Scan barcode
smw33's review against another edition
3.0
Cute! Good illustrations. Wordy so okay for olders, not so much littles.
wolfiegrrrl's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
For an adult, this book depicts the rise and fall of the steam shovel and its effect on the working class. Mike Mulligan, the symbol of then-modern industrial America, is made to face the reality that progress births new machines and he (as well as Mary Anne) must adapt to the changing times or fall into obscurity. The overlying theme is the importance of the power of friendship, and old-fashioned hard work and ingenuity in overcoming adversity and embracing change together.
But to most children, it is simply a story about a man and his best friend setting out to do the impossible, and I think there is a lot of value in both interpretations.
I grew up with this book and its HBO musical adaptation, so it holds a very special place in my heart and on my bookshelf. No matter what kind of day I've had, this story still has the power to bring me so much joy every time I set aside a few minutes to indulge in it and naturally the older I got the more I had to think about while following along.
So, of course, I wrote a much longer analysis of it: https://trialbymagicks.wordpress.com/2021/07/04/the-immortal-mike-mulligan-and-his-magic-steam-shovel/
But to most children, it is simply a story about a man and his best friend setting out to do the impossible, and I think there is a lot of value in both interpretations.
I grew up with this book and its HBO musical adaptation, so it holds a very special place in my heart and on my bookshelf. No matter what kind of day I've had, this story still has the power to bring me so much joy every time I set aside a few minutes to indulge in it and naturally the older I got the more I had to think about while following along.
So, of course, I wrote a much longer analysis of it: https://trialbymagicks.wordpress.com/2021/07/04/the-immortal-mike-mulligan-and-his-magic-steam-shovel/
kitm's review
4.0
Okay, it definitely has a pro-development slant to it, but with a daughter who loves trains, boats, trucks, etc... it's nice that one of the protagonists (the steam shovel) is a girl.
heatheronthego's review against another edition
4.0
My son absolutely loved this book when he was 4 and at the end of his "big machines" phase.
emkoshka's review against another edition
2.0
This book is very much a relic of its time (1938), telling the story of a steam shovel and its operator and the digging they do to help industrialise the natural landscape. Like in The Little House though, industrialisation and progress exacts its price in obsolescence as newer and faster technologies come along to replace the old. I'm impressed that a woman wrote and illustrated a picture book in the 1930s about heavy machinery, but I found the story tedious though the illustrations were sweet.
lady_lazarus's review against another edition
4.0
Cute! Good illustrations. Wordy so okay for olders, not so much littles.
kitm's review against another edition
4.0
Okay, it definitely has a pro-development slant to it, but with a daughter who loves trains, boats, trucks, etc... it's nice that one of the protagonists (the steam shovel) is a girl.
amythebookbat's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the message in the book that just because there are newer machines doesn't mean the older one can't be useful. This can be applied to people as well... younger doesn't necessarily mean better.
minda's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
aprilleigh's review against another edition
3.0
The beginning reminds me of the Thomas the Train stories, in that steam-power was replaced by other forms of power. The end reminds me of the story of the truck stuck under a bridge and a little boy passing nearby telling all the adults they should just let the air out of the tires. I don’t like the character of Henry B. Swap. He’s nasty and willing to take advantage of people, and I find it impossible to believe that a man like that would turn around and be a friend at the end.