Tuggoat

K-Gr 3–Cordelia is a goat with a “heart dream” of being a tugboat. She loves everything about them, especially the way they are always there to help. Pog the pig is her best friend who helps make her Tuggoat dream come true. Hyacinth is the goat who doesn’t want to hear any nonsense about Tuggoats and makes her opinion known to Cordelia and Pog, loudly and often. Cordelia has been practicing her signal horn sounds for hours when Pog shows her the bumper and towline (fallen tire swing) he found for her. With her new equipment, the new Tuggoat zooms around the farm, towing Pog who’s on a burlap sack tied to the towline. They nearly run over Hyacinth who declares the whole thing ludicrous. Undeterred, the pair prepare to zoom down the hay mound when they hear calls for help from none other than Hyacinth. Stuck in a bog and sinking, Hyacinth grudgingly allows Tuggoat to help—and save the day. There is more in Tsai’s crisp, uncluttered, and lighthearted illustrations—an excellent match for Hamilton’s plentiful text; together they create the perfect ending. The animals display a range of easy-to-read expressions and emotions, making the story suitable for emerging readers.