Denis Glover’s iconic New Zealand poem ‘The Magpies’ is illustrated by Dick Frizzell to create a beautiful gift edition that every New Zealand family needs to own.
The delightful refrain ‘Quardle ardle oodle ardle wardle doodle’ is well loved in New Zealand poetry, as are Dick Frizzell’s illustrations for this book. Winner of the Russell Clark award for illustration in 1988, this book has been out of print for some time but there has been continued interest in it.
Even more popular today than he was when he first illustrated the book, Frizzell’s approach to the illustrations was extremely innovative. It is designed
so that the Magpies and their refrain are hidden and then revealed without lessening the impact of the scene with the verse. While it looks simple it was a huge breakthrough in the structure of the book.
Originally published in 1987, this book remains as fresh and original today as it was then. This is the true mark of a New Zealand Classic – the third in Random House New Zealand’s series of classic local picture books. The other classics in this series are ‘Mrs McGinty and the Bizarre Plant’ by Gavin Bishop and ‘The Adventures of Sydney Penguin’ By David Elliot.
9 Comments
What really makes this book so wonderful is the clever design. The famous Magpie refrain, and the magpies themselves, are hidden behind a half page within each double-page spread. It is a superb way to treat the chorus, and it reinforces Glover’s meaning.
I agree with other opinions that this book does have some hard words and its better for older children. Great story
I don’t have it but have seen it and think it’s a good book. Probably not for the younger kids though.
My step kids found this book a bit hard to read and they didn’t really like the pictures. I guess this would be for older kids.
What really makes this book so wonderful is the clever design. The famous Magpie refrain and the magpies themselves are hidden behind a half page within each double-page spread. It is a superb way to treat the chorus, and it reinforces Glover’s meaning.
This is the true mark of a New Zealand Classic. I liked the book but my daughter and son found the illustratiosn a bit scary. Some hard words.
I liked this as an adult, I’m not sure it would be a favourite for the kids though.
Glover realistic approach to writting is inspiring and thought provoking.
Glover may not have been the greatest poet of all time but he was an entirely real one.
Based on an old poem about the Depression it follows a couple of magpies on a NZ farm.From the black cover to the dark pictures it wont appeal to all children. Even though the line “Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle” is an iconic one .But it did win the Russel Clark award for illustration in 1988, so I am sure it will have its fans.