund, taught us that maybe dogs can climb trees, if they're very brave; and Scarface Claw got to spend more time being scared of nothing - except his own reflection. She is enormously popular for her rhyming stories of the unforgettable HAIRY MACLARY and his friends. Hairy the Skye terrier and his gang of dog mates - Hercules Morse, Bottomley Potts, Muffin McLay, Bitzer Maloney, and Schnitzel von Krumm -had their first adventure in 1983.

The Hairy Maclary books, despite their simple stories, introduce the listening child to some long but very expressive words, which are not part of the average preschooler vocabulary but must be understood by the child in the context in which they occur. The stories and illustrations are focused on a world of animals -the faces ofhuman characters are obscured. Scarface slopes off and Slinky Malinki invites his friends home to sit in front of the fire, hobnobbing happily, ten in a row. Lynley Dodd has not stated what breed of dog Hairy Maclary is, but he has characteristics of a Scottish Terrier and is possibly cross-breed. 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.The text is written in rhythmic verse that flows easily and has simple rhymes like "Bottomley Potts covered in spots, Hercules Morse as big as a horse". In the 2019 TVNZ series Goodnight Kiwi the prime minister Jacinda Ardern read Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy; the episode aired on TVNZ 2 on Christmas Day. The publication in 1983 of Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy skyrocketed Lynley Dodd to the status of picture book legend. When Hairy Maclary bounces and pounces his way into the cat show, his flustering and blustering bring a very unexpected result . 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.

Hairy Maclary's home, for example, has a red corrugated iron roof supported on wooden brackets, and the garden has a frangipani tree, a picket fence and a row of agapanthi. The pictures and the written words together tell the story, and the illustrations and their meanings are as important as the text. The plots are simple, keeping with the comprehension-level of the age group for which they are written. The breeds of dogs, the types of houses and the plants growing in each garden can generally be identified. Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy has lots of friends, including Schnitzel von Krumm (with a very low tum!Join Hairy Maclary and his friends on their first ever adventure in this golden 40th anniversary edition of the beloved rhyming classic!