It’s Little Toot, all grown up and on steroids. Along the lines of their celebrated I Stink! (2002), the McMullans give another hardworking machine with a face and a blue-collar personality the chance to toot its horn in gruff, tough language: “When big ships get to the harbor, they need ME! ’Cause I’m mighty! And I can nudge, bump, butt, shove, ram, push, and pull ’em in. Here I go.” This red-capped tug’s not all talk, either, as it shows by bringing in a tanker, a container ship, and finally a mammoth liner (“Think this big mama’s got me beat? No way!”) under the square, watchful eyes of previously berthed ships. Then, hull dented, bumpers bent, “all tuggered out,” it heads for the barn at day’s end, already thinking about the next day’s workload. Young swabbies will be delighted by this gander at a tug’s labor and gear, and likely absorb its pride in a job well done. (Picture book. 4-6)
