Category Archives: Puffin Club

Surprise News from the Royal Academy of Music…

Object of the Month, Puffin Badge, Puffin Club, Royal Academy of Music, Yehudi Menuhin

A real opportunity for puffinophiles has cropped up! The Royal Academy of Music has put Yehudi Menuhin’s puffin badges on display for object of the month – they were chosen as the April (fools) object(s) of the month. This is the only opportunity that you will have to see the Presidents special ‘Gold’ badge.

It looks a deep orange/red version of the founders badge. As I mentioned in a previous posting, this was given by Kaye Webb to Menuhin on his acceptance of the role of President of the Puffin Club after the death of the previous President, Sir Allen Lane.

I would like to thank the Royal Academy of Music for contacting me regarding these rare items – it has given me the excuse to express my admiration for an extraordinary man whose world view was so enlightened. I will be posting a more expansive post on Menuhin and his involvement with the club shortly.

Long time – no blog!

Art of Puffin, Glen McDonald, Jill McDonald, Kaye Webb, Puffin Club, Puffin code, Puffin Post, Seven Stories

Dear Old Puffineers,

It has been a fairly long time since I’ve had the time to put finger to keyboard and give any news, let alone any pretty pictures.

So, from the top….

I recently spotted a lovely example of a founders badge on ebay (I know I already have one!) but this was still mounted on its presentation card!! Suffice it to say that my budget outstripped my (only) fellow bidder. It is reassuring to know that it has gone to a safe and worthy home – Phil Baines, the author of the upcoming ‘Art of Puffin’ who has kindly allowed me to put a link in to his Flickr page. Thanks Phil!

I have also been contacted by the hard working people at Seven Stories in Newcastle. They are the custodians of the Kaye Webb collection which is due to get an overdue airing as part of the Puffin anniversary celebrations. If you are in the area, or have any love for children’s literature, I would urge you to visit and support them as they are a vital and under celebrated resource for the nation.

As I have said on previous posts, I have been fairly busy of late. I have not been idle though. I have a few choice items to share with you shortly. As you know I have a love of the ‘throw-away’ items, and I have landed a truly marvelous piece of graphic design. I also have a little project under my hat that may (or may not) see the light of this website.

Finally….I was recently contacted by Jill McDonalds daughter who now lives in New Zealand. It was very touching to receive such a lovely email from her – again, it makes it all worth while. I now know who created the Puffin Club code – it was never noted down in sources that I read (unless I missed it):

“I worked at Puffin Books for a couple of years not long after the establishment of the Puffin Club. My job was to answer children’s letters, judge competitions, sign up new members, go on Puffin Club trips and I also had a couple of pages where I published articles, jokes, recipes, etc. I think it was called Glen’s swap page. I also designed the Puffin Club secret code. I was 18 or 19 and new to London.”

Many thanks the Glen, Phil and the many ex puffineers who have contacted me over the past few months. I promise to answer as many of the questions and queries (particularly the one about the mysterious code that appeared to have no published key!) as I can over the next weeks and also give you all some new items to share and enjoy.

Just a bookmark!

Bookmark, Jill McDonald, Puffin Club, Puffinmark

A lovely little acquisition – from a very enthusiastic ex-puffineer clearing the decks on eBay. But a beautiful example of Jill McDonalds work. So many of the best pieces of her work are throw-away items like this. A real pleasure to restore.

The back of the original has a list of reading favorites written on it. It’s fascinating to see what someone else saw as vital reading before we had the interweb and cable telly.

Puffin Post Vol.2 No.3

1968, Happy Lion, Jill McDonald, Puffin Club, Puffin Post

A seriously overdue restoration – and a blinder! For those of you who don’t know the Happy Lion books (rather quirkily translated from the French), Jill’s artwork is a very faithfull copy of the style.
By this point, I think she had really got into the swing of the covers. The first time I saw this cover I thought it was enchanting – my kids have said the same.

A big apology for all of you who follow this blog – I have literally been working round the clock on other projects, and something had to give! I will do my best to bring you some new things soon.

Puffin Post Vol.13 No.3

Jill McDonald, Puffin Club, Puffin Post

Slightly out of season, but fun none-the-less.

Featuring a short story by Leon Garfield, and in depth guide on how a book is published by Felicity Trotman, a centre spread on mask making, a profile of author Dorothy Crayder, a charming piece by Violet Bibby on finding Treasure (stories) from the past and photos from two forthcoming adaptations – Southern TV’s ‘The Ravelled Thread’ and BBC TV’s ‘The Enchanted Castle’.

Not a bad little collection!

Puffin Post Vol.8 no.4

Annabel Farjeon, Barbara Willard, Jill McDonald, John Masefield, McDonald McDonald, Odway, Peter Dickinson, Puffin Club, Puffin Post, Quentin Blake

Another amazing Quentin Blake cover – you will probably have seen this one as part of the publicity for the new club. It’s certainly a vivid piece of work, and again, one of my favourites.

Slightly drier content in this one! A historical story by Barbara Willard entitled ‘Save England!’, a story ‘The Siege of Trapp’s Mill’ by Annabel Farjeon, A piece about the author John Masefield (The Midnight Folk etc.), and a more adventurous tale by Peter Dickinson -‘Up and Beyond’.

Jill McDonald has two nice scale pieces – Part 6 of Odways ‘Tales of the Golden Fleas’ and a short-lived character ‘McDonald McDonald’ – the arch detector of useless (but fascinating) information.

Puffin Post Vol.11 no.1

Elizabeth Beresford, Jan Pienkowski, Jill McDonald, Kathleen Peyton, Puffin Club, Puffin Exhibition, Puffin Post

A great one for anniversary fever! This issue included a brief history of the club up till that point as well as Jill McDonalds memories of drawing Fat Puffin (previously posted). Also included was a short birthday story by Elisabeth Beresford, a piece about Ponies by Flambards author Kathleen Peyton and an interview with Jan Pienkowski.

Bundled in with the magazine was the 10th Birthday Exhibition announcement with a special board game called ‘Swoop’ designed by Merlin Southwell printed on the back – not many have survived!

Long time, no blog…

Jill McDonald, Puffin Club, Puffin diary, Puffin Post

Hello Puffin Bloggers – sorry to have been away for so long, I’m afraid my other work has been taking all of my attention lately. Goodness know what I’ll do if it really takes off!

Anywho, here is a little restoration that I’ve been working on: The Puffin Readers Diary 1979!


This delightful cover was not very good at keeping its Gold and Green foil intact – mine was very worn. I hope that other owners of this little work of art allow me the license of approximating the look of the complete foil image. This is one of my favourite Jill McDonald ephemeral images.

I now have a cache of scans to work through, so I hope to resume normal service.

Puffin Cake?

Fat Puffin, Jill McDonald, Puffin Club, Puffin Post


I admit this isn’t an original Jill McDonald work – it’s mine! My youngest daughter just turned six and requested a Puffin cake! (I don’t know where she gets it from!) My freehand icing isn’t the greatest, but here is my attempt based on the badge design by Jill.*

One nice consequence of doing this was discovering that the parent of one of her friends was also a member of the Puffin Club – now a teacher!

I was also contacted by another founder member who had come across this site – sadly she only had one letter from another member on club stationary as a memento. She also has a polaroid of her as a child in her bedroom with one of the (now very) rare Puffin Bookcases. These were a short run item that could be bought at selected Puffin outlets around the country. As far as I have been able to find out, these are excessively difficult to find as they tended to get thrown out when the Puffin books were outgrown – or didn’t survive moves.

I’m sure there are some still out there in varying states of repair – hold on to them! They are going to increase in value.

After careful consideration (despite asking permission), I have chosen not to post the picture, as I feel it would be inappropriate. I will locate one of the photos that were taken for Puffin Post as this shows it very clearly.

*I have removed my daughters name electronically for her protection!