Gumboot Gary is in strife. His home and farm are falling down around him, and he needs to find a solution – fast.
Talking with his farm boy, Digger Dan about the problem, they go through ideas together, from stealing fruit to having a garage sale. It’s not until Gumboot is reading his newspaper later, that an idea hits him.
Meanwhile, Pippa Davidson lives on a bigger, better and much happier farm near their town of Dargaville. They have cows, sheep, and it’s a sheep called Lulabelle that is Pippa’s very special favourite. Lulabelle feels the same about Pippa.
So when Lulabelle is stolen one dark night, Pippa knows she must do everything she can to get her wooly best friend back!
Gumboot Gary and Digger Dan’s terrible plans to make money for their farm are going well – until they enter a competition in the town show. Pippa is suddenly onto what they’ve been up to.
With the help of Dargaville’s top cop Mike Te Hira, they are quickly caught up in a dangerous mission to save many sheep along with Lulabelle.
Set in Dargaville NZ, many small-town Kiwi kids will love seeing themselves in a novel.
This Kiwi caper will bring lots of laughs as two criminals come up against a brave girl with a stolen sheep friend, and the local police, on hand. There is word play with many recognisable (but completely coincidental) items, authors, bands and books in the text – with funny footnotes. eg. SpongeGreg Rectangle Shorts.
Pippa and the Sheep Snatchers is illustrated throughout with all the sheep shenanigans and possum problems, making this story even more entertaining for Kiwi kids.
Author – Lauren Middleton
Illustrator – Robyn Glendinning
Age – 7+
Find more Great New Zealand Fiction here
(2025, Bateman, Dargaville, Aotearoa, New Zealand, Farm, Animals, Sheep, Rustling, Town Show, Possum, Traps, Police, Crime, Humour, Funny)