ALA Booklist

In a field crowded with diggers, locomotives, and race cars, the humble tugboat continues to pull more than its weight with picture-book readers. Garland's colorful book highlights not only the many services a tugboat provides but also the variety of jobs a boat's captain and her crew are likely to tackle on an average shift. Garbage barges, tall ships, ocean liners job is too big for a tugboat. Many of the graphite and digital illustrations are double-page spreads that allow the reader to appreciate the contrast of the small boat in relation to the size of the jobs it is being asked to perform. Meanwhile, the simple, direct text will make young readers feel confident in tackling a picture book. Though the book is not quite the reference source that the table of contents hints it might be, the glossary of shipping terms and a brief note about the use of tugs to transport parts of the Willis Avenue Bridge from Albany to New York City are genuinely insightful. This book will be tugged around quite a bit.

Horn Book

Slim text and bold graphite-pencil and digital illustrations demonstrate the many ways a small but mighty tugboat is useful in New York City's waterways. While there isn't much substantial information about tugs, the layout and design will please preschoolers looking for the latest in transportation literature. Includes a table of contents, glossary, and a note about NYC's Willis Avenue Bridge.

Kirkus Reviews

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. (Informational picture book. 2-5)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Garland (the Miss Smith series) demonstrates the all-weather feats of a New York City tug in this concise addition to the tugboat-themed bookshelf. Unlike the heroes of Little Toot or Scuffy the Tugboat, Garland-s tugboat is only lightly personified in the text--The little boat is ready to do big jobs--and is portrayed realistically in his digitally assembled illustrations, with a bright red cabin and the name Hudson emblazoned on its side. As the book progresses, Garland delineates the many important jobs of a tug, including pushing a stately cruise ship filled with vacationers, pulling a schooner past the Statue of Liberty during a parade of tall ships, and moving a fireworks barge into place for a Fourth of July celebration. Less glamorous work includes guiding a tanker in a snowstorm and pulling a coal barge and a barge filled with garbage (-Hold your nose!-). The clipped yet informative text plays a backup role to Garland-s often dramatic illustrations, which highlight the tugboat-s diminutive size compared to the massive ships it assists, hitting home the idea that small can be mighty. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1 Don't judge a boat by its size. This sturdy tugboat shines in its service to others, assisting a cargo ship and a barge and providing support for people working on the mighty seas. While some phrases are fairly nondescript, other examples drive home the tugboat's importance with a powerful punch. "A tugboat is small, but its engine is strong." A clear glossary defines terms found in the succinct narrative, such as "barge" and "port," while a brief concluding note about the Willis Avenue Bridge adds a few details to the text. A table of contents page seems unnecessary for the brief story line; "At the Dock" is listed as an entry, though the entire section reads, "The day begins. The tugboat rests at the dock." Though the beginning and ending suggest the passing of time, middle scenes focus on a variety of weather conditions. The tugboat struggles in a snowstorm on one spread and then assists a cruise ship carrying passengers to their sunny vacation. Artwork created with graphite pencil and digital tools adds a hazy glow and plays with perspective as the little boat bobs on the vast ocean. This title is a strong read-aloud for those looking to add transportation books to their collections. Meg Smith, Cumberland County Public Library, Fayetteville, NC