MCEE Book Talk: Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel is a beloved children’s book written by Virginia Lee Burton. The book is a timeless story that celebrates determination, friendship, and adaptation to change. First published in 1939, it tells the heartwarming tale of Mike Mulligan, the owner of Steam Shovels, Inc., and his trusty steam shovel named Mary Anne. Together, they dig deep canals for boats, cut mountain passes for trains, and hollow out cellars for city skyscrapers – a symbol of entrepreneurship in industrial America.

However, as progress brings new machines, Mike and Mary Anne face competition from modern gasoline, electric, and diesel-powered shovels. Determined to prove their worth, they find work in a small town about to build a new town hall. Mike makes a bold offer: if they can’t complete the job of digging the cellar in a single day, the town won’t have to pay them. 

Will Mike and Mary Anne get the job done? Come to the MCEE book talk and find out the answer to this question along with other important economic connections in this story of the rewards of hard work and friendship.