Kersten Hamilton

Never underestimate a goat, especially a tuggoat who is determined to accomplish its goals and knows how to have fun along the way.

Cordelia loves to gaze at the tugboats in the bay at the foot of the grassy hill. She dreams of being a tuggoat and decides it's time to give it a try. When she runs across a tire with a rope attached, she finally has her chance to show what she can do. Tugging her best friend around the barnyard is so much more fun than she ever expected, but the other goat won't just let her be and constantly criticizes her every effort. Still, Cordelia isn't about to give up her dream.

Giggles and smiles are sure to come during this cute tale. Cordelia is such a fun goat, which becomes clear with even the very first scene. She's sitting straight up on a hill right next to her best friend, a small pig, as they watch the boats in the bay below, while the other goats behave like normal goats around her. This tight balance on the border between realistic and fantasy holds throughout the read and gives it an interesting atmosphere. But then, the entire read doesn't head quite where a person might think, and the reactions from other characters even surprise...in a good way.

The story flows well and holds quite a bit of humor. Cordelia is an active goat, and her pig friend is ready to join right in. This fun slams against the more serious goats to work in a dual message surrounding the importance of helping others as well as the golden lining life holds, when we don't take everything overly seriously. If this read felt like it was heading into a serious message direction toward the end, the author quickly shifts gears to make sure the fun holds strong.

It's a lovely read for story times and I think readers might even hope to see this goat again in future reads. I received an ARC and enjoyed this tale even more than I thought I would.… (more)

First sentence: It's cleanup day in Tumberton. There's lots of hard work to be done. "Call in Orange Excavator!" Boom swings, bucket bites, gobbling all the trash in sight.

Premise/plot: Spend the day with Orange Excavator (and his human operator) doing multiple tasks in the city.

My thoughts: I wanted to like this one more than I actually did. Orange Excavator has a face--clearly--and a human operator. The book's narrator solely addresses Orange Excavator--as a person--and not the human operator. That was a little odd, for me. Do I think little ones--toddlers, the target audience--will be equally bothered by that??? Probably not. (Some may. But probably not).… (more)