<P> Hairy Maclary is a fictional dog, the hero of a series of children's picture books created by the New Zealand author Dame Lynley Dodd, and making his first appearance in 1983 with the publication of Hairy Maclary From Donaldson's Dairy . Hairy Maclary is the protagonist of twelve books in the series, and a further nine are about his friends . The series has sold over five million copies worldwide . His adventures are usually in the company of his other animal friends who include the dachshund Schnitzel von Krumm, dalmatian Bottomley Potts and Old English sheepdog Muffin McClay . The tomcat Scarface Claw is their formidable opponent . According to www.hairymaclary.com, Hairy Maclary is "...a small dog of mixed pedigree ." </P> <P> The Hairy Maclary books are picture books that are designed to be shared by an adult reader and a young child . The plots are simple, in keeping with the comprehension of the pre-reading age group for which they are ranged . They generally involve Hairy and his friends in adventurous scenarios pitched against local cats, often with an implication that the cats are more cunning . The animals in this series, unlike the creatures of Beatrix Potter's stories, are not given human thoughts and motives . Their actions tell the stories, and reflect their animal natures . </P>

Who wrote the hairy maclary series of books