Age rating and parents' guide:Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
by Virginia Lee Burton
Ages 6–8
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton is best for children aged 6–8. It has no violence, nothing scary, no romance and no bad language.
Mike Mulligan and his trusty red steam shovel, Mary Anne, have worked together for years, carving out canals and leveling highways. But as sleek new diesel shovels arrive, Mary Anne is pushed aside. Determined to prove she still has what it takes, Mike makes an ambitious promise to dig the cellar for the new Popperville town hall in just a single day. Young readers are drawn in by the energetic race against the clock and the heartwarming friendship between a hardworking man and his beloved machine.
Content ratings
How much of each a parent can expect, from none to strong.
- Violence
- None
- Scary moments
- None
- Romance
- None
- Bad language
- None
Content checked by Dhiraj Bodade, co-founder of Bookstaken, on .
At a glance
- Picture book
- Easy to get into from the first page
- Plenty of illustrations
- Emotionally light
- A good pick for reluctant readers
Great for kids who like
- General fiction
Reading mood
- Playful
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