Books for everyone

For kids ...
Hairy Maclary, Shoo
by Lynley Dodd, Penguin, $17.99
Lovable canine adventurer Hairy Maclary goes on a new caper in this board-book edition of Shoo.
The mischievous dog manages to hitch a ride on a courier van into town for the day. There, he causes chaos in a toy shop, a school and a garden supplies store - until good old Miss Plum comes to the rescue.
The book is written in Dodd's familiar catchy rhythm and is full of the charm and humour that has endeared Hairy Maclary to fans the world over.
... art ...
Fantastica: The world of Leo Bensemann
by Peter Simpson, AUP, $75
Fantastica is an in-depth look into the life and works of New Zealand artist Leo Bensemann, 1912-1986.
Bensemann was competent in many artistic fields including drawing, painting, print-making, music, calligraphy, book design, editing and publishing. He was the leading designer and illustrator for Caxton Press for many years and a friend of mid-20th century architects The Group in the 1930s.
Fantastica provides an insight into the literature, theatre, arts and music between the 1930s and the 1980s as  Bensemann's life and the times are explored in depth. The work is a result of many years of research and outlines the development of art in its wider sense well. The presentation is on heavy glossy paper, with excellent reproductions of a large number of Bensemann's art works. This extraordinary book  is an amazing tribute to the artist - and a credit to Peter Simpson's research.
historical novel ...
The Larnachs
by Owen Marshall, Random House, $39.99
An excellent portrayal of the fortunes of a wealthy Dunedin family around the turn of the 20th century.
The author has done a great deal of research and kept close to the events, but not so close as to make the reader lose interest in the unifying tale. The underlying plot (based on true facts) is that of an attractive and intelligent lass who marries a significantly older, wealthy man. After a while she decides her husband is rather unresponsive and opts for his brother instead.
The real interest of the book lies in the portrayal of the society of Dunedin and Wellington at this historically challenging point in time. It seems few of the characters are invented, and the book is dotted with many names that present-day readers will recognise.
A great read for those with an interest in New Zealand history and personalities.

... thriller

Operation Napoleon
by Arnaldur Indridason Random House, $39.99
The intrigue of this international thriller takes the reader to Iceland, America and Nazi Germany.
The story starts in 1945. German and American officers are aboard a German bomber which crashes into an Iceland glacier.
Fast-forward to 1999 and the US Army is secretly trying to remove an aeroplane from the same glacier.
Two Icelanders become involved;  so does the storyline. Before the pair are killed, one of the Icelanders contacts his sister with information and she takes up the challenge of looking for the answer to the riddle of Operation Napoleon. Adventure, drama and intrigue make for an exciting story.