Community at core of kids’ book

Close-knit neighbours, curious kids and a demolished house have inspired Mangawhai resident Heidi Baker to write and self-publish her first children’s book.

The inspiration for A Digger Ate My Neighbour’s House came to Heidi during the demolition of a neighbouring property when she noticed it wasn’t just adults who were interested in the construction progress.

“Any time there was machinery, I noticed that the neighbours’ kids were always watching the trucks and diggers working, and I thought it was really cool to see,” Heidi says.

After the house was demolished to make way for a new build, Heidi, who has loved writing since she was a child, had a poem running through her mind that she felt compelled to write down.

“I wrote a poem about how the house was eaten by a digger, and I shared it with the neighbours, who loved it,” Heidi says.

What started as a gift for neighbours became so popular that she decided to self-publish so others could enjoy it. Using real photographs from the demolition, Heidi then used AI to create cartoon-style illustrations for the book to accompany the rhyming prose.

With two copies of the book now on the shelves of the National Library of New Zealand, and more than halfway through her first print run of 200 copies, Heidi says she is thrilled that children are enjoying her story and already has ideas for future books. To find out more about Heidi’s book visit: www.squirrelsrock.co.nz