Digger is a dog. Digger is a dog who digs. Nothing will stop Digger in his quest to dig down and down and down except when he bumps into something and so he digs right then left then round and round and round until he reaches somewhere quite surprising. Then he hears a voice from above:
"Digger! Where are you?"
So, it is time to dig again - this time up and up and round and round and left and right and upside down until ...
If you are going to write a book with only thirty words it is important to add a rich unspoken story in the illustrations and that is exactly what Huni Melissa Bolliger has done in Digger digs down. An adult sharing this book, or any really good picture book, with a very young child needs to enjoy the book too. The text here is very, very simple almost at the level of an old basal reader from the 1950s or 1960 but so much is going on under the ground as Digger digs deeper and deeper. This means adults and children will enjoy revisiting this book for repeated readings and there will be lots to talk about.
I especially appreciated the way the first page has no text. You also need to begin reading this book from the title page because that is where the story starts. IF this book does ever appear on a service like Story Box Library I do hope they begin their 'reading' from the title page onwards. The end papers hint at the colourful marvels Digger will find deep under the ground. OH and please think about the rainbow on the cover. After reading this book with your young reading companion or with your preschool group you are sure to want to talk about the idea of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!
The illustrations in this book, as I have said, really take this book to another level. They are full page and made with vibrant saturated colours printed on glossy paper. There are pages you need to turn sideways and the text is positioned to mirror the context - for example the words go down the page as Digger digs down and they are curved when he goes round and round. The 'noisy' words are given emphasis because they are written in capital letters. Blurry or smudged edges to his fur show Digger in action as he romps below and above the ground. He is an adorable orange coloured shaggy puppy full of energy. If you met him in real life you would want to give him a pat and a hug although I think he would probably jump all over your first. The word exuberant certainly applies to this energetic young dog.
I was sent Digger digs down by UQP (University of Queensland Press). It will be published at the end of July, 2024. See inside this book here. This book will be a good addition to a preschool book collection and as a read aloud it will work well with words like donk!, bonk!, clonk!, and swish swish swish for young children aged 2+.
Publisher blurb: Join happy-go-lucky Digger as he ditches the boredom of backyard life for an underground adventure. What will he find? What won’t he find? Packed with hidden treasures, this picture book is perfect for small children who love dogs, digging and discovery.
Johanna Bell is an award-winning children’s author, poet and Churchill Fellow ... Digger Digs Down is Johanna’s sixth picture book and her first created in nipaluna/Hobart with fellow Tasmanian Huni Melissa Bolliger.
Huni Melissa Bolliger (you can see a show reel of her work) is an award-winning animator and artist. Her films have won awards in Australia and internationally, including a prestigious Special Jury Prize at Hiroshima Animation Festival. ... Digger Digs Down is Huni’s picture-book illustration debut.
Background information shared by the publisher: The story of Digger was first conceived when Johanna’s daughter (then three years old) began telling her a story about a dog called Digger, which was quickly scribbled on the back of a receipt. And in her debut as picture book illustrator, Huni, an animator, found inspiration for Digger in her very own Digger, her dog Rufus.
Here are some other books by Johanna Bell:
Winner: CBCA Book of the Year, Early Childhood, 2017.
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