mike mulligan and his steam shovel by virginia lee burton

'Dig a cellar in just one day! It would take a hundred men at least a week to dig the cellar for our new town hall.' ) Henry and the townpeople are swayed when Mike promises that 'If we can't do it, you won't have to pay.' Mike promises to build the cellar in just one day ('What!' said Henry B. To find work, he ventures into the country to the town of Popperville, where a new Town Hall is being built. He's always told people that Mary Anne could dig as much in a day as a hundred men could dig in a week, though he's never been quite sure this is true. Mike Mulligan knows they still have value. But as always happens, something better - faster, more efficient gas, electric and Diesel shovels - is replacing them. They used to be busy in the big city, making basements for big buildings. At the time the story is written (1939) Mike Mulligan and Mary Anne, his steam shovel, are becoming outdated. This book is a great gift to give to any child who is enthralled with heavy machinery, but there's more to it than that. My boys memorized the story, and if I ever tried to skip a page, I was found out and the missing page was revisited. Yes, its true - I dreaded the nights (night after night after night) when one of my sons would insist we read this book! Why? Because it's long, and detailed - good for the child, terrible for a weary parent. The crayon drawings in this book are delightful, and it has an old-school charm that is hard to resist. A child standing nearby has an idea for how to save Mike and Mary Anne, and the book closes on a happy note. They dig all day, and when they're done, they find themselves stuck in the hole they've made. They dig fast and a crowd gathers to watch. Mike is determined to find work, and he tells the city leaders he can dig the cellar for their new town hall in just one day. But soon no one wants a steam shovel anymore - Mike and Mary Anne had been replaced by diesel and electric motors. The two work well together, digging canals, making tunnels in the mountains, cutting through hills to make highways. It's the story of a construction worker named Mike, who names his steam shovel Mary Anne. I think I first read it during a visit to my grandparents' house, and it brought up some bittersweet memories. Every shelf had books that I had loved when I was a kid! It made me smile to see them again.īut I paused when I found 'Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel.' This is a classic children's book that was originally published in 1939. Yesterday I found them in the children's section. One of the wonderful things about working in a library is that you never know when you're going to see some old friends.

Mike mulligan and his steam shovel by virginia lee burton