First published in 1939, in the wake of the Great Depression, this is a lovely, illustrated children’s story about Mike Mulligan and his beautiful red steam shovel Mary Anne. They work very hard digging canals for the big boats to travel through, cuts roads through the large mountains so trains can pass, and deep basements for the great skyscrapers in the city. It is also a story about how to re-invent yourself in a new industry or era.

Imagine being so talented that you went directly from high school to your leadership position or chosen career. KG, as we called him, was the first high school kid drafted directly into the NBA in 20 years and whenever he could, he thanked his coach for always believing in him and teaching him how to improve his skills.