Today, Lynley is a big fan of Quentin Blake 'because of his humour and very clever art work. It comes as no surprise that, as a child, she adored Dr Seuss because of his 'crazy sounds and the fact that he took such liberties with the English language.' Other favourite authors included A A Milne and the fairy tales of The Grimm Brothers and Hans Christian Andersen. As well as being a visual delight, these are some of the most rewarding books for children and adults to read out loud. Exuberant artwork and bouncy rhymes come together perfectly in books like Slinky Malinki and Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy. There was no looking back as Lynley went on to write and illustrate her own books for children. She began to work as a freelance illustrator and collaborated with author Eve Sutton on My Cat Likes To Hide in Boxes. She went on to teach art before taking a break to start a family. She is also a 2016 Astrid Lindgren award nominee.Lynley Dodd graduated from the Elam School of Art in Auckland with a diploma in Fine Arts, majoring in sculpture. Her title's Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy, Hairy Maclary: Hide and Seek, Slinky Malinki: Early Bird and Hairy Maclary Treasury: The Complete Adventures of Hairy Maclary made the New Zealand Best Seller List in 2015. In 2002, she was made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to children's literature. Hairy Maclary and Slinky Malinky have each featured in stage musical versions. She also won the AIM Children's Book Award for Best Picture Book Illustration in 1992 for Hairy Maclary's Show Business and the New Zealand Post Children's Book Award Honour Book Prize in 1999 for Slinky Malinki Catflaps. She won the 1978 Choysa Bursary, and the 1981 New Zealand Book Award for her illustrations in Clarice England's Druscilla. She is best known as the creator of Hairy Maclary, but has written and illustrated more than 20 books including The Nickle Nackle Tree, Titimus Trim, The Smallest Turtle, and The Apple Tree.

The first children's book she illustrated, My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes by Eve Sutton, was published in 1973. She was educated at the Iwitahi School, Tauranga College, Elam School of Art (Dip FA) and Auckland Teachers' College.

Lynley Dodd was born in Rotorua, New Zealand in 1941.

Slinky malinki book collection