Little Yellow Digger writer has passed away at 97

Date: 20.07.2021

Betty Gilderdale, the author of the much-loved Little Yellow Digger series of children’s books, passed away just days short of her 98th birthday

Betty Gilderdale

Betty Gilderdale, the author of the much-loved Little Yellow Digger series of children’s books, passed away just days short of her 98th birthday, Scholastic New Zealand announced in a statement.

Generations of children know Betty as the author of the popular picture books, which she created alongside her artist husband, Alan Gilderdale. With more than half a million Little Yellow Digger books in print, the original picture book stands out as one of New Zealand’s all-time bestselling children’s picture books—a legacy that’s being continued by their son Peter, who has taken up the mantle of writing new books in the series.

Betty and Alan emigrated to New Zealand from England in 1967, bringing their young family with them. Betty taught at North Shore Teachers’ Training College (later Auckland College of Education), then in Auckland University’s Department of Continuing Education until 1985.

In addition to her children’s books, Betty authored a number of adult non-fiction titles, including A Sea Change, a comprehensive survey of New Zealand fiction for young people over the 145 years from 1833 to 1978. She also wrote acclaimed biographies of Lady Barker (published 2009) and Margaret Mahy (2013). Betty’s own autobiography My Life in Two Halves was published in 2012.  

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