Digger Man
Children fascinated by big machines will identify with the narrator of Digger Man. The bright acrylic illustrations detail the delight of building and creating a park with a massive earthmover. The story highlights a special sibling bond, with a big brother waiting to teach his little brother the joys of diggers. Active language (e.g., "Scoop the rocks!” and “Push the mud!”) will encourage reading along and reading often.
Pennsylvania Center for the Book Awards
Book Activities & Discussion Ideas
After reading the story, give children the opportunity to "dig" up safe objects using hands, shovels, scoops, sifters, or toy diggers. Have children fill up plastic containers or buckets with their found objects to encourage imaginative play of the story. Although ideal as a playground activity in gravel or sand, it could be adapted as an indoor activity. Consider "burying" objects in cardboard boxes filled with Styrofoam peanuts.
Talk with families about the way concepts like colors and counting can be extended with the pictures in this book. For example, suggest that they count with their children the vehicles on each page, "What color are they?" "What is the boy doing in each picture?" "What is he digging?" (i.e., metal beams and wood from construction, rocks, mud, a big hole.) In the playground picture, suggest that families talk with children about the various tools and toys that are being used in the park to dig in the sand. How many bicycles do you see in this picture? How many children? This type of discussion helps children extend vocabulary and build language skills.