Jill Masefield McDonald (30 October 1927 – 2 January 1982) was a New-Zealand-born children's writer and illustrator, working in the United Kingdom from the mid-1960s. Much of her work was done for Puffin Books, the children's imprint of
Penguin, and for its club's magazine ''
Puffin Post''.
Life
She was born in
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metr ...
, New Zealand in 1927. Her father was Reginald Bedford Hammond, a distant cousin of
John Masefield
John Edward Masefield (; 1 June 1878 – 12 May 1967) was an English poet and writer, and Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate from 1930 until 1967. Among his best known works are the children's novels ''The Midnight Folk'' and ...
. She initially trained as an architect, but turned to illustration following her marriage, becoming art editor of the ''
New Zealand School Journal''.
[
In 1965 she moved to England with her two children. There she worked for ]Puffin Books
Puffin Books is a longstanding children's imprint of the British publishers Penguin Books. Since the 1960s, it has been among the largest publishers of children's books in the UK and much of the English-speaking world. The imprint now belongs t ...
, the children's imprint of Penguin. Much of her work was on ''Puffin Post'', the members' magazine of the Puffin Club,[ launched in 1967, whose visual style she shaped.][ In addition to the cover designs,]Kaye Webb
Kathleen ("Kaye") Webb (26 January 1914 – 16 January 1996), was a British editor and publisher. She was a recipient of the Eleanor Farjeon Award.
Early life and education
Kathleen Webb was born in Chiswick, London, in 1914, the second of ...
, the editor of Puffin Books wrote of her work:everyone who knows it has been captivated not only by her brilliant use of colour and unique style, but the way each sure, strong line seems to impose a very individual and secret humour.
She was the author of twelve picture books for children.[
She died in ]London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
on 2 January 1982.[, p. 10; issue 61126 .]
Selected works
As writer and illustrator
* ''Maggy Scraggle Loves the Beautiful Ice-cream Man'' (1978) Harmondsworth: Kestrel Books
* ''Counting on an Elephant '' (1975) Harmondsworth : Kestrel Books
* ''The Happyhelper Engine'' (1980) London: Methuen Children's Books
As illustrator
* Aitchison, Janet (1970), ''The Pirates' Tale'' Harmondsworth: Penguin (Picture Puffin)
* Cash, Alan (1966), ''The Puffin Crossword Puzzle Book'' Harmondsworth: Penguin Books (Puffin)
* Cunliffe, John (1971), ''Farmer Barnes and the Goats'' London: Collins
* Greaves, Margaret (1966), ''Your Turn Next'' London: Methuen Educational; (1973 edn):
* Greaves, Margaret (1968), ''Gallery'' London: Methuen Educational
* Greaves, Margaret (ed.) (1969), ''Scrap-box: Poems for Grown-ups to Share with Children'' London: Methuen
* Greaves, Margaret (1971), ''The Snowman of Biddle'' (Gallimaufry 1) London: Methuen Educational
* Greaves, Margaret (1971), ''The Rainbow Sun'' (Gallimaufry 2) London: Methuen
* Greaves, Margaret (1971), ''King Solomon and the Hoopoes'' (Gallimaufry 3) London: Methuen
* Greaves, Margaret (1971), ''The Great Bell of Peking'' (Gallimaufry 4) London: Methuen
* Greaves, Margaret (1971), ''The Dagger and the Bird'' London: Methuen
* Greaves, Margaret (1972), ''Two at Number 20'' London: Methuen
* Greaves, Margaret (1973), ''Little Jacko and the Wolf People'' London: Methuen
* Hunter, Norman (1974), ''Norman Hunter's Book of Magic'' London: Bodley Head
* Hunter, Norman (1976), '' Professor Branestawm’s Do-it-yourself Handbook'' London: Bodley Head ; (1979) Harmondsworth: Penguin Books (Puffin)
* Hunter, Norman (1978), ''Vanishing Ladies, and Other Magic'' London : Bodley Head
* Hunter, Norman, with illustrations by George Adamson
George Alexander Graham Adamson MBE (3 February 1906 – 20 August 1989), also known as the ''Baba ya Simba'' ("Father of Lions" in Swahili), was a Kenyan wildlife conservationist and author. He and his wife, Joy, were depicted in the film '' ...
, Derek Cousins, W. Heath Robinson and Jill McDonald (1980), ''The Best of Branestawm'' London: Bodley Head
* Sloan, Carolyn (1974), ''The Penguin and the Vacuum Cleaner''. Harmondsworth: Penguin (Puffin)
*Turnbull, Michael Robert McGregor (1960), ''The Changing Land: A Short History of New Zealand for Children'' London: Longman
*Waters, John F. (1972) ''The Royal Potwasher'' London: Methuen
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:McDonald, Jill
1927 births
1982 deaths
People from Wellington City
New Zealand artists
New Zealand women artists
New Zealand writers
New Zealand women writers