Review by Booklist Review
A cheery yellow tugboat named Bill and his sleepy captain chug along the Hudson River, which can be blue or gray / . . . swift or sluggish / depending on the day. Bill is friends with Mabel the barge, who is a little dented and dirty but also loyal and brave. Each day, Bill pushes or pulls Mabel and her heavy loads along the river, but sometimes they encounter bigger, flashier ships that like to bully Mabel. Kindness and helpfulness win the day, however, when Mabel and Bill rescue a floundering kitten that the other boats ignore. The haughty big boats grow jealous upon seeing the next day's glowing headline: Hero Barge Saves Cat. The digital artwork is rendered in bold, primary colors and carries a retro feel, with the boats' expressive faces calling to mind Virginia Lee Burton's The Little House (1942). Double-page spreads depict broad river scenes and large-scale artwork, ideal for group sharing. Alliteration and playful descriptors further add to its read-aloud appeal. An uplifting story sure to tug heartstrings.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A beaming yellow tugboat named Bill and his tried-and-true friend Mabel, a barge, ply the waters of the New York City harbor. They're happy and hard-working, but they get grief from the big ships nearby ("They are big/ and graceful./ They are fit/ and prime./ They are haughty/ and vain/ almost all of the time." When a kitten falls from the docks into the water, the big ships cruelly stand by ("as if we would ever,/ ever/ ever/ help") while Bill and Mabel save the day and become local heroes. With short, eclectic line breaks and occasional rhymes, Brill's (Little Wing Learns to Fly) narrative has a slightly swaying feel not unlike standing on a ship deck: it takes a little getting used to, but those reading aloud will soon get their sea legs. Carpenter's (Bitty Bot) doughty, expressive protagonists will instantly remind readers of their own beloved bathtub toys, and his bold graphics and schoolroom palette tip their hat to the legacy of tugboat stories that have come before. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-A bright, adjective-laden work that will appeal to toddlers and preschoolers. Every day, Bill, a tugboat, pushes his friend Mabel, a barge loaded with gravel, up and down the Hudson. Mabel's hull has seen better days, but she's "loyal and brave" and does her job well. Bill and Mabel make a happy duo until some big, shiny new ships float by and disparage Mabel's appearance. Mabel pretends not to notice, but it's clear that she is affected by their unkind words. Mabel and Bill prove, however, that appearances mean nothing when they rescue a kitten who falls into the water (the snobby ships won't deign to help). When the tug and barge are hailed as heroes, the ships wish out loud that they were more like the pair. Brill's text contains rich vocabulary (Bill's captain is either "sunny or sour," depending on the day; the ships are "haughty and vain") and is filled with boat-related terms that serve to paint a vivid picture. So, too, do Carpenter's retro, flat illustrations, which are mostly done in primary colors, with occasional touches of green, black, and gray. VERDICT This delightful tale will be a hit in storytime and in one-on-one readings with young transportation fans.-Mary Kuehner, Arapahoe Library District, CO © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
"The Hudson River is smooth or choppy. It is blue or gray. It is swift or sluggish depending on the day."On the Hudson River, if you look closely, you will find a cheerful yellow tugboat called Bill and a pleasant but leaky barge named Mabel who are friends. Brightly colored illustrations capture the feeling of bygone times, and gentle rhymes full of alliteration bounce briskly along as the two maneuver through choppy waves and cool, lazy water to perform their various duties (Bill pushes or pulls, while Mabel transports gravel). The other boats on the river are ships, bigger and slicker and also more arrogant and condescending, particularly toward poor Mabel, but the two friends just pretend not to hear them. Then one day, a kitten falls into the water, and only Mabel comes to its aid. When the newspaper comes out the following day, you can bet the big ships have changed their tunes, but even better than that, the two boats have made a new friend. Sure to be a favorite with young listeners, this warm and comforting selection, eminently suitable for bedtime or laptime reading, has the feeling of a classic to be savored. Carpenter's retro-styled illustrations employ the time-honored convention of representing eyes as windows (lashed in the case of Mabel's and frowning in the cases of the mean boats'), the primary palette further adding to the old-time feel of the illustrations. An old-fashioned story with timeless appeal. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
