The Grumpy Mole gets a Digger John Evan Harris Minky Stapleton Author: John Evan Harris. Illustrator: Minky Stapleton. Roiall Emerald Publishers (2025) 32 pages, Paperback ISBN 978 0 47373 080 2

The Grumpy Mole gets a Digger. ‘The mole had his friends come to afternoon tea, fairies and butterflies, beetle and bee.’ The main character of The Grumpy Mole (2024) is now the ‘once grumpy mole’ which is why he is cheerfully hosting afternoon tea for the fairies, mice, elves, butterflies and beetles who are his forest neighbours. Mole’s underground home proves too small for the crowd and some fairy folk have to sit on the bed to eat their cake, Out shopping later, Mole is amazed to see a big yellow digger for sale. He saves up in his piggy bank and then rushes to buy the digger. Brushing aside the sales-squirrel’s offer of driving lessons, Mole sets off home in the digger, ‘Driving a digger. How hard can it be?’ Of course, the short-sighted Mole is soon in trouble with his digger, much to the alarm of the fleeing forest folk. ‘Stop! Please – don’t dig any more!’ they shout. The chaos which follows Mole’s attempt to enlarge his burrow is very amusing, as his tiny friends scatter from around the rapidly growing hole. Then a beetle is trapped and Mole finds that his old reliable claws are more trustworthy than his digger. ‘What a wonder to watch as his claws dug the clay. The fairies cried out with a “Hip Hip Hooray!”’ The text is well set out and readable, especially the Mole’s cry of ’GROOAAR!’ Minky Stapleton has not only provided the colour illustrations but she has also designed the book. The resulting fantasy forest world is beautifully realised. A mouse wears a fair-isle pullover and spectacles, beetles have backpacks and the centipede can carry two cakes in his four hands. Tiny details are always fascinating, so sharp-eyed young readers will spot the portrait of Mole’s mother on his wall, not to mention the fob watch in his waistcoat pocket. When Mole first lays eyes on the big yellow digger, his pupils become heart symbols. The Grumpy Mole gets a Digger is one to read (and sometimes SHOUT) aloud. Trevor Agnew, 20 October 2025. (Review 3810)