The Arts

Finlay Macdonald's beautifully told, visually gorgeous biography of Dame Lynley Dodd and her creation, the rascally dog Hairy Maclary. 'A visual delight' NZ Listener's 100 Best Books of 2013 'Lynley Dodd is a national treasure, and this excellent book shows us why.' Weekend Press... 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 is both a tale of remarkable success and a window into a brilliant creative mind. This new paperback edition has been updated to include Lynley's latest story, Scarface Claw, Hold Tight! and the sellout exhibitions of her artwork over the last decade.
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Major survey of the 50-year career of one of New Zealand's best-loved artists

- A biography of the life, and times, of Leonardo - Magnificent full-colour illustrations throughout - Author of the internationally acclaimed Much Ado About Shakespeare

Combined here are Maus I: A Survivor's Tale and Maus II - the complete story of Vladek Spiegelman and his wife, living and surviving in Hitler's Europe. By addressing the Holocaust through cartoons the author captures the everyday reality of fear and the sensation of survival.

A cinematic, entertaining and fast-paced debut novel that is part-Ocean's Eleven, part-The Social Network and part-Crazy Rich Asians, it's an addictive mix of heist and unlikely friendships by way of the politics of colonization.