Mighty Tug

October 1, 2017
A little tugboat carries out some big jobs around New York Harbor.From one page to the next, the eponymous, anthropomorphic tugboat, which is assigned feminine pronouns, guides various watercraft to safe harbor. Throughout, Mottram's digitally arranged watercolor-and-gouache illustrations outshine the rhyming text, which includes several awkward near rhymes and various problems with cadence that will pose challenges during read-alouds. The pictures have a vintage feel that harkens back to Hardie Gramatky's Little Toot, right down to the simple lines and dots used to render the boats' facial expressions. While more a catalog of watercraft that the tugboat helps than a story with a compelling beginning, middle, and end, the text begins at daybreak and concludes at nighttime, lending it a basic sense of structure. The final boat the tugboat helps is a fireboat that aids another boat with a small fire, and this lends some drama to the otherwise quiet text.A visual treat for boat-loving readers, albeit one with some leaks in the text. (Picture book. 2-5)

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November 6, 2017
Mighty Tug has a full day of work on the New York City waterfront: “All aboard! Here I come, busy harbor!” Huge vessels loom over her but never begrudge her help; in fact, they greet Mighty Tug with smiles and almost courtly politeness (“Will you guide us in?”). Capucilli’s rhyming text includes some crowd-pleasing sound effects but also hits some choppy waters (“Small but oh so strong, she splashes toward shore,/ where the pigeons peck and the seagulls roar!”) and tends to rely on rhetorical questions to move the narrative forward (“What’s next in the busy, busy harbor?”). Mottram’s digitally manipulated paintings are more successful: subtle anthropomorphism gives the characters a toylike appeal, and the compositions have a shimmery, aquatic texture well suited to the setting. Some readers may yearn for more drama or conflict than the brief fire episode that concludes the book, but it’s refreshing to encounter a small-in-stature character who never doubts herself or feels compelled to curry favor with those bigger than her. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Liza Voges, Eden Street Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Anne Moore Armstrong, Bright Group.

December 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 1-Mighty Tug may be little but she works hard from morning to night in the busy New York harbor. She tows a cargo ship, a big barge, some stray rafts, a ferry, and a container ship before calling it a day. "But wait! A speedy fireboat stacked with hoses and jugs cries out, 'Sound the alarm! Will you help us, Mighty Tug?' Ready as ever, and oh so brave, the mighty little tug leads the way across the waves!" Young readers will enjoy the onomatopoeia from the wake-up and goodnight song of "Clang Clang Clang Clang" to the tide going "Splish Splash Splish Splash" and a "Vroom Vroom Vroom" as the little red boat heads to shore. Rings, beeps, and rumbles round out the day, "All are safe in the busy, busy harbor. With a wave of her flag, Mighty Tug turns away. She's tired, but so proud of her busy harbor day." Fans of Stephen Savage's Little Tug and Gertrude Crampton and Tibor Gergely's Scuffy the Tugboat and His Adventures Down the River will enjoy this ode to a little hero. The digitally composed illustrations in watercolor and gouache portray the boats, big and small, with human expressions reminiscent of those in Thomas the Tank Engine, while the city appears in simple, graphic shapes in the background. VERDICT A sweet addition to the small but mighty subgenre, perfect for storytime and one-on-one sharing.-Barbara Auerbach, Formerly at New York City Public Schools

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