Starred Review for Publishers Weekly

In this husband-and-wife team's saucy follow-up to <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">I Stink! (narrated by a city garbage truck) another feisty fellow—a tugboat in a bustling harbor—immediately draws readers into his world, bellowing, "Hey! Over here! Yeah, me, the little guy." The brassy tug explains that ships entering the harbor need him, " 'Cause I'm mighty! And I can nudge, bump, butt, shove, ram, push, and pull 'em in." He cheerfully chats with the various vessels he services, calling each by name: "Yo, <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Moby Dee! Your ride's here!" he yells to "a low-riding tanker with a belly full of oil." A cutaway view shows the hero steering <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Moby clear of shallow waters. After helping a freighter loaded with cars ("a six-decker doozie") and a "super-duper" cruise ship safely to their docks, the tug announces, "I'm all tuggered out" and turns in for some shut-eye before the morning, when three more ships are due. Though not as kid-pleasingly outrageous as its predecessor (the hero of <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">I Stink! offers an amusing litany of the icky items he gobbles up), this tale introduces an equally likable and enthusiastic voice. Jim McMullan's fresh, funny art portrays the personified tug sporting a baseball cap, his eyes fashioned from the front windows and his beaming mouth set into the bow. With its copious sound effects and type set in various sizes and configurations, this tale makes for one jaunty journey. Kids will happily climb aboard. Ages 4-8. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Oct.)

ALA Booklist (Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 CST 2003)

Like the garbage truck in the McMullans' I Stink! (2002), the tugboat that narrates this picture book tells his story with more than a splash of moxie. Strong ink drawings define the harbor setting from a variety of perspectives and show the emotions of the anthropomorphic figures of boats and trucks, while color brightens the scenes and heightens the drama. As the little tugboat heads into the harbor in the morning, he checks his gear and revs his engines. Taking charge of an oil tanker, he guides it through the channel and parks it at the dock. Next up is a six-decker doozie carrying a cargo of automobiles, followed by Queen Justine, a super-duper cruiser, as WIDE as she is long (an absurd statement to make about a ship that is clearly longer than it is wide). Kids aren't likely to worry about that for long, though, when there's so much here to enjoy: the energetic writing, the boastful tug's bravado, and the well-conceived illustrations. Best of all, the big boats need help from the little boat instead of the other way around, making this an appealing nautical version of every preschooler's dream.

Horn Book (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2004)

This companion to I Stink! makes fine use of its predecessor's formula to introduce a scrappy, hard-working tugboat with attitude. Once again, the motorized protagonist talks directly to readers, with text that flows loosely across the page and fluctuates in size. In the robust, blocky illustrations, our boy sports a near-perpetual eager grin and a youthful red baseball cap (perhaps a nod to an obvious ancestor, Little Toot).

Kirkus Reviews

<p>It's Little Toot, all grown up and on steroids. Along the lines of their celebrated I Stink! (2002), the McMullans give another hardworking machine with a face and a blue-collar personality the chance to toot its horn in gruff, tough language: "When big ships get to the harbor, they need ME! 'Cause I'm mighty! And I can nudge, bump, butt, shove, ram, push, and pull 'em in. Here I go." This red-capped tug's not all talk, either, as it shows by bringing in a tanker, a container ship, and finally a mammoth liner ("Think this big mama's got me beat? No way!") under the square, watchful eyes of previously berthed ships. Then, hull dented, bumpers bent, "all tuggered out," it heads for the barn at day's end, already thinking about the next day's workload. Young swabbies will be delighted by this gander at a tug's labor and gear, and likely absorb its pride in a job well done. (Picture book. 4-6)</p>

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-Like the train in Watty Piper's The Little Engine That Could (Platt & Munk, 1930), the tugboat in I'm Mighty shows how one small machine can accomplish mighty tasks. The tug, depicted in the manner of early animation seen in Steamboat Willie, with eyes for windows and a bumper mouth, checks his gear, knows what he can do, and tows everything from a low-riding tanker to a "six-decker doozie," steering these behemoths safely to harbor. Text appears in assorted sizes and colors, often escalating to reflect the intensity of the little boat's actions. Young listeners will enjoy repeating many of the words and using them to chime in on the story. Illustrations rendered from the tiny tug's perspective appear to be a combination of paints and inks that boldly reinforce the little worker and his duties. Libraries will want this book for storytime and to motivate beginning readers.-Susan M. Moore, Louisville Free Public Library, KY Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.