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The Other Ark, Lynley Dodd
Mallinson Rendel
Reviewed by Jan Treliving-Brown (Courtesy of Taranaki Daily News)

It's been two years since Lynley Dodd released a new title. Can this bright, distinctive hardback really be book number 30?

Everybody's kids have been raised on Slinky Malinki and Scarface Claw, Schnitzel Von Crumm – and believe it or not, Hairy Maclary himself turned 21 in 2004.

It must be a challenge for Dodd to break away from the highly successful Hairy Maclary From Donaldson's Dairy mould. She does, in this peerless tale, The Other Ark.

Noah is all packed up and ready to go in Ark No. 1:
"He studied the view
 of the animal queue
 and called to a friend of his,
 Sam Jam Balu."
Noah explains Ark No. 1 is full:
"My problems are solved
 if you're quick off the mark –
 you can take all the rest
 in my second-best ark."
Sam Jam Balu believes he is equal to the task:
"I'm A1 efficient,
 I KNOW what to do –
 there's nothing too tricky
 for Sam Jam Balu."
Now's the time for Dodd to unleash her army of gorgeous, vivid characters children will love.

There are hip-hopping hippos and burrowing flumps, candy-striped camels with comical humps, flying flapdoodles and butternut bears with polka-dot piffles in quarrelsome pairs.

It's all good fun and the vibrant illustrations are classic Dodd. My favourite is the one of the marmalade mammoths and sabre-tooth mice, dirty old dinosaurs (not very nice).