about the author

Sheila Verner has enjoyed creating and sharing stories and topical poems with the pupils in her classes for over 30 years, and with her four children before that. The stories are often based on real events, discussed as they are happening, and woven into tales that reflect the funny side. She judges the effectiveness of a story by the responses from the children, who are astute critics. Previous published works are Mama Sebona’s Shopping under the pen name Sheila Mac, and Lindi and Gogo under the pen name Thandi Mwelase. 

about the book

The Suez Canal is blocked! World shipping is blocked! A huge ship is stuck across the canal into the left bank! First on the scene: Digger! Tiny against the HUGE ship, he tries his best. While Presidents, Prime Ministers and CEOs fuss and fume across the world, Digger digs patiently away on his side of Suez. The world watches as the shipping jam grows longer, across the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Big Wigs grow more frantic, messages fizz across the world. Powerful tugboats arrive one by one, to heave from the other side of the ship. Digger digs steadily on, the sand pile behind him growing higher and higher. Just when it seems that nothing can budge the ship, a full moon shines down, a spring tide rises, Digger gives one last push, and...

news

Digger at Book Character Day

April 03, 2023: Digger was invited to open Book Character Day at St David’s Marist College, Inanda, Sandton. The Grade Ones, Twos and Threes were all dressed up in a wonderful array of book character ........

Guest Author visit to St Mary's School

I was delighted to be invited to share ‘The Digger that Did’ with the Grade 3 classes at St Mary’s School for Girls, Waverley. Lauren Spencer organised the event on March 22, 2023 and it was a real th ........

My Book Launch at Local School

I am excited to share about my book launch event at a local school on my novel, The Digger That Did. It was an amazing experience to present and share about my book to the little readers.

blogs

New 'Digger' fan

I was thrilled to receive a photo of a new young fan for 'The Digger that Did' from my daughter Deryn in England. Her colleague Tiff showed Deryn a delightful photo of her small son, carefully opening ........

Digger at Book Character Day.

I was excited to read ‘The Digger that Did’ at St David’s Marist College, Inanda, Sandton, on April 03, 2023. In fact, I was delighted when Debbie Buchner, the librarian, asked me to be the first even ........

Cross-town Dash for Digger.

Wednesday March 22, 2023 was one of split-second timing. My colleague, Lauren from old Auckland Park days, invited me to read ‘The Digger that Did’ to the Grade 3 girls at St Mary’s School, Waverley, ........

contact

Austin Macauley are one of the fastest-growing publishers, striving hard to give authors the best chance of succeeding in an increasingly crowded market. With headquarters in London, New York and Sharjah, Austin Macauley Publishers™ have established themselves as an energetic and innovative independent trade publishers.

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