Scuffy the Tugboat and His Adventures Down the River

My grandson really liked the book. listened o the story with attention

Animation studios are desperate to find proven material for their feature films--especially in the wake of disappointments like "Treasure Planet."That's why I'm surprised nobody has optioned the rights to one of the greatest children's books ever; it has emotion, thrills, an important lesson, and one of the cutest lead characters I've ever seen.That book is, of course, "Scuffy the Tugboat."Scuffy is a toy tugboat (hence the title) who dreams of something more than "sailing" in his little bathtub. When he is taken outside and accidentally swept away in a river, his harrowing adventure makes him realize that he should never have taken his old life for granted.Just imagine Scuffy the Tugboat brought to life by CGI, charging down rivers, dodging logs and old tires...and facing the bustle of a busy shipyard before being miraculously recovered by his owner.I can practically hear a popular actor like Ed Burns lending his distinctive voice to the little red tugboat, and Sting's nautical motif from "the Soul Cages" leads me to nominate him for the soundtrack.As long as it's a faithful adaptation of this classic tugboat tale, nobody would ever be able to say: "the book was better!"

."Scuffy the Tugboat" is a classic in childrens literature. It has an almost iconic status with people who grew up in the early Baby Boomer years. Way back in 1946, toy stores were quiet uncrowded places. In one toy shop there was a rocking horse, a GI Joe Doll and a few cuddly soft toys ........ and one grumpy red painted tugboat called Scuffy.Scuffy was ambitious. He thought he was meant for bigger things, than just sailing in a bathtub.The toy shop owner (with his memorable polka dot tie) and his little boy, took Scuffy off to a laughing brook. It was springtime and the brook was running fast. Scuffy was soon off on his adventure.The pastoral world he passed through seemed placid, but at night the hooting owl gave him a fright.The river got bigger and busier. Scuffy was proud because he knew it was HIS river. He was nearly squashed between two logs that were on their way to the sawmill. With the spring melt a great flood burst the rivers banks. A lady and her cow had to be rescued off her roof.Pushed along by the floodwaters Scuffy arrived in the big city. It was a very noisy and busy place. When Scuffy tooted nobody noticed.Scuffy was just about to be swept out to sea. He wished the man with the polka dot tie and his little boy could rescue him. Miracle of miracles, there they were just as Scuffy was about to pass the last bit off land. He was rescued. Scuffy realises that sailing in the bathtub is not such a bad thing ...... in fact he said "this is the life for me".The illustrations by Tibor Gergely are what make this book so appealing. The scenes are full of life and activity, be it the pastoral river scene with its friendly animals and the colourful towns and cities. Look for the details in the city scene. Try to find the horses. Tibor Gergely was a great children's book illustrator from this period. In addition to his artwork in Scuffy you can enjoy his illustrations in those other "Little Golden Book" classics, "The Little Red Caboose" and "Tootle". These three books are perfect companions in any young person's library.

In the early 1950's I was introduced to the wonders of the the world when my parents bought me "Scuffy". Who would have believed that a little red-painted tugboat could captivate me for nearly 50 years.Scuffy, the brave and somewhat feisty little red- painted tugboat, tires of his existence of living in the toystore owned by the "man with the polka dot tie" and states that he was meant for "bigger things".The bigger things leads Scuffy on an odyssey through quiet mountain brooks, singing streams, rushing rivers, floods and eventually the sea. On his journey, Scuffy meets cows, men in "great boots" pushing logs, victims of floods and the scariness of the big city. As Scuffy hurtles towards his ultimate destiny, the sea, he longs for the joy and comfort of the toy store and the love of the man with the polka dot tie. Just as Scuffy is about to pass the last piece of land, prior to entering the eternal sea, the man with the polka dot tie catches the frightened red- painted tugboat with the blue smokestack and returns him to the toystore and his new domain, the safe and calming waters of the bathtub.A delightful work that will surely be requested night after night by children. It was my favourite and my daughter's favourite.

My father read me this when I was an infant and I have loved it ever since. Innocent and exciting, a perfect book for a small child coming to the magic of story-telling.