I'm Mighty! [Library Binding]

Kate McMullan (Author), Jim McMullan (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

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.

You think this tug's too small to pull in ships twenty times his size? Think again! This guy is 100% MIGHTY!

Kate and Jim McMullan's follow-up to the multi-award-winning I Stink! is a raucous tribute to a tireless harbor hero.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-Like the train in Watty Piper's The Little Engine That Could (Platt & Munk, 1930), the tugboat in I'm Mighty shows how one small machine can accomplish mighty tasks. The tug, depicted in the manner of early animation seen in Steamboat Willie, with eyes for windows and a bumper mouth, checks his gear, knows what he can do, and tows everything from a low-riding tanker to a "six-decker doozie," steering these behemoths safely to harbor. Text appears in assorted sizes and colors, often escalating to reflect the intensity of the little boat's actions. Young listeners will enjoy repeating many of the words and using them to chime in on the story. Illustrations rendered from the tiny tug's perspective appear to be a combination of paints and inks that boldly reinforce the little worker and his duties. Libraries will want this book for storytime and to motivate beginning readers.
Susan M. Moore, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

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. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Library Binding: 40 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1 edition (September 23, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060092912
• ISBN-13: 978-0060092917
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,212,097 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kate McMullan is the author of many books for young readers, including I Stink!, winner of a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor; I'm Mighty; and Meg's Prairie Diary, a historical fiction trilogy set in St. Louis and Kansas in 1856. She has been fascinated by the Lewis and Clark Expedition since the age of ten, when an uncle told her about an ancestor who had gone on the expedition. That ancestor was sixteen-year-old George Shannon. Ms. McMullan lives in New York City and Sag Harbor, New York, with her husband and collaborator, noted illustrator Jim McMullan, their daughter, two cats, and a dog.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding book . . ., July 1, 2004

By 

crmcm2u (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I'm Mighty! (Hardcover)

. . . that suffers only in comparison to its predecessor, I Stink (about a garbage truck). Buy that one first, then try this one, which is rich in illustration and story line but not as engaging or complex in attitude as I Stink.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Smash Hit!!!, November 25, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: I'm Mighty! (Hardcover)

If you loved I STINK! (and who didn't?) you love the McMullans' raucous follow-up. This time it's a tug with attitude that leads the charge and shows that even if your tiny you can be MIGHTY!!!

Another hit-- I can't wait to see what the McMullans come up with next!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My toddler's favorite book, January 12, 2006

By 

Jennifer "Jennifer" (Jamaica Plain, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I'm Mighty! (Hardcover)

I have a Thomas the Tank Engine obsessed 2 1/2 year old, but Mighty the Tug Boat has his ardor when it comes time for bedtime stories. He cheerfully announces "read Mighty!" and thoroughly enjoys the story and the drawings. He traces Mighty's path to the Anchorage, helps me to read the "toot"s and the "vrooms" and the word "tug", and he even is starting to recognize the large-facetype of AARRRUUUGGGGAAAA! (which means "Thank you" in boat). I get to use a silly voice when reading this book, which is fun for me. The typeface and font size and color changes, to give you an idea of what is loud and what is soft, which I haven't seen very much of in children's books. I think it is probably helping with his pre-reading skills (even though I'm mainly focused on just having a fun time reading stories together). I highly recommend this book for the preschool set, especially the ones who like vehicles with facial expressions!