Kate and Jim McMullan
PreS-Gr. 2. Like the garbage truck in the McMullans' I Stink! (2002), the tugboat that narrates this picture book tells his story with more than a splash of moxie. Strong ink drawings define the harbor setting from a variety of perspectives and show the emotions of the anthropomorphic figures of boats and trucks, while color brightens the scenes and heightens the drama. As the little tugboat heads into the harbor in the morning, he checks his gear and revs his engines. Taking charge of an oil tanker, he guides it through the channel and parks it at the dock. Next up is a "six-decker doozie" carrying a cargo of automobiles, followed by "Queen Justine, a super-duper cruiser, as WIDE as she is long" (an absurd statement to make about a ship that is clearly longer than it is wide). Kids aren't likely to worry about that for long, though, when there's so much here to enjoy: the energetic writing, the boastful tug's bravado, and the well-conceived illustrations. Best of all, the big boats need help from the little boat instead of the other way around, making this an appealing nautical version of every preschooler's dream.
