Books Jack Reads

Since 1993, Betty and Alan GIlderdale's classic series about that famous little yellow digger has been entertaining Kiwi kids (as well as their parents) for over 50 years.

Now, here's my review of the book that started it all, The Little Yellow Digger.

In a small neighbourhood, a group of builders, along with the little yellow digger, are digging out a drain for a family next door.

However, when bad weather hits, the ground gets turned to mud and the little yellow digger gets stuck, and things only get worse when all the bigger diggers sent in to help end up stuck too.

But when the weather clears and the mud dries out, will the little yellow digger be able to save the day?

If your kids are into books like Sally Sutton's Demolition, then they'll enjoy this one.

Children will love all the cool pictures of the different machines stuck in the mud (and the kids with their dog watching everything unfold), as well as the verse-like narrative (which is great fun for parents to read aloud) that goes with the illustrations.

Meanwhile, parents will also appreciate this story for its nostalgia value, as well as the timeless lesson about working together to solve a problem. Not only that, but there are also four other books in this series to enjoy as well!

Overall, this is an essential NZ picture book, and a must for preschoolers who are obsessed with trucks.