Jill McDonald
Jill Masefield McDonald (née Hammond; 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.
Also recorded as Jill Masefield McDonald · Jill Masefield McDonald
Jill McDonald
- Name
- Jill McDonald
- Birthplace
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Place of death
- London, England
- Known for
- her work for Puffin Books
- Occupation
- children's writer and illustrator
- Born
- 1927 · Wellington.
- Died
- 1982 · London.
- Nationality
- New Zealand
- Fields
- design · graphic design · illustration · book illustration
- Languages
- English
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Documentary summary
Jill Masefield McDonald (née Hammond; 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.
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Documentary evidence
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Authority files
wikidata · Q17404046 · wikipedia · Jill McDonald
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Jill McDonald • Birthplace — Wellington, New Zealand • Place of death — London, England • Known for — her work for Puffin Books • Occupation — children's writer and illustrator • Relatives — Reginald Bedford Hammond (father)
Life
Life
She was born in Wellington, New Zealand in 1927. Her father was Reginald Bedford Hammond, a distant cousin of John Masefield. 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, 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, her contributions included a regular column in which Odway, a philosophical dog, invited responses from readers. In McDonald's Times obituary, Kaye Webb, 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 on 2 January 1982.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1927
Jill McDonald born at Wellington.
1982
Jill McDonald died at London.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Wellington.
Birth place
London.
Death place
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, (1980) ISBN 978-0-370-30362-8, The Best of Branestawm London: Bodley Head, with illustrations by George Adamson, Derek Cousins, W. Heath Robinson and Jill McDonald • 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
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q17404046: Jill McDonald
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Jill McDonald”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Government of New Zealand. Centennial Celebration of NZ School Journal. Beehive.
- 2.Press 27 January 1982 Page 13
- 3.Puffin Post to become extinct. The Guardian.
- 4.Eye Magazine. Nuffin' like a Puffin: Robert Hanks Reviews Puffin by Design: 70 Years of Imagination 1940–2010.
- 5.Webb, Kaye. Jill Masefield McDonald. The Times. 8 January 1982.
References
Citations
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authority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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