Scribblenauts

I'm having some trouble interacting with certain items... I can't tell if it's an engine limitation or if I'm just doing it wrong.

For example, if I summon a crane, I can attach it's chain to an item but I can't figure out how to hoist anything with it. All I can do is get in the driver's seat and drag whatever it's attached to... which makes the crane basically a big version of the tow truck. Similarly, I haven't figured out how to do anything useful with items like winches and pulleys- I can summon them, but I can't seem to do much with them.

Anyone else have any luck with things like this? I noticed the crane has a rear seat, which I've managed to sit in, but I still don't know how or if I can operate it.

I've completed both the puzzle and adventure modes for area 1, all of them gold stars (completing each 3x without repeating any items). So far, I'm enjoying puzzle mode alot more than adventure. The main difference is that in puzzle mode, you have to achieve a goal to unlock the starite- whereas in adventure, the starite is already there and you have to figure out how to get at it. Either way, getting to the goal once is pretty easy, but I think it gets a lot more interesting when you have to do it 3x without repeats.

Edit: Aha! You tap the hook of the crane to extend the boom!