I picked this up for my nephew at the Children's Festival of Reading this summer. As I was wrapping it for Christmas, I flipped back through it and realized I had never posted about it. The rhyming text tells of a train and its journey with a repeated refrain that even the very young can anticipate. Author Kevin Lewis was an entertaining speaker at the festival and had the crowd joining in with a "Whoooooooo! Whoooooooo!" each time it appeared in the text.
Illustrator Daniel Kirk, of Library Mouse fame, chose to interpret the action as that of a toy train taking place in a child's bedroom rather than a full-size train out in the city. Because of that choice, readers see scenes such as a train crossing a row of building blocks over the aquarium when the story says, "Across the river swift and wide. A bridge goes to the other side." The entire book feels like a visit to the world of "Toy Story," with action figures and dolls helping to load the train or watching it roll past.
Fun for ages 2 and up, especially those who have their own favorite train or who enjoy rhyming stories that allow readers to chime in. Available in picture book and board book formats.
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