Join Amazon Prime and ship Two-Day for free and Overnight for $3.99. Already a member? Sign in.
Mike Mulligan y su maquina maravillosa (Spanish Edition) and over 300,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle – Amazon’s new wireless reading device. Learn more

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
83 used & new from $0.30
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
 
 
See all product images
See all 6 customer images
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book
Start reading Mike Mulligan y su maquina maravillosa (Spanish Edition) on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don’t have a Kindle? Get yours here.
 
  

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (Hardcover)

by Virginia Lee Burton (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
List Price: $16.00
Price: $10.40 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $5.60 (35%)
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Tuesday, July 14? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
30 new from $7.52 50 used from $0.30 3 collectible from $24.00
Also Available in: List Price: Our Price: Other Offers:
Kindle Edition (Kindle Book) $6.39
Hardcover 98 used & new from $0.01
Paperback $9.95 $9.95 38 used & new from $5.66
Audio Download (Audible.com) $1.95 $1.46
Audio CD (Com/Pap Un) 4 used & new from $10.28
Show more editions and formats

Best Value

Buy Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel and get Katy and the Big Snow at an additional 5% off Amazon.com's everyday low price.

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel + Katy and the Big Snow
Buy Together Today: $20.74

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Katy and the Big Snow

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Story about Ping (Reading Railroad Books)

The Story about Ping (Reading Railroad Books)

by Marjorie Flack
4.2 out of 5 stars (84)  $3.99
The Little House

The Little House

by Virginia Lee Burton
4.8 out of 5 stars (60)  $10.40
The Little Engine That Could mini

The Little Engine That Could mini

by Watty Piper
4.6 out of 5 stars (76)  $4.99
The Story of Ferdinand (Reading Railroad Books)

The Story of Ferdinand (Reading Railroad Books)

by Munro Leaf
4.8 out of 5 stars (87)  $3.99
Make Way for Ducklings (Viking Kestrel picture books)

Make Way for Ducklings (Viking Kestrel picture books)

by Robert McCloskey
4.7 out of 5 stars (62)  $12.34
› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel Mary Anne make quite a team. The inseparable duo digs the great canals for the big boats to travel through, cuts through the large mountains so trains can pass, and hollows out the deep cellars for the great skyscrapers in the city. But the introduction of gasoline, electric, and diesel shovels means big trouble for Mike and Mary Anne. No one wants an old-fashioned steam shovel like Mary Anne when a modern shovel can do the digging in half the time! Forced to travel far out of the city to look for work, Mike and Mary Anne find themselves in the little town of Popperville. Mike and Mary Anne make a bid to dig the cellar for the new town hall, promising the town that if they can't dig the cellar in just one day they'll accept no payment for the job. Will Mike and Mary Anne be able to complete the job? The whole town of Popperville turns out to watch. Virginia Lee Burton, author of such classic children's books as The Little House and Katy and the Big Snow, offers a touching portrait of love and dedication while commenting on the modernization that continuously shapes our lives. Hamilton's wonderful crayon drawings bring Mike and the indomitable Mary Anne to life. (Ages 3 to 6) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 3-This longtime children's favorite, first published in 1939, has never lost its appeal. Now, it has been translated into simple, easily understood Spanish. After working together for many years, Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel, Mary Anne, are told that their services are no longer needed. Not one to give up easily, Mike proposes that he and Mary Anne will excavate the basement for the new town hall in only one day. The whole town gathers around the work site to see how this indomitable pair will fare in their race against time. The brightly colored, charming crayon drawings add to the cheerfulness of presentation.
Tania Colmant-Donabedian, Queens Borough Public Library, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 4-8
  • Hardcover: 48 pages
  • Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; Library Binding edition (September 9, 1939)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0395169615
  • ISBN-13: 978-0395169612
  • Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,687 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #5 in  Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( B ) > Burton, Virginia Lee
    #12 in  Books > Children's Books > Ages 4-8 > Classics

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
Mike Mulligan had a steam shovel, a beautiful red steam shovel. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Mike Mulligan, Mary Anne, New Town Hall
New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Citations (learn more)
91 books cite this book:
See all 91 books citing this book

Books on Related Topics (learn more)
 
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
74% buy the item featured on this page:
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel 4.7 out of 5 stars (85)
$10.40
Mike Mulligan and More: Four Classic Stories by Virginia Lee Burton
9% buy
Mike Mulligan and More: Four Classic Stories by Virginia Lee Burton 5.0 out of 5 stars (21)
$13.00
The Story about Ping (Reading Railroad Books)
7% buy
The Story about Ping (Reading Railroad Books) 4.2 out of 5 stars (84)
$3.99
The Story of Ferdinand (Reading Railroad Books)
5% buy
The Story of Ferdinand (Reading Railroad Books) 4.8 out of 5 stars (87)
$3.99
Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below.
(12)
(9)
(8)
(6)
(4)
(4)
(3)
(2)
(2)
(1)
(1)
See all 28 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search
Earle H. Burger suggested this product show on searches for "children's books". What do you suggest?

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more
 

Customer Reviews

85 Reviews
5 star:
 (72)
4 star:
 (9)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (3)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (85 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
52 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars How I dreaded those nights............, August 3, 2000
Yes, its true -- I dreaded the nights (night after night after night) when one of my sons would insist we read this book! Why? Because it's long, and detailed -- good for the child, terrible for a weary parent. My boys memorized the story, and if I ever tried to skip a page, I was found out and the missing page was revisited.

This book is a great gift to give to any child who is enthralled with heavy machinery, but there's more to it than that. At the time the story is written (1939) Mike Mulligan and Mary Anne, his steam shovel, are becoming outdated. They used to be busy in the big city, making basements for big buildings. But as always happens, something better - faster, more efficient gas, electric and Diesel shovels - is replacing them.

Mike Mulligan knows they still have value. He's always told people that Mary Anne could dig as much in a day as a hundred men could dig in a week, though he's never been quite sure this is true.

To find work, he ventures into the country to the town of Popperville, where a new Town Hall is being built. Mike promises to build the cellar in just one day ("What!" said Henry B. Swap. "Dig a cellar in just one day! It would take a hundred men at least a week to dig the cellar for our new town hall." ) Henry and the townpeople are swayed when Mike promises that "If we can't do it, you won't have to pay."

The citizens of Bangerville and Bopperville, Kipperville and Kopperville plus all the people from Popperville come out to watch Mike and Mary Anne work hard under the hot sun. They finish the job as the sun sets, just in the nick of time.

One small boy has been watching them, and he asks a really good question - "How are they going to get out?" Mike was in such a hurry, he forgot to make a way to get Mary Anne out of the cellar.

Everyone tries to think of a solution, but it's that astute little boy who comes up with the best one. They decide to keep the Steam Shovel in the cellar, and build the town hall over them. Mike Mulligan can be the janitor, the steam shovel will keep the building warm in the winter, they won't have to buy a new furnace (Henry B. Swap really likes this frugal thought!) and everyone is happy.

The kids who read it especially like looking at all the tiny details in the pictures, but I think they especially like the small boy finding the solution that none of the adults can figure out.

In retrospect, I suppose it really wasn't that awful to have to read it again and again and again. I've got the original hardcover in hand, waiting for the grandkids!

Definitely worth buying the hardcover edition!

Comment Comment (1) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Mulligan an all time classic., August 1, 2000
By James Totton (Auckland, New Zealand) - See all my reviews
When I was growing up, I don't think there was any story I requested more than Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel.I have fond memories of my grandfather reading it to me again and again.

The easy to remember and recite text, and the early 40s middle America drawings combine to create an evocative time piece.

I believe this is one book that will cut past the computer generated entertainment for today's youngsters, and prove to be a classic in generations to come.

If parents don't buy this for their kids, then I hope they'll buy it for themselves.

Great ending too!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars The Board Book took out the plot, May 6, 2007
By D. Moulton (Broomfield, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel: Board Book Edition (Board book)
I hate to give this such a low rating, but before you buy the board book edition you need to know that it isn't just shortened, but the whole plot is gone.
Yes Henry B Swap is mentioned, but no mention of a challenge to dig the cellar in one day, or he won't get paid.
No sun high in the sky and being halfway done.
No Henry B Swap saying that since the steam shovel can't get out they don't get paid.
No ending where Henry B. Swap sits in the cellar and smiles in a way that's not mean at all.
If you want the great story, DON'T BUY THE BOARD BOOK!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Hooray for big machines!
I have the fondest memories of this book, and I was delighted to recently find a copy.

It's the ultimate "power tool" book that should please young boys--an old time... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Emily Taylor

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Classic Childrens book
This book is must for all dad's or grandpa's to read to their children. My kids memorized it and wanted it for their children when they grew up. Read more
Published 13 months ago by T. Simon

5.0 out of 5 stars Death of a Steam Shovel
Mr. Michael Mulligan and his faithful steam shovel, lovingly called Mary Anne, are working class heroes, fighting to retain their independence in the face of corporate... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Kevin James Bauch

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
This was a favorite book from my childhood. My wife and I recently found out we will be having a little girl, and I can't wait to share this book with her.
Published 16 months ago by R. Justice

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK
IT IS ONE OF THE MOST LOVED BOOKS OF MY CHILDHOOD(50'S),IT BROUGHT BACK GREAT MEMORIES.
Published 19 months ago by shirleymccormick

5.0 out of 5 stars Still a favorite.
I loved this book as a child, so I purchased it to read to my niece and she loved it. It's a great book for beginners, it was one of the first books I learned to read. Read more
Published 20 months ago by L. M. Stowers

5.0 out of 5 stars Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
I had this book when I was little ( in the sixtys ) and it was my favorite so I bought it for my grandkids.
Published 21 months ago by Kenneth S. Cross

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent story driven by excellent values
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel is loved by both my seven-year-old daughter and my three-year old son, so it is a good family read. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Bachelier

5.0 out of 5 stars Very happy
Good quality, quick delivery. Very happy. A childhood favourite I can now pass on to my own children.
Would have liked cheaper postage to Australia however.
Published 22 months ago by Mitchell J. Carter

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for any kids to learn about friendship.
This is a great bedtime story for any kid, and it will be reread over the years. This is one of the books that I read as a kid, and today as an adult, I still never forgot this... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Olga Robinson

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.
This product's forum (1 discussion)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
Mike Mulligan and the steam shovel 0 March 2007
› See all discussions...  
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Look for Similar Items by Category

Cut Wood Down to Size

Cut Wood Down to Size

Split wood with ease using a log splitter from the Outdoor Power & Lawn Equipment Store.

›Shop all log splitters

  

Best Books of 2008

Best of 2008
Find our top 100 editors' picks as well as customers' favorites in dozens of categories in our Best Books of 2008 Store.
  

Dive into Summer Reading

Summer Reading for Kids and Teens
Don't even think about hitting the beach without browsing the books in our Summer Reading Store. Discover bestsellers, paperback picks, beach reads, and more terrific titles all summer long.
 

DEWALT Pro-Quality Power Tools

Shop for DEWALT products
Feel confident with power tools from DEWALT and check out the large selection sold by Amazon.com.

›Shop DEWALT power tools now

  

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Where's My Stuff?

Shipping & Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.com Amazon.com Home  |   Directory of All Stores
International Sites:  Canada  |  United Kingdom  |  Germany  |  Japan  |  France  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Build an eCommerce Site  |  Advertise With Us  |  Developer Services  |  Self-Publish with Us
Help  |  View Cart  |  Your Account  |  1-Click Settings
Investor Relations  |  Press Releases  |  Careers at Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates