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Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (Hardcover)
by Virginia Lee Burton
| Category:
Picture books, Boy's books, Machinery, Age 4-8 |
| Market price: ¥ 178.00
MSL price:
¥ 158.00
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| Stock:
In Stock |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
An all time classic in its 60th anniversary edition, this book have won the hearts of boys and girls for generations with a touching story and haunting images. |
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Author: Virginia Lee Burton
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Pub. in: September, 1939
ISBN: 0395169615
Pages: 48
Measurements: 9.4 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BC00365
Other information: ISBN-13: 978-0395169612
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- Awards & Credential -
A longtime children's favorite, first published in 1939, has never lost its appeal. The author won the Caldecott Medal in 1942 for The Little House, which is available on www.mindspan.cn as well. |
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- MSL Picks -
Oh how wonderful this book is, in so many different ways. Written in the 40s, its illustrations hark back to an earlier era, when children were allowed to be children, and when the values we taught them were couched in terms that a child could understand. Instead of violence and video games.
Mike Mulligan and his faithful steam shovel Mary Ann have been "downsized," if you will, by the advent of gasoline-powered engines, and other "modern miracles" that have made poor, faithful Mary Ann obsolete overnight. In order to find work, Mike and Mary Ann travel over hill and dale until they come to the small town of Popperville. There, they find that the town mayor is taking bids to dig the basement for a brand-new skyscraper. Mike makes a bid, and is met with laughter. But instead of giving up... Instead of Giving Up... he makes a deal. He and Mary Ann will dig the basement in one day. If they don't make it, they won't accept payment.
The valiant steamshovel and the equally valiant Mike set off to prove to the world that they are not obsolete, not worthless... just because they are old, just because they are now different, they still have value! And they dig, and they dig, and they dig. And soon they have attracted a large audience, all of whom are pulling for the team to win, even though it seems impossible.
In the end, Mike and Mary Ann have prevailed. They have dug the basement in one day! But just when they are being celebrated as heroes, a terrible problem arises. Mary Ann cannot get back out of the hole. What is to happen? Was it all for nothing?
The ingenious solution to the problem, and the sheer joy of the solution, warms my heart as much today as it ever did. This is a wonderful way of teaching children to persevere, to glory in their "otherness" and to grab life with both hands. It is a treasure, a classic becaue it deserves to be.
(From quoting W. Kaplan, USA)
Target readers:
Even though boys may like this book better, this classic is good for girls as well, we even recommend it to all parents, teachers and other adult readers.
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- Better with -
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The Little House
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Virginia Lee Burton (1909-1968) was the talented author and illustrator of some of the most enduring books ever written for children. The winner of the 1942 Caldecott Medal for The Little House, Burton's books include heroes and happy endings, lively illustrations, and a dash of nostalgia. She lived with her two sons, Aristides and Michael, and her husband George Demetrios, the sculptor, in a section of Gloucester, Massachusetts, called Folly Cove. Here she taught a class in design and from it emerged the Folly Cove designers, a group of internationally known professional artisans. She is the author of many classic children's picture books, including Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel and Katy and The Big Snow.
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From Publisher
A modern classic that no child should miss. Since it was first published in 1939, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel has delighted generations of children. Mike and his trusty steam shovel, Mary Anne, dig deep canals for boats to travel through, cut mountain passes for trains, and hollow out cellars for city skyscrapers - the very symbol of industrial America. But with progress come new machines, and soon the inseparable duo are out of work. Mike believes that Mary Anne can dig as much in a day as one hundred men can dig in a week, and the two have one last chance to prove it and save Mary Anne from the scrap heap. What happens next in the small town of Popperville is a testament to their friendship, and to old-fashioned hard work and ingenuity.
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| View all 8 comments |
The New Yorker (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-08 00:00>
This is fun both in its text and gray crayon drawings. Mike Mulligan remains faithful to his steam shovel Mary Anne, against the threat of the new gas and diesel-engine contraptions, and digs his way to a surprising and happy ending. |
Erika Mitchell (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-08 00:00>
This book is a classic tale about technology and obsolescence and the consequences for the people whose jobs are eclipsed by the advancement of technology. Mike Mulligan has a wonderful steam shovel (have you ever seen such a beast yourself?). The steam shovel was very important in the past - it built canals, airfields, and even moved mountains. But nowadays, people use diesel-powered diggers, not steam shovels, and Mulligan's poor steam shovel is no longer in demand. In a tiny town out in the countryside, Mulligan gets one last job for his steam shovel, digging the foundation for a new city hall. Once the job is finished, the future does not look bright for Mulligan and his steam shovel. However, a small boy points out that they can be retrained - the steam shovel can become the boiler for the new building, and Mulligan its janitor. Brilliant solution - the last page shows the steam shovel sitting in the cellar, happily belching out steam to all parts of the building while Mulligan shovels coal into its hopper. The book doesn't have any elements that would scare young readers, and children with a fascination for heavy equipment will be delighted with the action. The big message can bring out a lot of questions and food for thought, however. The book has about 1100 words.
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-08 00:00>
In this story, Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel Mary Anne, are the best and fastest diggers, untill the new high tech equiptment come around. Although Mike and Mary Anne are still the best and fastest, they get replaced just because they arn't the "new thing". When they hear about a job in Popperville, they head out to see if they will be able to get it, since they haven't had work in so long. They get the job, but only have one day to get the job done, otherwise, they won't get payed. Fortunalty, there are many people there to watch them work, which makes them work faster and better. Mike and Mary Anne come across a few problems along the way, though. You should read this story and find out what happens.
I think this story is great. It shows that new things arn't always as good as the old. Also, it shows that teamwork can get you where you want to be. In addition to that, it shows that encouagement helps out too. If you have people behind you and cheering you on, you usually do better. I think you should read this book, find out what happens, and learn from it.
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Jenn Wetzel (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-08 00:00>
In a world that is constantly changing and growing technologically, the story of Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, Maryann, is a lesson for everyone to learn from. This book is not only symbolic of the industrial revolution that went on in America's history and the dilemmas that were caused because of it, but it also tells a story about teamwork, faith, work ethic, and trust. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel is a story about a man and his steam shovel. It starts off in the prime of their working careers and shows how they were the top-notch "diggers" that everyone counted on to do all of their digging. The story continues as they get older and all of the new gas and diesel powered steam shovels end up replacing Mike and the trusty Mary Anne in all of the endeavors. In an effort to prove their reliability and Mary Anne's ability to "do the work of 100 men", Mike and Mary Anne end up working hard to physically conquer their problem. Not only physically do they solve problems, but also in their haste they forget some key aspects to solving their challenge. However with the help of people around, they are able to come up with a solution that is beneficial for everyone around the town.
The story of Mike and Mary Anne shows children that if you believe in yourself, you are capable of doing anything. It teaches that you should stick with whatever you are faced with and you work hard, you just may come out on top. The story shows that it isn't always the biggest and newest that can complete the job fastest and best, but that even the smallest and "not so new" can work hard and measure up to the expectations put forth by technology and society. The illustrations in this book are great. At first glance they may seem dull to the eye, but the dull color schemes and the sharpness of the crayon illustrations make you focus on the actions within the pictures. The pictures thoroughly correspond to the story and its content, which makes it easier for children to follow along. The dull gray coloring of the pictures is indicative of the nature of the industry, being so cold and harsh, yet some might suggest that the brighter tones that are thrown in a little bit suggest that there is still hope for the underdog. The illustrations clearly depict the mood of the story, and show the different situations that Mike and Mary Anne run into.
I found that with each event as the plot thickens, so to speak, the pictures follow along very well keeping the child who can't read attentive to what is going on, and preventing confusion with what is going on in the story. The fact that the steam shovel (Mary Anne,) is portrayed as a female seems to be a welcome part of children's literature that does not follow the stereotypes that are expected in books about "trucks" and "boy stuff." It may be suggested that the author intended on showing a female character to be able to handle the work that is put forth as sort of a statement against stereotypes. The plot of this story, from my experience, is very appealing to children. In the experiences I have with my younger siblings, it is more appealing to boys than girls, due to the "steam shovel" on the cover and in the storyline. The girls that I have suggested reading this story to, have been more attracted to books that were more aimed at the young female group of readers. The theme of this book is both helpful in teaching lessons, and also in challenging the thoughts that are presented each day with the growth of technology in our world. This book helps the children to question whether or not they can set out to do something that is thought to be "impossible" and actually accomplish it, is a tremendous lesson to teach children.
The language and style are very appropriate for the audience of children that the author is aimed at in that the word choice is simple enough yet also explanative as well. It does not seem to be oversimplified and still shows all of the lessons in a way that is not oversimplified, yet not too complex either. The flow of this book is excellent and seems to keep the audience of 3-6 year olds attentive and lets them follow along easily enough to understand what is going on, and possibly learn a lesson while being entertained. I would recommend this book for a child of any age. The depth and specificity of the lessons in the story can be adapted to a child of any age. Dependent on the child and their depth of understanding, you can take the story at its face value for younger children, or delve deeper into the symbolism with older children. |
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