TUGBOAT

It’s all in a day’s work for a tugboat.

Set in New York City and spanning a day from dawn to dark, this straightforward informational selection for the very young offers an uncomplicated look at a tugboat and all the elaborate tasks it can perform. Garland’s colorful pencil-and-digital artwork depicts the vessel, illustrating the many large jobs a small tugboat can accomplish (help a cargo ship dock, pull a barge, push an ocean liner, carry parts of a bridge). Even children accustomed to working ports may find they learn something new. Short, clear, crisp sentences that are closely tied to the pictures (“A tugboat can carry big parts for a new bridge”) make this a nice choice for young listeners and early readers, and for those learning to identify nonfiction, a picture glossary helps define new words, and a table of contents is included.

Children who love boats will thrill at the sights and see that small size does not preclude great strength.