Scuffy the Tugboat
Encyclopedia
Gertrude Crampton
Gertrude Crampton was an author of children's books, including Tootle and Scuffy the Tugboat ....
and illustrated by Tibor Gergely
Tibor Gergely
Tibor Gergely was an artist best known for his work in several popular children's books. Born in Budapest in 1900, he studied art briefly in Vienna before emigrating to the United States in 1939, where he settled in New York City. Largely a self-taught artist, he also contributed several covers...
. The book was first published in 1946 as part of the Little Golden Books
Little Golden Books
Little Golden Books is a popular series of children's books. The first 12 titles were published on October 1, 1942:#Three Little Kittens#Bedtime Stories#Mother Goose#Prayers for Children#The Little Red Hen#Nursery Songs...
series.
Scuffy is a toy tugboat who wishes for "bigger things" than sailing in the bathtub. The Man with the Polkadot Tie (who owns a toy store) and his son take Scuffy to a small brook in a pasture, and soon the current carries him away. At first Scuffy is pleased. The brook grows into a stream which turns into a small river and finally a larger river. Scuffy is overwhelmed by the sheer size of things around him. As he is just about to sail off into the endless ocean, he is rescued by the man and his boy and returned to the bathtub where Scuffy is now content to remain.
Scuffy the Tugboat should not be confused with Tuffy the Tugboat, which is a different book, about a different tugboat, with no relation to Scuffy.
As of 2001, Scuffy the Tugboat was the eighth bestselling children's book of all time.