Betty Gilderdale has written and contributed to numerous local and international publications, including the biographies of Lady Barker and Margaret Mahy. But she is perhaps best known in New Zealand as author, with Alan Gilderdale, of the best-selling Little Yellow Digger series and for many years has been a passionate advocate for wonderful stories for New Zealand children. This fact was appropriately recognised when the Children’s Literature Association renamed their Award for Services to Children’s Literature, The Betty Gilderdale Award.