Donovan Bixley / Old MacDonalds Farm

Illustrator Donovan Bixley gives this age-old song a distinctly New Zealand flavour. The illustrations while being designed for pre-schoolers also have items and quirky aspects that parents and teachers will also enjoy, like gumboot wearing turkeys like those on a famous 'Country Calendar' episode. Also in the carefully detailed illustrations are all manner of kiwiana.

The illustrations are humorous and while matching the words of the song, tell their own tale with some interesting twists. The story isn't completely revealed until the end of the book. Pre-schoolers can also hone their observation skills by finding the magpies on each page or by seeing what other items they can see.