( 11 reviews )
-
Posted: Sep 27 2008
I have the fondest memories of this book, and I was delighted to recently find a copy. It's the ultimate "power tool" book that should please young boys--an old time steam shovel with a personality to boot that is out to prove she can still do her thing. The drawings are detailed and gorgeous, and the end shall always be a classic.
-
Posted: May 30 2008
This book is must for all dad's or grandpa's to read to their children. My kids memorized it and wanted it for their children when they grew up. Great service from this seller.
-
( 1 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: May 7 2008
Mr. Michael Mulligan and his faithful steam shovel, lovingly called Mary Anne, are working class heroes, fighting to retain their independence in the face of corporate technological prowess in the construction industry. Can outmoded steam power compete with the awesome strength of diesel? Conveniently, this book features paper (not plastic) pages, so your tot can decimate the images of the vile diesel shovels with all the rage that his or her small hands can muster. Don't' be upset about this, it's nothing a roll of clear packing tape can't fix. Much like the story of Casey Jones, vindication of our heroes will require their demise. Tasked with one final job, the digging of the basement for a fancy town hall, Mike and Mary Anne find themselves trapped by the tremendous success of their labor. Unable to get out of the hole, Mary Anne is broken down to be made into a boiler for the new building, and Mike becomes the janitor. This is no happy ending. No longer are Mike and Mary Anne independent contractors, free to come and go as they please. Mary Anne's steam-powered feet have been bound, like a disobedient concubine. And Mike has become a low-ranking servant of the state, forever forced to feed coal into the mutilated form that was one his industrial lover. The life lesson here is that it doesn't matter if you are honest and hard-working. In fact, those are disadvantages. The only winners are the diesel shovels, destroying without remorse. Good for tykes who like to play with blocks and toy trucks. Might as well let them know what they're in for.
