“Out of the gate and off for a walk, went Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy…” If you and your little ones know that off by heart, then you are in good company. Our family loves the Hairy Maclary book series by Lynley Dodd. It’s filled with wonderfully rich vocabulary, (eg when was the last time you read “cacophony” in a book for under 5’s?).
However, what I really adore about the Hairy Maclary series is that the stories aren’t just filled with words that rhyme just for the sake of rhyming. It’s an authentic text. The characters are developed, there is a plot, there is a witty end and all wrapped up with a wonderful sense of humour.
We were lucky enough to recently see Hairy Maclary and Friends, an interactive stage show adaptation of the books.
The venue, Sydney Opera House, was exciting enough. However, when the boys saw the characters brought to life on stage, (by actors in very clever costumes), they were speechless.
Once they got over their star-struck state, they participated in the singing and actions and before we knew it, we had to say goodbye to our favourite book characters.
Oh well, we can always meet them again in our books.
N&M: 3 years, 7 months
E: 1 year, 6 months
K: 1 month
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