Tug: A Log Boom’s Journey

On Canada’s west coast, a redheaded, pink-skinned child—the book’s narrator—joins Dad and a friendly terrier for a trip hauling logs to a sawmill using a boom boat. Ritchie writes in a cadence that appreciates every detail: “The boom boat pushes the logs in place. Then the deckhand uses his pike pole to pull them together. He’s making a log boom.” A brief storm, a lost cedar, and an encounter with a “deadhead” that represents a possible collision provide moments of drama as the craft pulls the massive raft of lumber, but Dad knows his stuff, and eventually, it’s land ho—as the narrator notes, “the smell of the sea is gone. Now I smell the sawmill.” Digitally enhanced pencil and ink cartooning skillfully balances human moments with specific tasks and sweeping landscapes (including a wonderful bird’s-eye view spread), inviting readers to savor people, process, and place. Back matter provides additional factual detail. Ages 3–6. (Mar.)