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Tough Tug

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Tough Tug is a brand-new boat. He likes to swirl and twirl—and run and race. He wants everyone to see what he can do. But when he sails to Alaska for the first time, he finds out what being a tug really means…

40 pages, Hardcover

Published March 1, 2018

116 people are currently reading
1230 people want to read

About the author

Margaret Read MacDonald

92 books78 followers

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Biography
Dr. Margaret Read MacDonald travels the world telling stories....always on the lookout for more great folktales to share. She shapes these found stories into tellable tales which anyone can share with ease. Filling her folktale collections with these delightful tales, she creates perfect read alouds for you and your family. MRM wants everyone to experience the joy of a beautifully told tale. She hopes you will read them a few times...then put down the book...put down the electronic device...and just TELL the story to your children!

Some of her favorite folktales she expands into picture books...hopefully with delightfully readable language while will roll right out of your mouth. Share them with your children and then....act the tales out! Revisit the tales by TELLING them! At bedtime. While on the road. Fill your pockets with great stories to share wherever you go.

Joining her Folklore Ph.D. with her 30 plus years as a children's librarian, Margaret brings folktales to life in playful, lilting language which should delight both reader and listener.

See her performance schedule at: www.margaretreadmaconald.com

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5 stars
161 (37%)
4 stars
100 (23%)
3 stars
103 (24%)
2 stars
42 (9%)
1 star
20 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
Profile Image for carol shull.
18 reviews
February 2, 2018
Easy to Follow the Flow.

This book has a bunch of reviews that way it was hard to follow the flow. I used the usual left to right and up to down method an found it easy to follow. The loops and lines of the tub boat also helped. There were places that seemed like it was a two page layout, which I am used to on the Kindle Fire. Then you go left to right an d up to down on the left side and repeat the same way on the right. As a preschool teacher I used to find many books with wonderful illustrations, but the storyline was too wordy. This book has facts in it and it was short leaving me wanting more. I hope the author continues making books in this series so children can learn more geographical facts and more about the job of a guy boat. Thank you for this free read.
153 reviews121 followers
April 26, 2018
I recently read "Tough Tugs" to my 17 month old Los Angeles grandson as he was playing in his small deck pool .. he is fascinated by "everything water" .. splish splash, our story time was a great hit! The 'ocean adventure' by Margaret Read Macdonald & bright colorful illustrations by Rob McClurkan are fun for all ages!
3 reviews
February 1, 2018
I love Alaska and the never give up message

Anyone that wants Alaska in a story it has that. There are two main positive messages, don't give up and to help others. Good short book for young children.
Profile Image for Lauren.
22 reviews3 followers
February 1, 2018
Hard to Read, Lacks Flow

I agree with other reviewers on this book. I also got it for free via Prime, and I would not pay for it, unless your kiddo LOVES tug boats.

The pictures are eye-catching and colorful. I think they’re well-drawn and they show cute little boats with lots of personality. However, that’s where the positives end.

The book is hard to read, it just doesn’t “flow” as other reviewers have noted. I struggled reading it in my head, so I can’t imagine how it would sound out loud. The text placing is erratic, and the story line is choppy and hard to follow. (I kept asking myself “what is going on?”) The point of the story can be deduced, I guess, but it’s not incredibly clear for a small child.

tldr: the pictures are nice, the story is lacking
Profile Image for Jane.
Author 6 books89 followers
February 24, 2018
Tough Tug is a new very small tug that is on his first trip to Alaska towing a barge. Another bigger tug leaves him behind and then gets in trouble in rough seas. Tough Tug comes to help the other tug and goes back for his barge, completing his job.

The book is an excellent story to teach children about the job that tug boats do and also to show how friends help each other. The illustrations are excellent, clear and vivid.

My only problem with the eBook format is that it will only download on my newest Kindle Fire and not on the Kindle reading program on my older Kindle Fire or my computer Kindle reading software.
Profile Image for Shannon.
264 reviews13 followers
March 1, 2018
I am usually in the market for a good children's book for my nieces and nephews, but this one was not up to snuff.

Check out my full review on my blog For the Love of Words.
Profile Image for linda Foster.
1 review1 follower
February 2, 2018
Terrible even for a child's book.

It just made no sense it wasn't something I or my son liked. It just had no flow to it and was shorter than normal books.
Profile Image for Annie.
1,684 reviews39 followers
March 12, 2018
I need to get this for Great Nephew Levi.
Profile Image for Gina.
Author 5 books31 followers
July 31, 2018
I think young children will enjoy the rhyme and rhythm, but there's not a lot of substance here.
533 reviews4 followers
February 2, 2018
I like that it is about Alaska and includes a simple map of Alaska and the Washington coast at the beginning of the book. Enjoyable, colorful and educational for kids. Great little children's book! FROM FRONT COVER: This story is based on a true incident in which an Alaskan tug cut loose its own barge to rush to the rescue of the foundering tug of another tugboat company.
Profile Image for Bridget's Quiet Corner .
701 reviews31 followers
February 4, 2018
Perfect..

Perfect for the little ones when you want to give encouraging words, letting them know that if they keep pushing, they can accomplish anything! (As I read on Instagram (paraphrasing), "You can do anything, not everything"). This was adorable. Not perfect but what is? It gets the point across for the babies.
Profile Image for Robert Fiore.
71 reviews1 follower
April 5, 2018
Author: Margaret Read MacDonald
Illustrator: Rob McClurkan

Tough Tug is the story of a tugboat’s beginnings, from dry dock to its first job and some hero stuff thrown in. Along the way, we find out why the tugboat has the name Tough Tug. Lots of children friendly illustrations to make the story come alive.
Profile Image for Aime.
31 reviews2 followers
March 6, 2019
Good for younger children, great repeat sounds

This was a quick, enjoyable picture book about tug boats and helping. It was a little difficult for my learning reader to tell which speech bubble needed to be read first but both kids enjoyed saying the repeat words with me. The pictures are crisp and colorful. Highly recommend.
Profile Image for Belle Brown.
206 reviews16 followers
February 27, 2020
A fun book about tugging to Alaska

As I was skimming the Kindle book, my 3-yr old wanted me to read it to her right away. The short sentences make it easy and fun to read aloud. I dont think it's meant to rhyme and I think the story has a nice flow. The moral of the story and a lesson on geography makes it a worthwhile read.
3 reviews1 follower
February 6, 2018
Great artwork, so-so story.

The artwork is beautiful! The story was cute, but not brilliant. My 4 and 5 year old children enjoyed it, but it's not going to be a keeper on our shelf.
Profile Image for Laura Alden.
22 reviews
February 13, 2018
Nice pictures...that's it

The illustrations in this book were very nice, but the story itself was not. It wasn't interesting or engaging, and my children did not care to read it more than once. No real storyline or character development.
Profile Image for Mrs. Gayla D. Turner.
53 reviews
February 19, 2018
Too Cute!

I can't wait to read and show this book to my grandson. The colors are brilliant and bold, the repetition of the phrases will cause remembrance, and the adventure of the story will hold beginning readers' attention. Great job to the author, Margaret Read MacDonald.
Profile Image for Bea .
2,037 reviews136 followers
February 23, 2018
Decent artwork and story, nothing special. Pretty standard messages about not giving up and practice makes perfect. The underdog saves the day. I liked that it was set in Alaska, as that's unusual for children's books.
7 reviews
March 29, 2018
My grandchildren really love this book. They enjoy the beautiful pictures of the Tugboat and the
adventures it encounters. Again thank you for the beautiful book and the opportunity to review
it. Nancy Gordon
Profile Image for liz.
36 reviews
July 11, 2018
Good book

It reads like there should be some sort of rhyming but there isn't, so it can be a little awkward at times, but there's a good rhythm. My for month old enjoyed the colorful pictures, and the story had a good message.
6 reviews1 follower
February 26, 2019
Good Job MacDonald

A review from.my 4 y.o.
My favorite part of the book was there were all kinds of different things I didn't know. I liked the pictures. Tough Tug is really cool. But it's getting late we need to go to sleep.
-Jake, age 4.
Profile Image for Trisha Parsons.
637 reviews28 followers
July 11, 2019
This story is cute and they're aren't many words on each page, but it just did not capture the attention of my kiddos. I think that the text was perhaps too devoted to the narrative and not experimental enough with language to make it fun for young readers.
Profile Image for Ali.
50 reviews
February 4, 2018
Beautiful illustrations, but about 3 pages in the text becomes both too complicated and too mundane to be a good children's story.
1 review
February 11, 2018
Again

Son: Can we read it again? That was fun!

He likes it a lot. It's a companion to dexter Dino at bed time now.
Profile Image for Jennifer Aicher.
Author 21 books4 followers
February 18, 2018
Beautiful

Repetitive, makes children understand the role of tug boats. The illustrations are wonderfully done, as well. We really enjoyed it!
Profile Image for Peacegal.
11.7k reviews102 followers
February 20, 2018
Cute, hip illustrations, and a nice, kind story kids will enjoy. Very cute little book.
Profile Image for Ronda.
11 reviews
February 24, 2018
The little Tug !

This little Tug is tough in rough waters . When the water gets rough this Tug got tough and helped his friend.
7 reviews
February 24, 2018
Cute read

Pi tires are I



Pictures are very well done put the part that tells the story are very small makeing it hard to read
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews

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