THE DIGGER AND THE DARK

The latest in Kuefler’s Digger series finds several tuckered-out trucks in need of some serious shut-eye.

It’s getting late, so Digger and the other vehicles decide to finish their construction work tomorrow. They wash, brush their grilles, snuggle, and say good night. Now they’re ready to snooze. A pair of rascally raccoons show up with other ideas. “We’ll play with you,” Digger says. “But only for a minute.” That minute lasts till sunup. The raccoons go to bed; the trucks return to work. Next evening, as the trucks are falling asleep, guess who arrives? The raccoons are hungry, so the trucks spend all night handing out treats. Every night, the raccoons return for various reasons. And every morning, the trucks resume work. Each night, yawning and ever more exhausted, they prepare for bed. This time, when the raccoons appear, the trucks are so beat that they’re fast asleep—except Digger, delirious with lack of sleep, who announces he’s ready to play! Now, the raccoons’ agenda has changed—they solicitously tuck Digger in, kiss him tenderly, and sing him a lullaby. Finally, Digger and the trucks enjoy sweet dreams together. Truck enthusiasts will savor this sweet story; hopefully, sleep-resistant little ones will get the point. The raccoons’ attitude reversal will have kids chuckling. The upbeat, blocky illustrations depict the vehicles with endearingly anthropomorphized faces.

An enchanting—and soothing—bedtime tale.