Doug the Digger author visits Paeroa schools

Duffy Books in Homes ambassador Alistair McIntyre visited local schools in and around Paeroa last month.

At school, Alistair McIntyre was in his own little world watching trucks and diggers go by out the window.

He wasn't great at reading or writing and waited for the day he could leave to get behind the wheel of a digger or other heavy machinery.

Thirty years later, with the bones of his first book under way, he returned to his childhood primary school for guidance.

"I talked to the same teacher I had when I was 7 — Jean Smith. The teacher who first tried to teach me was the same one, and she said 'I have been waiting 30 years for you to ask for help'."

Alistair, from Whangārei, was honing the first of his two Doug the Digger books. He'd always wanted to write a book to inspire children. He was fine-tuning the drawings, looking into marketing and trying to face his public speaking fears.

"I had to face my personal fears of reading and writing and that was a gift going back into the classroom... reading my story out loud, I don't even remember going in front of a class when I was at school. They helped me out heaps."

Alistair says sometimes when you take a wrong turn in life, it's good to head back and correct it.

Alistair is an author, a motivational speaker, a business owner and has been a Duffy Books in Homes ambassador for the past 20 years. He visits schools throughout the North Island.

Last month he visited Tirohia School, Paeroa Central School, St Joseph's Paeroa, Hikutaia School, Kerepehi School and Kaiaua School.

Sometimes Alistair brings his "road show" with trusty digger Kerri Ann. He shares messages of overcoming adversity and facing challenges.

"I love helping kids get into reading and taking ownership of themselves. There's lots of boys out there like I was — I loved trucks and diggers — and they see me show up in my high vis and my boots. It's neat they look at me as a role model."

Alistair reads his books to children with the accompanying CD and he discusses the process of creating the book from start to finish.

"Parents tell me their kids they have started doing their own little books at night and I feel really proud about that."

He tells his life story which has twists and turns and motivates children to face challenges like he did. Alistair left school at age 15 but was a contractor by age 17. His father was a civil engineer who played a huge part in creating a love of working with heavy machinery.

But when he was 25, his arm was crushed between a building and a truck. This was a huge turning point for Alistair and he decided to follow his dream of writing a book, which was published in 2000.