Tugga-Tugga Tugboat by Kevin Lewis, Daniel Kirk (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

Cast off! . . . anchors aweigh.

Popular collaborators Kevin Lewis and Daniel Kirk have teamed up again to create the perfect read-aloud for bath time or any time. The book brings to life tugboats, tankers, cargo, and more, with a lyrical, repetitive refrain and bold, colorful art.

Toot! Toot!

Kevin Lewis's picture books are known for their boisterous boy appeal and irresistible sounds, which make them perfect for reading aloud. He and Daniel Kirk also collaborated on My Truck Is Stuck! Kevin lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Daniel Kirk is the successful writer and illustrator of numerous children's books. He has illustrated such popular titles as Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo as well as his own Snow Dude and Dogs Rule! He lives with his wife, illustrator Julia Gorton, and their children in New Jersey.

Publishers Weekly

In its title and subject matter, this book recalls this team's Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo. With a "Toot! Toot!," a spunky little tugboat shows how it's the hero of the harbor, whether helping the big ships ("Giant tanker needs a nudge./ Propeller spin.../ But will it budge?/ Tugga-tugga tugboat./ Grab and guide and float, boat") or putting out fires ("Tugga-tugga tugboat./ Splash and spray and float, boat"). The action is even more fun because readers quickly realize that the harbor is not quite what it seems. The cargo on the wharf looks a lot like bars of soap; the ducks appear to be more of the rubber than the feather variety; and the ocean is positively bubbly. The final pages reveal why: the tug's hard work has been the fantasy play of a boy in a bubble bath. Although the portrait of the human hero pales next to the toys, the early scenes find Kirk in top form. The smooth, bright surfaces and chunky objects will remind readers of their own toys, while the dramatic, dynamic perspectives exude just the right amount of brought-to-life magic. Ages 2-5. (Sept.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature

The gentle, undulating rhythm of this story about the many jobs of a tugboat will lull little ones like the sound of waves at the ocean. The illustrations start out looking realistic and show the tugboat pushing a tanker and then putting out a fire. Then the pictures become progressively more cartoon-like, showing toy blocks and balls, round-headed people figures, soap bubbles, and rubber ducks floating in the water alongside the tugboat. By the end, we see that the tugboat is a bath toy, and its adventures have been merely imaginary. This concept may be lost on younger children, and even this reviewer was a bit confused at first, but it is an interesting angle. Also, the book's trim size 12 1/4" by 8 1/4") is somewhat unwieldy to store on a bookshelf and awkward to hold with a child in your lap. Regardless, this is certainly a lively and adventurous read-aloud story on a favorite topic of many children—boats and bath time.

School Library Journal

PreS-K-In a book similar to their Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo (Hyperion, 1999), Lewis and Kirk combine rhythmic text, descriptive language, and colorful pseudo-realistic artwork to depict the adventures of a toy tugboat. From early morning ("Cast off!/Anchor's aweigh./Aye, aye, Captain./Busy day!") to evening ("Day is over. Moon shines bright./Engine rumbles through the night"), the hardworking vessel scoots, splashes, pushes, and pulls through a busy day. Youngsters will appreciate the rhyming text and quickly learn the refrain, which changes slightly with each verse. Illustrations in bright primary colors and geometrical shapes match the playful verse. The toylike quality of the boats, cargo, and crew becomes more apparent with each page, so it is no surprise when the bathtub setting is revealed. In the end, a smiling, freshly washed, pajama-clad youngster is taken off to bed, while his still-dripping playthings rest contentedly at tub's edge. The simplicity of both narrative and pictures makes this story a strong choice for children.-Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Whatever it is, tugboats have it, some mojo that gives them an aura of joyfulness. Kirk's tug is a good example of the breed. As the boat goes about its busyness, it gradually grows a big smile on its bow. "Scoot! Scoot! Toot! Toot!" Lewis's text is simple and lively, the kind one could just as easily sing as read out loud, and it's full of punchy rhymes: "Tugga-tugga tugboat. Bounce and bob and float, boat." Crayon-bright colors spread sunshine all over the double-page spreads as the tugboat chugs along beside a giant tanker, sea gulls flying overhead. But somewhere there's a slight shift in perspective, and little hints dropped in the illustrations-What are those big bars of soap doing on the wharf? What about the rubber ducky?-suggest that maybe this tugboat's harbor is a bathtub. And sure enough, "Day is over. Moon shines bright." It must be bedtime. A perfect ending to a perfect voyage. (Picture book. 2-5)

Product Details