Michael Garland, Author and Illustrator
Holiday House, Nonfiction, 2014
Suitable for ages: 4-7
Themes: Tugboats do big jobs, Transportation
Opening: “The day begins. The tugboat rests at the dock.”
Synopsis: The red tugboat named the Hudson is docked and waiting for the crew to board. The little boat is ready to do big jobs. It tugs large cargo ships into a port, pulls heavy barges filled with coal or stinky garbage, nudges a cruise ship into port, pulls tall ships and tows a barge carrying the Willis Avenue Bridge. The tugboat may seem small, but it works in all kinds of weather and is built to do important jobs that other larger boats can’t do alone.
Why I like this book: This is another captivating early reader for children by Michael Garland. The text is very simple for young children to read to themselves. Kids will also learn about the adventures of the tugboat and the life and the activity of the crew on board. If you look closely the captain of the tugboat will look very familiar. Children will pour over the double-page spreads of Garland’s colorful digital illustrations. They are stunning, realistic and give children a feel for how important a tugboat is to transportation. Tugboat is a keeper that will be read again and again. Garland has published two other early reader books, Fish Had a Wish and Car Goes Far, which are ideal for kids in preschool and kindergarten.
Resources: Garland includes a glossary at the end of the many types of boats a tugboat assists. He includes a page about the Willis Avenue Bridge which was towed on a barge down the Hudson River from Albany to New York City. If you live near a large river like the Mississippi River or along the coasts where tugboats are visible, plan a field trip to show children how hard the tugboats work. Check out Michael Garland’s website for information about all of his books.
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