Milly, Molly
| Author | Gill Pittar |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Cris Morrell |
| Country |
New Zealand Singapore (TV only) |
| Language |
English Māori |
| Publisher | Milly Molly Books / MM House Publishing |
| Published | 2000-present |
Milly, Molly is a series of New Zealand children's books by Gill Pittar. It is about the adventures of two little girls from different ethnic backgrounds, and the books promote the acceptance of diversity and the learning of life skills. There is an animated television series based on the books.
Background
The books were inspired by a double-ended doll created in 1995 by Gill Pittar to promote tolerance and communication. Following the success of the dolls, she began writing books about the characters with the first book published in 2000.
Milly, Molly books have since been translated into 40 languages.[1]
Characters
- Tom: A classmate who spends a lot of time with Jack.
- Alf: A new boy from a different country. Humphrey did not get along with him at first, but they become best friends after Alf comforted him by teaching him a lesson about individuality.
- Elizabeth: A girl who is good with drawing and painting.
- Meg: A girl who likes apples.
- Harry: A boy who has two pet mice called Brian and Brioni. Brian and Brioni had a litter of nine baby mice in "Harry's Mouse".
- George: A boy who likes oranges and has a pet skunk named Stinky.
- Joe: A boy who has a pet hermit crab.
- Chloe: A snooty girl who has a pet horse named Prince.
- Ellie: A blind girl who befriends Milly and Molly. She only appeared in one episode.
- B.B Brown: A boy who appeared in only one episode. Milly and Molly changed his thieving way.
- Heidi Untidy: A girl who is always untidy.
Family
- Milly's Father: He doesn't like Marmalade the cat, but loves birds.
- Milly's Mother: She tries to reconcile Marmalade and Milly's Dad.
- Molly's Father: He loves yoga.
- Molly's Mother: She does not like mice.
Others
- Farmer Hegarty: A farmer.
- Aunt Maude: Very snippy and hard to get along with. The best gardener in the whole town, who is good with every plant except plums. Aunt Maude is only seen smiling four times, twice in the "Aunt Maude" episode, once in the "Bouncer and Barker" episode, and once in the "Ella Bella Boo" episode.
- Biddy Bid: A gardener who is skilled at tending plums.
- Police Officer: Has a wife and a daughter called Daisy-Rose.
- Ferryman: A man who runs the ferry. Has one cat, Bosen, who was once stolen by a man, known as "the cat thief".
Animals
- Milly and Molly's pets:
- Marmalade: Milly's cat. Mother of Bosen, Cappuchino, Tiger, Mandarin and one other. Once stolen by a man, known as "the cat thief".
- Tomcat: Molly's cat. Father of Bosen, Cappuchino, Tiger, Mandarin and one other. Once stolen by a man, known as "the cat thief".
- Bunt-me-not: Farmer Hegarty's goat, bunts people. In one competition, he won the "best goat in show" prize.
- Beefy: Farmer Hegarty's bull.
- Wags: Son of Farmer Hegarty's sheepdog, Scout. Once stolen by two thieves but escaped and returned to Farmer Hegarty's farm. He appeared in "Wags".
- Bouncer and Barker: Two noisy dogs. Saved Marmalade, Tomcat and Bosen from "the cat thief" They appeared in "The Cat Thief".
TV adaptation
Milly, Molly, an animated TV series based on the books, was produced in 2006.[2] An agreement for a second season was made in early 2008.[3] The two young actors, Savannah Green and Madeline Flood, are working on the TV show. The voice of Aunt Maude is Cornelia Frances.
References
- ↑ "Milly, Molly speak Maltese". Times of Malta. 2007-11-27.
- ↑ Bond, Georgina (2006-05-12). "Milly and Molly for TV fame". New Zealand Herald.
- ↑ "Second Milly, Molly series to be produced". OnScreen Asia. 2008-02-12.