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Sister Madge's Book of Nuns
Sister Madge, of the Convent of Our Lady of Immense Proportions, describes in verse the foibles of a number of unconventional nuns.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1986
1 person is currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Doug MacLeod
40 books22 followersDoug MacLeod is a Melbourne-based writer and TV producer who has worked on many of Australia's most popular comedy shows, including The Comedy Company, Fast Forward, Big Girls' Blouse, The Micallef Program and SeaChange. He was also the script editor on Kath and Kim.
While he enjoys the TV work, he prefers writing books for young people. After leaving his full-time job in TV, Doug wrote the teenage novel Tumble Turn, which was published by Penguin in 2003, and is on the syllabus at Deakin University.
On The Cards is a book of ridiculous greeting card rhymes with an introduction by Ben Elton that Doug wrote for the international charity Comic Relief in 2002. A second book of creepy rhymes, Spiky, Spunky, My Pet Monkey, was released in 2004. Both books are illustrated by Craig Smith and published by Penguin. Craig and Doug again collaborated on Leon Stumble’s Book of Stupid Fairytales, published by Working Title in 2005.
Doug’s second young adult novel for Penguin, I’m Being Stalked by a Moonshadow (2006), was shortlisted for the New South Wales Premier’s Awards, and published in America by Front Street Press.
Two fantasy novels, Kevin the Troll (2007) and The Clockwork Forest (2008), came next and were also published by Penguin. The Clockwork Forest was presented as a play at The Sydney Theatre Company in 2008.
Doug’s third young adult novel, Siggy and Amber, was released by Penguin in 2009.
But he’s probably best known for a book called Sister Madge’s Book of Nuns, which was published in 1986. He's less well known for The Life of a Teenage Body-snatcher, which was published by Penguin in 2010 and is a much better book, especially if you like your comedy a little black.
Recent non-book-related activities include co-devising the animated TV series, Dogstar, for which he has won two Australian Writers’ Guild Awards and the inaugural John Hinde Award for Science Fiction. There are 52 episodes. Doug wrote half of them. Philip Dalkin wrote the other half. The show plays all over the world and premiered on the BBC.
With satirist John Clarke and composer Alan John he wrote a play based on May Gibbs’ famous children’s book, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. It was directed by Neil Armfield and premiered at The Sydney Festival in 2007.
With comedian Tracy Harvey he co-wrote the musical Call Girl in 2009, which had two Melbourne seasons.
In 2008 Doug received the Fred Parsons Lifetime Achievement Award for Contribution to Australian Comedy at the Australian Writers’ Guild Awards.
While he enjoys the TV work, he prefers writing books for young people. After leaving his full-time job in TV, Doug wrote the teenage novel Tumble Turn, which was published by Penguin in 2003, and is on the syllabus at Deakin University.
On The Cards is a book of ridiculous greeting card rhymes with an introduction by Ben Elton that Doug wrote for the international charity Comic Relief in 2002. A second book of creepy rhymes, Spiky, Spunky, My Pet Monkey, was released in 2004. Both books are illustrated by Craig Smith and published by Penguin. Craig and Doug again collaborated on Leon Stumble’s Book of Stupid Fairytales, published by Working Title in 2005.
Doug’s second young adult novel for Penguin, I’m Being Stalked by a Moonshadow (2006), was shortlisted for the New South Wales Premier’s Awards, and published in America by Front Street Press.
Two fantasy novels, Kevin the Troll (2007) and The Clockwork Forest (2008), came next and were also published by Penguin. The Clockwork Forest was presented as a play at The Sydney Theatre Company in 2008.
Doug’s third young adult novel, Siggy and Amber, was released by Penguin in 2009.
But he’s probably best known for a book called Sister Madge’s Book of Nuns, which was published in 1986. He's less well known for The Life of a Teenage Body-snatcher, which was published by Penguin in 2010 and is a much better book, especially if you like your comedy a little black.
Recent non-book-related activities include co-devising the animated TV series, Dogstar, for which he has won two Australian Writers’ Guild Awards and the inaugural John Hinde Award for Science Fiction. There are 52 episodes. Doug wrote half of them. Philip Dalkin wrote the other half. The show plays all over the world and premiered on the BBC.
With satirist John Clarke and composer Alan John he wrote a play based on May Gibbs’ famous children’s book, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. It was directed by Neil Armfield and premiered at The Sydney Festival in 2007.
With comedian Tracy Harvey he co-wrote the musical Call Girl in 2009, which had two Melbourne seasons.
In 2008 Doug received the Fred Parsons Lifetime Achievement Award for Contribution to Australian Comedy at the Australian Writers’ Guild Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 6, 2021
I have been visiting a Catholic nun for the last couple of months (she is recording scriptural material for LARA), and I would like to say that this book paints a dismayingly inaccurate picture. I asked Sister Pauline, and she has never pushed anyone into a crocodile pond. She doesn't even own a Harley! I checked with God to be absolutely sure, and He confirms her story 100%.
May 10, 2012
I've only read the 'Sister Isobel and the Zoo' poem from this book, but I've read (and performed) it so many times it's well and truly stuck in my head all these years later. I love the cheekiness of Doug Macleod's humour and the sly, ruthless way Sister Isobel gets rid of all her students at the zoo is very amusing.
October 28, 2023
Saw this is the book store and thought it was hilarious and then by the time I needed to go I had finished it. These were hilarious.
August 1, 2015
A very early picture book from Doug MacLeod that really does prove you can write a picture book about anything. Reading this just confirms my notion that I really need to read more of his work.
http://astrongbeliefinwicker.blogspot...
http://astrongbeliefinwicker.blogspot...
April 29, 2009
I always want to associate this with working on Nunsense at Malvern - perhaps I re-read it then? However, it was in actual fact a grade 6 new library book. Heaps of fun :)
December 26, 2020
Hilarious and perfect. This was the first book I ever read to a class during my teacher training. It worked a treat. Sister Isobel And The Zoo and Sister Stephanie And The Gang were probably my favourites. Doug MacLeod’s poems are wonderful and Craig Smith’s illustrations are just superb.
February 19, 2021
Not as great whem u read it as an adult
May 1, 2017
Ten Second Synopsis:
This a collection of fictional poems written by a fictional nun about all the other fictional nuns living at their fictional convent.
The fact that the convent is called "Our Lady of Immense Proportions". Honestly, that's enough of a laugh in itself to justify buying the book. The poems take up about a page each and are accompanied by amusing illustrations. There is enough variety in the personal vices of the nuns presented here - from feeding small children to zoo animals, to reading Women's Weekly magazine, to riding motorbikes through a corner store - to amuse and delight even the most staid of religious zealots.
This a collection of fictional poems written by a fictional nun about all the other fictional nuns living at their fictional convent.
The fact that the convent is called "Our Lady of Immense Proportions". Honestly, that's enough of a laugh in itself to justify buying the book. The poems take up about a page each and are accompanied by amusing illustrations. There is enough variety in the personal vices of the nuns presented here - from feeding small children to zoo animals, to reading Women's Weekly magazine, to riding motorbikes through a corner store - to amuse and delight even the most staid of religious zealots.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews