Muriel Dorothy Butler was a renowned New Zealand children's author, bookseller, memoirist, and advocate for children's literacy. Born in Grey Lynn, Auckland, in 1925, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Auckland University College and later married Roy Edward Butler, with whom she had eight children.
She founded the Dorothy Butler Children's Bookshop in Auckland, which became a beloved destination for readers. Her influential books Babies Need Books and Cushla and Her Books highlighted the importance of early reading and the transformative power of books, particularly for children with disabilities.
Butler received numerous honors, including the Eleanor Farjeon Award in 1980, the Children's Literature Association's Award for Services to Children's Literature in 1991, and the Margaret Mahy Award in 1992. In 1993, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for her services to children's literature.
She published widely across non-fiction, children's books, and anthologies, leaving a lasting impact on New Zealand’s literary community. Butler passed away in 2015, remembered for her lifelong dedication to children's reading.