The Little Yellow Digger Finds Treasure

The Little Yellow Digger series of picture books has become a kiwi icon in children’s literature and it’s great to see Peter continuing his late mother’s legacy in the writing of his fourth Little Yellow Digger story.

As in all of the stories, the digger is called upon to help in yet another rescue, this time a truck caught by the incoming tide and stuck in the sand. Although the digger is little, it is a hero and manages to pull the truck out of the sand completing another successful rescue. This sends a good message to children: no matter your size or talents, we can all do our bit for good.

During the rescue, a loud thunk is heard and the family discover a buried case. I love how the children imagine jewels, gold and other pirate loot but further investigation results in the discovery of a large haul of hidden cash. Here the theme of honesty is highlighted with the police returning the cash to its rightful owner.

Peter writes in a similar style to the original stories with rhyme and rhythm. The language is rich e.g. ‘the digger pulled…strained…heaved’ and he makes good use of onomatopoeia e.g. ‘clatter’ and ‘clunk’.

Fifi Colston, an award-winning New Zealand illustrator, has added her touch to the style of the late Alan Gilderdale’s artwork in the original books. The colours are bright and the pictures add do much detail to the story. She sets the scene of an idyllic NZ beach holiday: flowering pohutukawa, jandals, sun and surf. I particularly love the picture of the robber in jail reading about diggers.

With summer approaching, this is a great book for families with younger children, but it also has an advisory for adults: take care driving on the beach and shifting sands is not a good place to hide things.

Title: The Little Yellow Digger Finds Treasure

Author: Peter Gilderdale

Illustrator: Fifi Colston

Publisher: Scholastic

Isbn: 9781775437321

RRP: $21.99

Format: Paperback

Date of Publication: 1 October 2022

Ages: 3-7

Themes: Honesty, heroism

Advisory warnings: None

Would this book work as a read aloud: yes

Is there a particular part of the country it’s set in? No

Reviewer: Nova Gibson, Library Manager, Massey Primary School, Auckland

How highly are you recommending this book? Recommended

Opening Sentence: On our beach beside the inlet where the whales come to play, a truck had parked upon the sand, its owners gone away.

Buy this book here.