My wee man might not yet be two but already he is a book lover – perhaps not surprising, when he can lay claim to a great grandmother who was a reader and a poet, a grandmother who is a reader and a journalist and a mother who is a reader and a teacher.

By 15 months our little fellow was spending long periods quietly leafing through his books – his scores of books. Now, not a morning goes by when the first thing that comes into my daughter’s bed of a morning is a wee, cuddly man carrying a book.

He has his favourites, knows just what is coming and will often shout the words in anticipation. He also has firm opinions about which books he wants at his numerous ‘story times.’

When I saw A Bigger Digger I just knew it would be a hit. And it is. One, because it is story about people – not talking cows, boisterous dinosaurs, bustling bears or meddling mice.

No, it is a book about a little boy not much different from the many little boys (and perhaps little girls too) who relate to cars and trains, diggers and planes.

They will undoubtedly gravitate to this beautifully illustrated, hard-cover publication – Australian illustrator Craig Smith has done a great job in bringing Brett Avison’s tale to colourful life.

And, as has been observed by the child psychologist Nigel Latta, it is not about fairies and witches or even tomboyish girls. It a book about a boy and what can generally be regarded as boy’s toys and the kind of things little boys love to do. A Bigger Digger is just right for pre-schoolers. At nearly two, my grandson loves the simplicity of the story, the rhyming lines, the bold, bright illustrations and the surprise ending.

Yes, he likes Bryn too and laughs at Oscar (a curious canine). He is into diggers. Happily, this is a book I feel confident in recommending for little boys and to grandmothers who just love to please them. RRP $4.99

By Helen Perry

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