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Scuffy the Tugboat
"This is the please for a red-painted tugboat," says Scuffy. "And this is the life for me."
Meant for "bigger things," Scuffy the Tugboat sets off to explore the world. But on his daring adventure Scuffy realizes that home is where he'd rather be, sailing in his bathtub.
For over 50 years, parents and children alike have cherished this classic Little Golden Book, making it a perennial staple among bedtime stories for generations of enthralled readers.
Meant for "bigger things," Scuffy the Tugboat sets off to explore the world. But on his daring adventure Scuffy realizes that home is where he'd rather be, sailing in his bathtub.
For over 50 years, parents and children alike have cherished this classic Little Golden Book, making it a perennial staple among bedtime stories for generations of enthralled readers.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1946
48 people are currently reading
2044 people want to read
About the author
Gertrude Crampton
37 books11 followersShe received her teaching credentials and graduated from the University of Michigan, she achieved great popularity thanks to a story starring a little locomotive, which became one of the best-selling children's books in the English language.
As of 2001, Tootle was the all-time third best-selling hardcover children's book in English, and Scuffy the Tugboat was the eighth all-time bestseller.
As of 2001, Tootle was the all-time third best-selling hardcover children's book in English, and Scuffy the Tugboat was the eighth all-time bestseller.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews
August 5, 2018
Classic little story in the Little Golden books. The Nephew brought this to be read again. He's going through the Little Golden Books on the shelf. The pictures are quaint.
The Tugboat is in over his head and it all turns out alright. It's about jumping into the world. The nephew thought it was ok. He gave it 3 stars.
I think it's cute enough.
The Tugboat is in over his head and it all turns out alright. It's about jumping into the world. The nephew thought it was ok. He gave it 3 stars.
I think it's cute enough.
February 28, 2018
I didn't recall “Scuffy The Tugboat”. My parents had it with mine and my brothers' youngest literature for thirty-five years. I believe this is mine, further to being in pristine shape. I seldom marked even my name. It is the adorable tugboat, Scuffy, looking like he has eyes and eyebrows, that is familiar to me. My cover and pages curve to form the smooth, flowing shape of the tugboat; a ‘Golden Shape Book’ that stands out uniquely and attractively. My copy is dated 1972, my birth year! Tobor Gergely and Gertrude Crampton published it in 1946. I'm glad it has been loved a long time.
The gorgeous cover is bright and expressively happy enough to delight in, just being on display at home, now that all the rest of our boxes of goodies are out for me to enjoy and rekindle with again. However the story pages inside, even in a slightly cartoonish style, are exquisitely beautiful; to the point where the scenery is soothing. They are images I derive pleasure from gazing at like portraits. This toddler's story is about a toy tugboat that has an usual chance to explore beyond his home, at a farther distance than ever before. He enjoys it very much but safely returns. He is content to be in his own home, that he loves, with the people he loves.
Our precious cat took an unprecedented vacation too, who loves us and his birthplace very much. Different from Scuffy, our dearest Conan obviously had to stay with someone for the winter. This is sensitive until our vacationer is home. However, books in which I see travellers safely returning home, also reassure and raise my faith. I love the pages in which Scuffy sails briefly alongside the shore of an ocean, past tugboats like him.
The gorgeous cover is bright and expressively happy enough to delight in, just being on display at home, now that all the rest of our boxes of goodies are out for me to enjoy and rekindle with again. However the story pages inside, even in a slightly cartoonish style, are exquisitely beautiful; to the point where the scenery is soothing. They are images I derive pleasure from gazing at like portraits. This toddler's story is about a toy tugboat that has an usual chance to explore beyond his home, at a farther distance than ever before. He enjoys it very much but safely returns. He is content to be in his own home, that he loves, with the people he loves.
Our precious cat took an unprecedented vacation too, who loves us and his birthplace very much. Different from Scuffy, our dearest Conan obviously had to stay with someone for the winter. This is sensitive until our vacationer is home. However, books in which I see travellers safely returning home, also reassure and raise my faith. I love the pages in which Scuffy sails briefly alongside the shore of an ocean, past tugboats like him.
February 16, 2012
Dreams and aspirations. We all have them. Some of us shoot for the moon so that we may reach the stars . . . but most of the time we're left grasping at straws before our feet even leave the ground.
Then there are the ambitious folks like Scuffy, who jump a few feet only to be beaten back to the earth by the gods. The plight of the has-been remains one of popular culture's main sources of entertainment. The greater the giant, the longer their reign, and the harder they fall, the better. The only way to escape the limelight drenching the has-been in a hue of humiliation is to express humility and accept one's lot in life. Hell, that's pretty much all any of us can hope for. Because, let's face it, most of us aren't going to get what we want. And those of us who think we have what we want have deluded ourselves. Look back to the pinnacle of your aspirations and you'll find a huge gaping disparity between what you set out to accomplish and what you became.
But Scuffy don't give a fuck, and neither should you. That's the message in Gertrude Crampton's Little Golden Classic Scuffy the Tugboat.
Scuffy suffers through humble beginnings, but he always believes himself to be better than his surroundings. He's the Oprah Winfrey of Tugboats, and he refuses to live in squalor. Of course, since he's a tugboat, there isn't shit he can do about it except cry. But that eventually earns him a spot in the store owner's tub. That's not good enough for Scuffy either. He won't be satisfied until he makes it to the top.
Long story short, he makes it to the top. He then proceeds to get crushed by logs and reaches a place where there are no limitations: the sea. He panics and hopes like hell he can find a way back into that bathtub. Limitless potential is scary shit, after all. When he finally realizes that his need to be validated has taken him beyond his realm of comfort, the store owner is there to pluck him from the waters take him back to the safety of the bathtub.
Now that you've recognized your unbridled potential, where will you go?
And you were so ambitious.
Scuffy's story parallels that of many ambitious people. In the history of most famous rock bands, you'll find that one band member who followed along loyally right up until the band made their big break. Then he or she bailed as hard and fast as possible, only to regret it later in life. Sometimes they consciously choose to bail, like the original drummer from Rush. Sometimes, they drink and drug themselves out of the band, like Dave Mustaine when he used to play with Metallica, or the original singer from Iron Maiden, or the songwriter for Gin Blossoms. It's sad, and I completely empathize. Delving into the unknown can be frightening. When dreams fuel inspiration, that is one thing. When dreams fuel success, that's scary as hell. That's when we all must make the choice to either ship out to the turgid sea, or get back in the bathtub and rest in calm waters. I myself work better in calm waters with aspirations of reaching the big sea. As for the folks who think the ending isn't plausible, I think Scuffy is a book grounded in realism. But in order to sustain the metaphor so it reflects the real-life situation Scuffy and his predicament symbolize, the fantasy twist ending is crucial. Scuffy is a tugboat after my own heart. That is why I love this book.
Then there are the ambitious folks like Scuffy, who jump a few feet only to be beaten back to the earth by the gods. The plight of the has-been remains one of popular culture's main sources of entertainment. The greater the giant, the longer their reign, and the harder they fall, the better. The only way to escape the limelight drenching the has-been in a hue of humiliation is to express humility and accept one's lot in life. Hell, that's pretty much all any of us can hope for. Because, let's face it, most of us aren't going to get what we want. And those of us who think we have what we want have deluded ourselves. Look back to the pinnacle of your aspirations and you'll find a huge gaping disparity between what you set out to accomplish and what you became.
But Scuffy don't give a fuck, and neither should you. That's the message in Gertrude Crampton's Little Golden Classic Scuffy the Tugboat.
Scuffy suffers through humble beginnings, but he always believes himself to be better than his surroundings. He's the Oprah Winfrey of Tugboats, and he refuses to live in squalor. Of course, since he's a tugboat, there isn't shit he can do about it except cry. But that eventually earns him a spot in the store owner's tub. That's not good enough for Scuffy either. He won't be satisfied until he makes it to the top.
Long story short, he makes it to the top. He then proceeds to get crushed by logs and reaches a place where there are no limitations: the sea. He panics and hopes like hell he can find a way back into that bathtub. Limitless potential is scary shit, after all. When he finally realizes that his need to be validated has taken him beyond his realm of comfort, the store owner is there to pluck him from the waters take him back to the safety of the bathtub.
Now that you've recognized your unbridled potential, where will you go?
And you were so ambitious.
Scuffy's story parallels that of many ambitious people. In the history of most famous rock bands, you'll find that one band member who followed along loyally right up until the band made their big break. Then he or she bailed as hard and fast as possible, only to regret it later in life. Sometimes they consciously choose to bail, like the original drummer from Rush. Sometimes, they drink and drug themselves out of the band, like Dave Mustaine when he used to play with Metallica, or the original singer from Iron Maiden, or the songwriter for Gin Blossoms. It's sad, and I completely empathize. Delving into the unknown can be frightening. When dreams fuel inspiration, that is one thing. When dreams fuel success, that's scary as hell. That's when we all must make the choice to either ship out to the turgid sea, or get back in the bathtub and rest in calm waters. I myself work better in calm waters with aspirations of reaching the big sea. As for the folks who think the ending isn't plausible, I think Scuffy is a book grounded in realism. But in order to sustain the metaphor so it reflects the real-life situation Scuffy and his predicament symbolize, the fantasy twist ending is crucial. Scuffy is a tugboat after my own heart. That is why I love this book.
April 19, 2012
A nautical classic on par with the saga of Horatio Hornblower or the seagoing adventures of Ishmael. The reader is instantly transported to the 1940's world of Scuffy the tugboat in a quest I think we all share: the search for self-worth, validation, and confidence in a shifting and patronizing society. Without spoiling the story, Scuffy triumphs and banishes his twisted demons, while still not going so far beyond the pale that he is unable to reconcile with The Man With The Polkadot Tie and his nameless progeny.
My book club companion (who is sadly illiterate, owing to her approximately 300-day age)hooted in a satisfied way throughout most of the story, and chewed on several of its corners. If I may be so presumptuous as to enter a review on her behalf, I would have to say that the lack of any textured/pseudo-furry surfaces to add tactile dimensions to the already stellar story may be its only shortcoming as far as she is concerned. 5 stars for an everlasting classic of western literature.
My book club companion (who is sadly illiterate, owing to her approximately 300-day age)hooted in a satisfied way throughout most of the story, and chewed on several of its corners. If I may be so presumptuous as to enter a review on her behalf, I would have to say that the lack of any textured/pseudo-furry surfaces to add tactile dimensions to the already stellar story may be its only shortcoming as far as she is concerned. 5 stars for an everlasting classic of western literature.
June 10, 2016
Scuffy the Tugboat is among the ten best-selling hardcover children's books in English. It was published by Little Golden Books in 1946 and features the marvelous art of Tibor Gergely.
Scuffy is a little red tugboat in a toy shop. A boy, Nicky, buys him, takes him home, and plays with him in the bathtub. The boat is glad to have a playmate and to finally be in the water, but he yearns for bigger things. Nicky promises Scuffy a trip to the brook the next day, so he can really see what it feels like to set sail. Scuffy becomes drowsy and the next thing you know Nicky is letting him loose in the brook on the hill. Scuffy becomes so fascinated by the flora and fauna around him as he chugs down the stream that he loses track of time and sails out of sight of his owner. Accompanied by a new fish friend, he negotiates a hazardous logjam and finally makes it the harbor where he sees the real tugs, the big ones, in action. Watching them, he comes to realize who he is and his purpose. But a storm and flood threaten to sink him. He awakens...
Being a cynical adult, I of course honed in on the kinds of things I wouldn't have as a child reading this book. Naturally, I was put-off by the "it was only a dream" framing device. That Scuffy learned his lessons in a dream seems a bit too metaphysical for me now, since these lessons should be learned by actual experience. But of course, Scuffy's storm predicament leaves no other out for a book of short duration.
The lessons are positive ones, of course: the idea of being brave, being curious, following your dreams and overcoming adversity. But they are also ones of conformity: knowing your place (stay in the tub where we can keep an eye on your roaming tug ass), don't get ahead of yourself, etc.
Looking through my collection of roughed-up Little Golden Books (yes, I still have them all), it's funny to see the evidence of the battles between my sister and I for possession of them. On particular favorites, like this one, I had crudely scrawled my name in big black marker. This be my book, bitch!
(KR@Ky 2016)
Scuffy is a little red tugboat in a toy shop. A boy, Nicky, buys him, takes him home, and plays with him in the bathtub. The boat is glad to have a playmate and to finally be in the water, but he yearns for bigger things. Nicky promises Scuffy a trip to the brook the next day, so he can really see what it feels like to set sail. Scuffy becomes drowsy and the next thing you know Nicky is letting him loose in the brook on the hill. Scuffy becomes so fascinated by the flora and fauna around him as he chugs down the stream that he loses track of time and sails out of sight of his owner. Accompanied by a new fish friend, he negotiates a hazardous logjam and finally makes it the harbor where he sees the real tugs, the big ones, in action. Watching them, he comes to realize who he is and his purpose. But a storm and flood threaten to sink him. He awakens...
Being a cynical adult, I of course honed in on the kinds of things I wouldn't have as a child reading this book. Naturally, I was put-off by the "it was only a dream" framing device. That Scuffy learned his lessons in a dream seems a bit too metaphysical for me now, since these lessons should be learned by actual experience. But of course, Scuffy's storm predicament leaves no other out for a book of short duration.
The lessons are positive ones, of course: the idea of being brave, being curious, following your dreams and overcoming adversity. But they are also ones of conformity: knowing your place (stay in the tub where we can keep an eye on your roaming tug ass), don't get ahead of yourself, etc.
Looking through my collection of roughed-up Little Golden Books (yes, I still have them all), it's funny to see the evidence of the battles between my sister and I for possession of them. On particular favorites, like this one, I had crudely scrawled my name in big black marker. This be my book, bitch!
(KR@Ky 2016)
June 1, 2016
The sadist's take on the themes of Dr. Seuss' Oh, The Places You'll Go!. As such, it's the perfect graduation gift for that younger relative or acquaintance who is headed off to pursue a liberal arts degree at their dream school instead of getting something practical, like an accounting degree, so they can work at the local H&R Block.
Two stars only because some liberal artist illustrated this ode to settling & reduced expectations with some lovely Junior American Regionalist scenes.
Two stars only because some liberal artist illustrated this ode to settling & reduced expectations with some lovely Junior American Regionalist scenes.
December 25, 2022
One of my favorite Little Golden Books!
October 12, 2016
Fun little children's book. It's pretty much a requirement to read little Golden Books to your children.
August 1, 2018
grass isn't always greener, Scuffy.
February 21, 2013
I remember reading this book with my Grandmother on Friday nights when I would have a sleepover at her house. This is a great book about a little tugboat who thinks he is meant for bigger and better things than just a bathtub. When he gets his chance to go to those bigger and better places he takes it, but soon finds out that sometimes you are meant to be where you are no matter how much you think you want a change. I loved this book when I was a child and I love it now as a parent. This is a cute, yet very meaningful story. Like all the classic Golden Books I can think of, there is a lesson that is taken from this book as well as a fun read. Great story book to read to an little one for the first time or the millionth time. Also great for any adult looking for a reminder of the small, but important lessons in life.
5/5 Stars!!
5/5 Stars!!
March 3, 2016
I really like the illustrations in this book, specifically the one where the man and his son take Scuffy to the brook. The colors in the water and the grass are so lively and nice to look at. As for the story -- well, I suppose it's a be-careful-what-you-wish-for moral, though I wasn't incredibly fond the idea that the exploration was a big mistake. I mean, why not dream big? Anyway, there's nothing explicitly wrong with it.
April 7, 2008
This was the first book I read all the way through by myself when I was learning to read. I still remember how great I felt when I finally got to the last page!
April 16, 2008
Classic, and brings up nice memories, but has a somewhat disturbing message ("Be happy where you are - the world is big and scary!"
June 17, 2017
Loved this little book as a child. Brought back lots of good memories.
April 4, 2018
And the moral is: It's better to stay at home in the bathtub than to venture out into the world. I couldn't agree more.
March 25, 2019
Big or small...make up your goddamn mind, Scuffy!
November 7, 2021
Scuffy is a pugnacious little bastard of a tugboat -- hard headed, as large of heart as he is small in the hull. This is a moralistic tale of how the world has a way of teaching us about our place in it, and of our need to voyage out into the world to remember how precious the places that served as our homes are. An additional charm that wedges this book deep in my heart is the story's journey through another America, a trip from village to city that pays homage in image to so many working lives and economies that have largely vanished in this country.
March 18, 2021
For a children's book first published in 1946 the prose still reads well some 75 odd years later.
The story follows Scruffy's journey from a 'laughing' brook to the open ocean and his adventure along the way.
Times may have changed from women washing clothes in a brook and men wrangling floating logs in a river, but the overall message of the book still has pertinence in modern times.
Children should love this proud red tugboat with his shiny blue smoke stack.
The story follows Scruffy's journey from a 'laughing' brook to the open ocean and his adventure along the way.
Times may have changed from women washing clothes in a brook and men wrangling floating logs in a river, but the overall message of the book still has pertinence in modern times.
Children should love this proud red tugboat with his shiny blue smoke stack.
May 26, 2020
While certainly not a Mister Dog: The Dog Who Belonged to Himself, Scuffy the Tugboat excels at being a heartwarming children's classic.
August 9, 2018
I read it to my daughter and now I read it to her daughter.
May 25, 2021
I always enjoy Tibor Gergely's illustrations and the story is okay. My little guy likes it though so that is always a winner.
March 4, 2024
The call to adventure is strong, but the world is a big and daunting place for Scuffy. A great story about exploring, being brave, and discovering where you belong.
July 6, 2024
I had a delightful time reading this book to two sleepy little boys after the fireworks and rootbeer floats.
July 6, 2013
This is one of those books that my son seems to like, but I'm not a fan of. At all. I read it to him when requested, and I try to like it at least half as much as he does, but I just can't do it.
Scuffy is a toy tugboat who is not content to spend his days on a toyshelf or in a bathtub. His owners sense this somehow, place him in a stream one day, and whoosh, off he goes on a journey. We follow Scuffy as the stream gets wider and wider, deeper and deeper, faster and faster. Scuffy manages to float through many obstacles and see all the sights as the stream empties into a river, which finally empties into the ocean. Scuffy's finally on the adventure that he always felt he was made for! But, is this really what he wanted?
That's where I think my problem lies. The story seems to alternate between an "explore the great big world" tale to a "there's no place like home" tale. Scuffy is excited to be on his own! Oh, wait, now he's scared because he doesn't know where he is! Hang on, he's happy now! Nope, never mind, he wants his owners!
Then there's the ending. Are we expected to believe that the man with the polka dot tie and his boy were just sitting on the dock, knowing that Scuffy would come past that point, especially within arm's reach? Why would they make such a long journey to reclaim a toy tugboat whose single goal in life was to get away from his owners? Could they not have just purchased a new tugboat? One lacking the holier-than-thou attitude?
Scuffy is a toy tugboat who is not content to spend his days on a toyshelf or in a bathtub. His owners sense this somehow, place him in a stream one day, and whoosh, off he goes on a journey. We follow Scuffy as the stream gets wider and wider, deeper and deeper, faster and faster. Scuffy manages to float through many obstacles and see all the sights as the stream empties into a river, which finally empties into the ocean. Scuffy's finally on the adventure that he always felt he was made for! But, is this really what he wanted?
That's where I think my problem lies. The story seems to alternate between an "explore the great big world" tale to a "there's no place like home" tale. Scuffy is excited to be on his own! Oh, wait, now he's scared because he doesn't know where he is! Hang on, he's happy now! Nope, never mind, he wants his owners!
Then there's the ending. Are we expected to believe that the man with the polka dot tie and his boy were just sitting on the dock, knowing that Scuffy would come past that point, especially within arm's reach? Why would they make such a long journey to reclaim a toy tugboat whose single goal in life was to get away from his owners? Could they not have just purchased a new tugboat? One lacking the holier-than-thou attitude?
August 3, 2012
Scuffy the Tugboat is a tale of appreciation in which a red-painted tugboat has the adventure of his life and learns to value the life he has rather than yearning for “bigger things.” When Scuffy expresses displeasure with his toy store existence, the shop owner suggests that perhaps he would be happier if he went sailing. This benevolent shop owner takes Scuffy home and places him in a bath tub to sail. Convinced that he is meant for even bigger things, Scuffy is still not happy, so the shop owner takes him to a brook. Scuffy quickly learns that all water runs to the sea where a small tugboat finds himself quite vulnerable. Luckily, he is rescued just in time to avoid disaster. Gergley’s use of line furnishes this anthropomorphic toy with facial features that complement and extend the text; therefore, at the end of the story, when the he has grown as an individual and matured, his transformation is not only evident in his speech and actions but also in his appearance. At the secondary level, Scuffy the Tugboat could serve as an easily accessible exemplar of dynamic characterization and the characteristics of the hero cycle explained by Peter R. Stillman in Introduction to Myth.
December 28, 2013
Scuffy is a red toy tugboat with a blue smokestack who doesn’t like sitting in a toy shop. So the man with the polka dot tie who owns the store takes Scuffy home where his little boy sails him in the bathtub. But Scuffy doesn’t like being limited to a bathtub either. So the man and the boy take Scuffy to a brook, and Scuffy sails away, down the brook to the river, past villages and cities, all the way to the sea. What will happen to the little tugboat? Will Scuffy ever make it back home?
This Little Golden Book is not one that we had when I was growing up, but I have heard of it for years. I have read reviews of the book which debate whether or not it is “a fear-based warning not to seek anything outside the safest confines life has to offer because the world is dangerous and doesn't notice or care about us.” Some people, especially the world’s cynical intellectuals, seem to feel that they have to analyze everything, including children’s books, from a deep, psychological viewpoint. Why can’t we just enjoy a good story with the subtle message about being careful not to bite off more than we can chew? Scuffy learns that it's never too late to turn back or change one’s mind.
This Little Golden Book is not one that we had when I was growing up, but I have heard of it for years. I have read reviews of the book which debate whether or not it is “a fear-based warning not to seek anything outside the safest confines life has to offer because the world is dangerous and doesn't notice or care about us.” Some people, especially the world’s cynical intellectuals, seem to feel that they have to analyze everything, including children’s books, from a deep, psychological viewpoint. Why can’t we just enjoy a good story with the subtle message about being careful not to bite off more than we can chew? Scuffy learns that it's never too late to turn back or change one’s mind.
February 17, 2015
Scuffy the tugboat is a lonely toy at the toy store who dreams of achieving "bigger things". Taken home by a young boy, Scuffy finds himself "setting sail" in the local stream. Scuffy sings his "happy toot" as he travels along, exploring the landscape and meeting new animals. Yet as darkness falls, Scuffy becomes afraid and finds himself in other challenges that he must overcome. Yet the minute the story takes a dark turn, Scuffy wakes up and the reader realizes that it's just a dream. This book is delightful for young preschool and kindergarten readers as it tells the lessons of not being afraid of exploring the unknown, finding a sense of belonging, and overcoming challenges...lessons often felt daily by the young.
The illustrations are visually captivating to young viewers and the story line quirky for adult readers that will keep both age groups entertained throughout the story.
The illustrations are visually captivating to young viewers and the story line quirky for adult readers that will keep both age groups entertained throughout the story.
June 13, 2018
This was one of my favorite books as a child, and I found it at the used bookstore, so of course I had to buy it for the memories!
In retrospect, I have no idea why I liked it so much. I think it was because of the pictures (I particularly liked the picture of the people putting up sandbags in the flood) and because in the end Scuffy discovers the perfect life for him.
Can't wait to read it to my own child some day! In fact, maybe I'll try to track down a second copy, knowing how rough kids are on books and all...
ETA June 2018: Can't believe I haven't reviewed this! I've read this to the kids many times now. S liked it. L (at age 3) really likes it and enjoys talking about all of the details in the pictures. F's opinion remains to be seen, but she snoozed through a reading of it tonight.
In retrospect, I have no idea why I liked it so much. I think it was because of the pictures (I particularly liked the picture of the people putting up sandbags in the flood) and because in the end Scuffy discovers the perfect life for him.
Can't wait to read it to my own child some day! In fact, maybe I'll try to track down a second copy, knowing how rough kids are on books and all...
ETA June 2018: Can't believe I haven't reviewed this! I've read this to the kids many times now. S liked it. L (at age 3) really likes it and enjoys talking about all of the details in the pictures. F's opinion remains to be seen, but she snoozed through a reading of it tonight.
April 21, 2012
I would use this book across all elementary grade levels to examine writing styles. This book is also good for teaching reading comprehension skills like predicting, imaging, monitoring, and summarizing. I would use the book to introduce a social studies lesson emphasing how the boat travels to different places. The book also mentions the weather conditions and the jobs the people are doing in those places. Since the little boy's toy boat begins its travel down a brook which emptied into a river, which emptied into the sea, this book could also be used in the Engage portion of a 5E integrated lesson introducing weather patterns, water cycles, bodies or water, or erosion. So many posssibilities for lesson plans lie within this one fiction.
September 14, 2013
I bought this book for the artwork. That is not to say that the story is bad -- it isn't bad -- it's just that the artwork is better.
Scuffy, the toy tugboat, thought he was too big for the toy shelf, so the toy store owner brought him home. Then Scuffy thought he was too big for the bathtub, so the toy store owner and his son took Scuffy to the brook. But it was Spring and the brook was in high spirits. And high-spirited brooks lead to rivers, and rivers lead to the sea. And toy tugboats are far too small for the sea.
So, the story isn't bad. In fact, it is quite good. But the illustrations are so perfect that I remember them after nearly forty years.
Scuffy, the toy tugboat, thought he was too big for the toy shelf, so the toy store owner brought him home. Then Scuffy thought he was too big for the bathtub, so the toy store owner and his son took Scuffy to the brook. But it was Spring and the brook was in high spirits. And high-spirited brooks lead to rivers, and rivers lead to the sea. And toy tugboats are far too small for the sea.
So, the story isn't bad. In fact, it is quite good. But the illustrations are so perfect that I remember them after nearly forty years.
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