Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, 1939 (ISBN 0-590-75803-9) is a children's book by Virginia Lee Burton, the author and illustrator of the Caldecott Medal-winning The Little House. It features Mike Mulligan, a steam shovel operator, facing competition from modern, diesel-powered shovels. Seeking an area of the country where his less modern steam shovel can still find work, he comes across a small town that is about to build a new town hall. Faced with disbelief by the authorities in the town when he makes the claim that he and his steam shovel can dig as much in a day as a hundred men could dig in a week, he makes a challenge to the town; if he can't dig the foundation to the town hall in one day, they don't have to pay him for his services. At sunup the next day, he begins work, and manages to complete the task - barely - by sundown. However, he has neglected to dig himself a ramp for him to drive his steam shovel out. A child who had been watching makes the suggestion that Mike take the job of janitor for the town hall, and his steam shovel take the job of boiler for the town hall's heating system.
 |
This article about a children's book is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
