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Little Toot
Little Toot and the Loch Ness Monster
Little Toot travels to Scotland where he befriends the Loch Ness monster.
- GenresChildrensPicture Books
60 pages, Hardcover
First published October 5, 1989
About the author
Hardie Gramatky
35 books9 followersBernhard August "Hardie" Gramatky, Jr. was an American painter, author, and illustrator. In a 2006 article in Watercolor Magazine, Andrew Wyeth named him as one of America's 20 greatest watercolorists. He wrote and illustrated several children's books, most notably Little Toot.
Hardie Gramatky was born in Dallas, Texas, the second of three sons born to Bernhard Gramatky and Blanche Gunner Gramatky. Ten years later, following the death of his father, his mother moved the family to the Wilmar – South San Gabriel area, a then semi-rural suburb a few miles east of Los Angeles. Gramatky attended local schools in Wilmar, and then Alhambra High School in nearby Alhambra. Displaying a precocious artistic talent, he began submitting his sketches to a "young folks section" published in the Los Angeles Times, and by the early 1920s had earned a reputation as the section's leading artist.
Hardie Gramatky was born in Dallas, Texas, the second of three sons born to Bernhard Gramatky and Blanche Gunner Gramatky. Ten years later, following the death of his father, his mother moved the family to the Wilmar – South San Gabriel area, a then semi-rural suburb a few miles east of Los Angeles. Gramatky attended local schools in Wilmar, and then Alhambra High School in nearby Alhambra. Displaying a precocious artistic talent, he began submitting his sketches to a "young folks section" published in the Los Angeles Times, and by the early 1920s had earned a reputation as the section's leading artist.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 7, 2020
Little Toot sets off to Scotland in search of the mysterious Loch Ness Monster but is met with lots of other boats that are hunting her! Can Little Toot help?
Read aloud to my child.
Read aloud to my child.
September 11, 2014
The artwork is gorgeous and the story is lovely. There are a lot of big words for a young child, but my son just took it in stride.
December 8, 2025
Little Toot and the Loch Ness Monster arrived in my hands not through recommendation, but serendipity—a worn and well-loved copy returned through the book drop at my library. One glance at the cover and I was flooded with memories of the Disney short featuring the plucky tugboat who longed to prove his worth. I was drawn in immediately by the promise of a Scottish adventure, and I’m happy to report that the book delivered on that promise and more.
Hardie Gramatky’s illustrations are a true standout. The vibrant watercolors feel in constant motion, capturing the whimsy and urgency of Little Toot’s journey with the fluidity only a skilled animator could provide. There’s a nostalgic magic to the way Gramatky renders both sea and sky, and it was a joy to see that same energy translated from screen to page. The narrative itself—filled with charm and wonder—manages to blend the mythical allure of the Loch Ness Monster with the timeless story of a little boat trying to make a big difference.
Reading this aloud to my colleagues at the public library was unexpectedly delightful. We were all transported for a few minutes into a world of watery adventures and mysterious monsters. I had no idea that Little Toot was part of a larger series, but I’ll now be keeping an eye out for others. Sometimes, treasures really do drift back into our lives when we need them most.
Hardie Gramatky’s illustrations are a true standout. The vibrant watercolors feel in constant motion, capturing the whimsy and urgency of Little Toot’s journey with the fluidity only a skilled animator could provide. There’s a nostalgic magic to the way Gramatky renders both sea and sky, and it was a joy to see that same energy translated from screen to page. The narrative itself—filled with charm and wonder—manages to blend the mythical allure of the Loch Ness Monster with the timeless story of a little boat trying to make a big difference.
Reading this aloud to my colleagues at the public library was unexpectedly delightful. We were all transported for a few minutes into a world of watery adventures and mysterious monsters. I had no idea that Little Toot was part of a larger series, but I’ll now be keeping an eye out for others. Sometimes, treasures really do drift back into our lives when we need them most.
August 15, 2024
I know "Toot" didn't age well as a name, but love the books. Listened to the audio version and was so happy to hear a Scottish accent make an appearance. It made the story even better even though it was a small bit :-)
October 19, 2011
We found a Netflix treat: we just watched Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories, which features animated adaptations of children's storybooks with celebrity narrators. This story was narrated by Rick Moranis and we just loved the format. It reminded us of the Tumblebooks animations that we occasionally watch online. As the book is narrated, we followed along with a slightly animated version of the illustrations. It was very entertaining and we really enjoyed watching all of the episodes on the DVD.
This tale involves a little tugboat who wants to find the Loch Ness Monster, but finds out that lots of others are out to get her as well. It's an entertaining story and the illustrations are great.
This tale involves a little tugboat who wants to find the Loch Ness Monster, but finds out that lots of others are out to get her as well. It's an entertaining story and the illustrations are great.
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November 12, 2016Brief review- This story is a story that is based of a myth. The pictures are very distracting from the story. I personally don't think I would use this in a class because it's hard to follow. This book is made for ages 4-8. I think this should be for older kids because it is quite a long story.
Content areas- This story could be used to talk about myths. Since the story is on nessie you could have them create a story on how they caught nessie as a creative writing assignment.
2 questions-
Who was the real monster in the story?
a. The other boats because they made fun of and bullied Little Toot.
What charecter did you relate to the most? why?
a. Nessie because she was kind to all.
2 wonders-
Is Nessie real?
Are there mean monsters who live in the seas?
Content areas- This story could be used to talk about myths. Since the story is on nessie you could have them create a story on how they caught nessie as a creative writing assignment.
2 questions-
Who was the real monster in the story?
a. The other boats because they made fun of and bullied Little Toot.
What charecter did you relate to the most? why?
a. Nessie because she was kind to all.
2 wonders-
Is Nessie real?
Are there mean monsters who live in the seas?
July 20, 2012
This was fun but I liked it more then the kids. It had too many words per page for them with pictures not exciting enough. I liked the water-color styled painting look.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews