Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Diary

What you need

Your listening ears.

Benefits

Reading and storytelling with your child promotes brain development, concentration and imagination, teaches your child about language and emotions, and strengthens your relationship with your child.

Hand-eye coordination, creativity and imagination will also be enhanced through the follow-up learning experience after the story.

The experience

Choose a cosy spot in your home, sit back and listen to the wonderful story of Hairy Maclary.

Hairy Maclary goes off for a walk in town, followed by a few friends. All is uneventful until they meet Scarface Claw, the toughest tom in town, and run for home. The story is told by a brilliant, cumulative rhyming text and terrific pictures.

After listening to the story, you can discuss how the author chose names for the dogs and then described each dog using rhyme. For example, “Bottomly Potts, all covered in spots.” Why not try to make a rhyme using your name, or the name of a friend; you could even make up names to create describing rhymes. For example, “John Doe, who likes to row.” Have fun!