New Zealand's much loved storytelling dog Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy has broadened his language horizons debuting in Shanghai.

The iconic children's book, created by Tauranga's Dame Lynley Dodds, was released in Shanghai yesterday in the aim of helping Chinese children learn English.

Hairy Maclary is now available in Mandarin.

In China, Minister Steven Joyce read out the first page of the book in Mandarin at the unveiling as part of a tourism event.

The Chinese version of iconic Kiwi children's book first released in 1983 will be sold across China in both Mandarin and English.

Speaking to SunLive this morning, Dame Lynley Dodds says she knew the book was set to be released in China, but was not aware when it was set to happen.

"Its all very exciting - to find out Hairy is going to be a Chinese dog."

The series by Penguin has sold more than 11million copies worldwide and has already been translated into six different languages including Korean, Japanese, Swedish, Russian and Slovene.

"Its not many actually, as it is very difficult to translate rhyme," says Lynley.

When Lynley first wrote the book she never expected it would end up in China.

"I never imagined any of this would happen. It was meant to be a one book, I never imagined a series."

The release comes as fundraising for nine bronze statues of Hairy Maclary, Scarface Claw, Slinky Malinki, Hercules Morse, Muffin McLay, Bottomley Potts, Schnitzel von Krumm, Bitzer Maloney and Zachary Quack, to be installed on Tauranga's waterfront reaches the half way mark.

Creative Tauranga CEO Tracey Rudduck-Gudsell says $400,000 has so far been raised towards the $800,000 project.

Installation of the statues is planned to coincide with the 30th birthday of Hairy Maclary in July this year.

'We are half way there. It has been a long hard slog due to the criteria we are allowed to work within but we are getting there,” says Tracey.

'People are walking in off the street everyday making donations.”

Funds towards the $400,000 raised so far includes $150,000 from central Government, $30,000 from TECT, $60,000 from three local Rotary clubs, and an additional $20,000 from an anonymous businessman.

Tracey is currently working on a new donor package set to be released next week.

'We are trying to get the community in behind having their names immortalised in the sculpture product.

'We are trying to get people to help bring Hairy to town.”

The donation is tax deductible and people wanting to donate can do so at http://www.hairymaclarysculptures.org.nz

Lead sculptor at Weta Workshops Brigitte Wuest has been commissioned to produce the nine bronze statues.

Brigitte has worked on Lord of the Rings, King Kong and The Chronicles of Narnia, as well as creating the statue of Riff Raff unveiled in Hamilton in 2004.