Little Toot and the Loch Ness Monster [Hardcover]

Hardie Gramatky (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

Little Toot travels to Scotland where he befriends the Loch Ness monster.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the time of Gramatky's death in 1979, this book about the spirited little tugboat was nearly completed. The final draft was completed by his wife Dorothea Cooke Gramatky and his daughter, Linda Gramatky Smith. Little Toot's adventures began in the New York harbor 50 years ago; now he travels to Loch Ness, Scotland, to find out what a real monster looks like. When Little Toot arrives at the loch, he's greeted by a group of unfriendly--and threatening--boats also looking for Nessie. Frightened and alone by nightfall, he is suddenly confronted by a huge serpentlike monster with spines on its back. Nessie is quite different than what he expects; Little Toot not only keeps her secret from the boats in the loch but also those at home. Although the drawings are not polished and refined, the luminous watercolor illustrations evoke the dauntless independence of Little Toot. The text flows smoothly; the three-way collaboration will not disappoint fans of the earlier Little Toot stories. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-- A memorial published by Gramatky's family on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of "Little Toot." The familiar little tug boat is off on another adventure that follows the format of Gramatky's earlier titles. Little Toot hears of the monster at Loch Ness and goes off to see for himself. The riverboats make fun of him, the search boats on the loch order him away, the fishing boat won't talk to him. But Little Toot perseveres, and meets at last a soft-spoken Nessie painted in soft, cuddly curves and cheerful greens and blues. When the search boats come too close, Little Toot distracts them long enough for Nessie to escape. It is not entirely clear which parts of the book are directly attributable to Hardie Gramatky. His daughter explains in an end note that at her father's death in 1979, the book consisted of "drafts, notebooks, sketches, and illustrations." She and her mother added illustrations, colored the sketches, and "worked" on the text. Comparisons of the style exhibited in the earlier "Little Toot" titles shows that a different artist has had a large role in creating the watercolor paintings for this book. That isn't a negative criticism, however, for the illustrations in . . . the Loch Ness Monster are frequently vivid and flowing, but some do have a somewhat unfinished, preliminary look to them. Little Toot still captivates small children, and the bright colors of this title should attract them. --Ruth Semrau, Lovejoy School, McKinney, TX
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (October 5, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399216847
• ISBN-13: 978-0399216848
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 7.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,001,563 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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