Amazon.com

The unknowing progenitor of a whole generation of self-help books, Wally Piper's The Little Engine That Could is one of the greatest tales of motivation and the power of positive thinking ever told. In this well-loved classic, a little train carrying oodles of toys to all of the good boys and girls is confronted with a towering, seemingly impassable mountain. As nicely as they ask, the toys cannot convince the Shiny New Engine or the Big Strong Engine--far too impressed with themselves--to say anything but "I can not. I can not." It is left up to the Little Blue Engine to overcome insurmountable odds and pull the train to the other side. The Little Engine That Could is an entertaining and inspirational favorite, and the Little Blue Engine's rallying mantra "I think I can--I think I can" will resonate for a lifetime in the head of every child who hears it. (Ages 4 to 8)) ... Read more

Reviews (41)

History of Little Engine that Could
When I began reading this book to my kids, I was suprised that the broken down engine and the little engine that can were both female, while the unhelpful engines are male. I remembered the little engine being male. I was interested in the feminist message of such an classic children's story. A little research on the web gave a lot of info. Apparently, this version of the story was published in 1930 with the male and female references as they are in this current printing. This story was pulled from an slightly earlier version in which the characters were all gender neutral. If you'd like to learn more about the historical background, you may want to look at http://tigger.uic.edu/~plotnick/littleng.htm which does a nice job of giving an historical overview of the evolution of this wonderful tale of self strength.

Too bad it is abridged
The current self-help genre tends to be dwelling on hurts and self-pity, then finding magical solutions. Our Little Engine just has healthy self-confidence and determination. And please don't stress even that when reading it to the kids who will love it, since they find their own more imaginative interpretations.

The unabridged version is a lifetime favourite of mine, and, for classroom use or that with older children, find a copy at all costs. This version does retain much of the essence, however, and is great for the pre-school set. The only "negative" I can think of is that the kids so love the repetition that parents may grow a bit tired of the daily requests for it to be re-read, especially if the particular child wants to hear only certain sections (I knew one who always wanted "the clown part," the other "the food part.")

The same enjoyable repetition makes this a favourite story to read to children in primary grades. Yes, be sure you don't stop the kids from all joining in "I think I can..."

This remains one book that every favourite kid of mine receives as a present. If it disappoints any of your children, that will be a first, in my experience!

The Little Engine that Could
This story is a childrens classic. A wonderful tale about a little helpful train that overcomes great physical adversity through sheer will power. A great moral teaching story for young impressionable children. This story teaches our children especially our daughters that they too can be successful if they
work hard and think positive. This is a story I'll read to my daughter many times. The little engine represent a positive female role model without flaunting its femininity. In fact I had forgotten the engine was female until I read it again recently. A great story worth checking out.

A CHILDRENS SUCCESS CLASSIC
As a parent of three, one of the most important things I can give my children is motivation.

The attitude that he or she CAN DO ANYTHING IF THEY THINK THEY CAN DO IT.

By reading this story over and over again, the message will go into their conscious and subconscious mind and my hope is that they will follow their dreams and become all they are able to become.

Zev Saftlas, Author of Motivation That Works: How to Get Motivated and Stay Motivated

What better gift can a parent give their child than believing in them?

Perfect! My daughers were both mesmerized.
My second daughter has now fallen in love with this book, at about the same age as her older sister did (3 and 1/2). So, we are reading it every single night, often multiple times. If her older sister is any guide, this will probably continue for about 6 months.

This is simply an absolutely perfect children's story. The plot has some tension to keep the child's interest to the end of the story. The story shows how small people (or trains, if you want to be literal) with a good heart (like a child) can make a big difference in the world. The illustrations are extremely colorful and magical. The only fault (this is incredibly minor) I can find is the one-time usage of the word "indignantly", which no child is going to know. Other than that, I wouldn't change any other word or aspect of this book.

It's also a fun story for an adult to read outloud. I enjoy using different voices for the arrogant Shiny New Engine, the gruff Freight Engine, and the tired Old Engine, as well as helpful Little Blue Engine's famous repetitive cadence ("I think I can").

It will be a sad day when my youngest outgrows this book. Don't deny yourself or your child the pleasure - buy it! ... Read more

Book Description

Since the publication of the original Thomas the Tank Engine in 1946, millions of children and their parents all over the world have loved this series of bedtime stories about Thomas and his friends.All 26 of the Reverend W. Awdry's classic stories are here in one beautiful gift volume, with an introduction by the author himself.Illustrated in full color. ... Read more

Reviews (47)

A great investment!
We bought this book a year ago, and my son still enjoys listening to the stories. He has heard each at least three times, some of them many more times besides. As his mother, who has read through the book with him twice myself, *I* love the stories, too! They teach good lessons and are very entertaining at the same time.

It actually is not true that all Thomas stories are in this book. All the original stories by the original author are, but more stories have been made up by less skilled story writers, in my opinion. The BEST Thomas stories are the ones in this book.

The shorter story books have been Americanized, and I think that makes them lose some of their appeal. For instance, the Fat Controller in this book has been renamed in the shorter books and videos to his proper name, "Sir Topham Hatt." Political correctness meets Thomas the Tank Engine. In my opinion, they were better unchanged, and that is what you have in this book.

If you have a toddler, I highly recommend this book. One word of warning, though. Then come the Thomas train sets, and the videos . . . you will never be through with Thomas once you start!

My kids from 10years old to 1 year old love this book.
We borrowed this book from the library for my 22 month old son who is recently very thrilled with Thomas. Guess who sat down and read it for hours? My ten year old daughter who had experienced Thomas as a four year-old. My eight and five year old daughters also enjoy the book. As for the little guy; he walks around with it and sits there ever so gently turning the pages. That's why I'm here at Amazon: to purchase our own copy of this delightful book with beautiful illustrations and stories. If you have a Thomas fan this is the greatest book.

Great Book, One Problem
This book is great, it is presented nicely and the stories and many illustrations are excellent. Overprotective parents may complain about darker themes or use of phrases like "Shut Up" but there is nothing I find wrong with that. Do those parents expect their children's whole lives to be sugar coated and sweet? There is a great variety of stories, but the main problem is the lack of the 14 volumes written by the Rev. W. Awdry's son Christopher Awdry. Though one or two of his Railway Series books are in print, (they are Really Useful Engines, and depending where you look, More About Thomas the Tank Engine) most of his books are out of print and hard to find. Having obtained some of them used, I can tell you they are great and if they were part of this book I'd give it 5 stars. Instead, I give it 4 and a half .

Creepy and mean
My kids love Thomas, and we made the mistake of borrowing this book at our local library (or maybe it was fortunate, it kept us from buying it).

Though this is a very nice presentation of the original stories, the stories themselves are poorly written, and are often cruel and mean-spirited. I found myself editing them heavily as I was reading them to my kids, and after a while I simply stopped reading it.

For instance, in one of the stories, an engine misbehaves and is put away in a tunnel with a brick wall in front of the opening as a punishment. I have no problems with stories that try to teach good behavior and morals, but this was just too much.

I recommend the Thomas books illustrated by Tommy Stubbs instead (like Thomas and the Shooting Star). Those books are beautifully produced and well written.

Excellent new or used.
It would cost a mint to buy every story in paper back or double story hard cover books. I read 1 or 2 stories a night to my son. He loves the book! That says volumes in 1 big hardcover! God bless, Thomas The Tank Engine. ... Read more

Book Description

This rockin', rhythmic railroad adventure celebrates the uniqueness of America and the beboppin', doo-woppin' sound of jazz, from jammin' New York City all the way to New Orleans. With bold, powerful art by the "New York Times" best-selling team of Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, H. L. Panahi's text comes alive with a pulse and beat all its own.

Book Description

Celebrate life’s journeys with The Little Engine That Could! Selling over 60,000 copiesin the first two months on sale, I Knew You Could! provides familiar comfort inchanging times and serves as a wonderful gift that will be treasured for years to come.With inspiring and enlightening words of wisdom, this sweetly nostalgic book is perfectfor graduates of all ages as they make the transition from one phase of life to the next.From "I think I can" to "I knew I could," The Little Engine That Could helps usremember that anything is possible if you put your mind to it! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Rhyming verse combined with inviting illustrations
I Knew You Could!: A Book For All The Stops In Your Life by Craig Dorfman is an enthusiastically recommended picture book based on the beloved classic children's story "The Little Engine That Could." Singsong rhyming verse combined with inviting illustrations by Cristina Ong of a happy and plucky blue engine encourage readers of all ages about the importance of believing in oneself. ... Read more

Book Description

Thomas is going on a special trip to the circus, and there are lots of wonderful things to discover along the way--a beautiful hot air balloon, a playful dolphin, and a barrel of monkeys, just to name a few! Lift and peek behind the many flaps and see the hidden surprises. Preschoolers will want to climb on board with this fun transportation shaped flap book, bursting with treasures on every page! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Not very interesting
I bought this book for my 19 month old son because he is a great fan of Thomas, but it hasn't proved to be a hit with him or with me. There isn't much of a storyline, and it's barely worth lifting the (very small) flaps, as the pictures underneath are mostly uninteresting and tiny. The colours are also a bit strange (Bertie the bus is brown), and the text does not show the personality of Thomas or any of the other characters. In terms of lift-the-flap, books like "Where's Spot" or "Spot Goes to the Farm", with large flaps and clear, colourful pictures underneath are far superior.

Nice book, plenty of windows, a bit short
Just as others have said here - the book is fun for my 2 year old, has lots of flaps, is a bit flimsy, and a bit short. BUT, we knew how long it was from the description and he has loved looking at it over and over again. The windows match up just fine in our copy and perhaps there was a problem in one copy but it is not a consistent problem with this little book.

Thin on content and construction
I was dissappointed by this little book. My two year old loves Thomas, and we certainly support the tank engine and his creators financially, and picked up this little book with a recent order. My son enjoys reading it, but it is a little short, and I must add, is about the thinnest and flimsiest lift-and-peek book that I've ever purchased. The flaps are torn very easily, and don't "match up" very well with the pictures underneath. To be fair, there are many flaps, and my little one does enjoy the book, it just isn't made to last very long, unlike most of the same genre.

one of the best lift-the-flap books made
This is a terrific lift-the-flap book. What makes this book especially good is that when a flap is lifted, the artists maintain the integrity of the scene. For example, in the first two-page spread a mother and son are standing beside a pile of luggage. When you lift the flap to see what is inside the luggage, the top of the flap overlays where the mother and son were withthe same image so that you still see the mother and son as well as the newly exposed luggage contents. That is such a nice touch, and unique in all the lift-the-flaps I've seen (and I've seen puh-lenty!)

Six scenes depict Thomas or his friends at the station, picking up livestock and produce, in farm country, on a bridge, beside the beach, and at the circus. The pages are glossy so they can be cleaned easily, and the flaps are fairly sturdy, though they can be torn off.

Thomas the Tank Engine Hidden Suprises
My 17 month old son loves this book. The lift and peek are much better for this age than pop up because they are more durable. He loves the bright colors of Thomas and his friends and enjoys making the train sounds. He has memorized where the various items are and will lift the cover to show us the picture on request. Wish there were more of this book available. ... Read more

Book Description

"Clear bright illustrations show all the cars of a train bringing the reader the excitement of movement through day and night, country and city."--Booklist. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Choo Choo Boogaloo. A classic for your bookshelf!
My son's first word was "car". The word "train" was not far behind. He loves this book. He has learned the types of train cars and colors from reading this simple and elegant book (board book version). It is a must have for all children who love trains. Mr. Crew's book truck is terrific but nowhere near as colorful and as filled with speed as this book. Highly recommended!

Great Children's Book
My son got this book for Christmas, because I was so tired of hauling it back and forth to and from the library. There's something about the structure of the book that just mesmerizes him--I think it might be the transition from knowledge and understanding of colors and the names of the cars, to movement of the train through the countryside. It may be a boy thing--he's never cared for the highly verbal books his sister enjoyed so much, but wants this book over and over and over and over. One bonus is that it's relatively short, and appealing enough that I don't mind how often I've had to read it. I highly recommend this book, particularly for parents of preschool boys.

PERFECT
This book is the greatest children's book ever created - it was always my favourite. Simple and elegant images tell the story of the freight train. Highly recommended!

A great starter book
My three year old nephew loves "Freight Train"--it's simple enough that he can "read" it--he's learned the names of the different cars and it reinforces color recognition. The illustrations are big and bold and colorful. A winner!

A cornucopia of visual images
Writing a review for of a children's picture book is, as a rule, somewhat difficult. The simpler the text, the harder it is to come up with something new and original to say. I just read Donald Crews's "Freight Train" because it is widely hailed as a good book for children. The story follows a freight train (after carefully identifying each and every car) driving through hill and dale. Each car has a different color, following the classic Roy G. Biv configuration, culminating with the impressive black steam engine. Viscerally, I liked the detail Crews took in illustrating the page presenting this impressive piece of machinery. Every bolt and curve is outlined in a stately violet tone. Meanwhile, black steam created by coal pours and gushes from the train. This is a book about just how impressive the industrial age really is. The speed of the train is praised to no end, colored cars blurring as the engine picks up speed. Going through cities the rainbow carriages stand out against the stately repetitive buildings on the street. For those children entranced by trains (thank-you, Thomas the Tank Engine, et. al), this book encapsulates everything they might want. Reading it over and over again they'll enjoy the colors and train's increase in speed. Reading it over and over again YOU will enjoy the artist's use of color and form, especially taking pleasure in such scenes as the train's blurred deep tones as it disappears into a tunnel. I'll be honest. I've read more interesting books in my day, and if you are purchasing this book for children that couldn't care less about trains, they may not take to this particular story. But there is something to be said for beauty in all its forms. Even, the coal-burning mechanical kind. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Kids love trains, and Kevin Lewis and illustrator Daniel Kirk's Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo will do nothing but encourage the obsession. "Sun's up! / Morning's here. / Up and at 'em, / engineer," cheerfully begins this rhyming picture book. As the simple large-lettered text chugs along, Daniel Kirk brings a child's playroom and train set to life with bold, bright illustrations reminiscent of his work in Bigger. In the course of the book, the toys bustle about to make sure the steam engine is loaded up with freight and finds its way (through the country, 'round the mountains, into tunnels, and across the river) to its destination--the city. There the "sleepy-sleepy choo-choo" rests, right next to a tired little boy, until the next day's work begins: "To theroundhouse/ you are bound. / Good night, engine, / safe and sound." (Baby to preschool) ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Come inside a boy's imagination for some train play!
This is a great rhyming story about a boy's imaginative train play. A young boy has set up a creative train layout in his room: going over the fish tank (bridge), to the freight yard, up mountains, down valleys, etc. His entire room is laid out with track and many of his toys are involved in the layout such as blocks to prop up the track and dolls to lift boxes. As we read the book we see the toys "moving" and doing jobs and the illustrations are such that we are as small as the train and looking out and around as if we were riding the train ourselves. At the end the train is said to go into the roundhouse and the boy is seen sleeping in bed with his locomotive and the track laid out on the floor all around his room! Great imagination!

The text itself is well written and rhyming and just has a great flow to it.

I bought our first hardcover edition right after it was published which was over 3 years ago. My older son has loved this since he was 2 years old and I have read it over and over and over. He is a real train lover and even now at age 5 he loves this book (over many of the other train-themed children's fiction books we own).

The text is not annoying in any way and I truly don't groan when I have to reread it to him several times. My second son has loved this book since infancy. Sadly, after 3 years of handling it finally fell apart and now I am buying a second hardcover edition. I browsed the board book version in a store but was disappointed. The hardcover is a larger size than usual and the illustrations are bold and large. In the board book version some of the illustrations are greatly pared down in size and much is lost. If you own the board version I highly recommend also buying the hardcover edition if your child likes the book. This would make a great gift!

A great rhyming, chime-in read-along about TRAINS!
"Sun's up, morning's here. Up and at 'em, engineer!" After one reading, this became my 2-yr-old son's favorite book. He loves to chime in with the last line of verse on each page. As a train fanatic, he loves seeing all the parts of the toy train and making the Whooo Whooo sounds. As a parent, I find the setting in a child's room (rather than in the outdoors) very refreshing. Morning, naptime, bedtime, we are probably reading this book.

A MUST HAVE FOR ANY BOY OR GIRL AGE BIRTH TO 3
If you're having a baby or if you have a toddler you must have this book. My daughter (age 3) loves it and I love reading it to her. I sit her on my lap and bounce her up and down to the rhythm of Chugga Chugga Choo Choo (and I add extra Chugga Chugga Choo Choo's while I turn the page so that the rhythm never stops).

It's got such a sweet ending, I start drawing out the Chugga Chugga's at the end and yawn "Sleepy Sleepy Choo Choo Till Tomorrow".

The illustrations are adorable. This would be a great shower gift, it's just so much fun to read.

attention getter
I definately think this book deserves five stars! The colors and pictures are so bright and fun they will catch even an adults attention. The words are catchy and repetitive witch is great when your trying to read to busy toddlers or in my case children with special needs. Those of you who know or have children with special needs know that your lucky just to get them to listen to the first five pages. However I got this book at the library and read it to my little two year old brother who has autism and he sat through the whole book and then wanted "more more". The sounds are also good practice for little ones the Choo Choo sound and Whoo Whoo,my little brother who can say very little was running all over the house saying choo choo and whoo whoo. I was very impressed with this book and am going to buy it right away!

My toddler's favorite bedtime book
My 2 year old loves this book! His first word for train was "choo choo!" We enjoy the rhyming ("Sun's up, morning's here, up and at 'em, engineer."), and the whole theme of the toy train and all the toy characters (a la Toy Story) in the child's bedroom. He loves the "whoo whoo" whistle sound the train makes, especially when the train is in the tunnel and you get the echo! It is a little short, as another reviewer states, but hey, so is a toddler's attention span! ... Read more

Book Description

The Big Book of Trains is setting off on a journey to explore the fastest, heaviest, longest, and most fantastic trains in the world. Features more than 50 of the world's most amazing trains, from the Bullet train-the fastest-and the Rocket-the oldest-to the Trans-Siberian Express, the longest scheduled train. Explained in simple language and packed with enough fascinating facts to satisfy every avid young enthusiast. Stunning, specially commissioned photos are reproduced in large format. Detailed annotation highlights the unique features of each example from this incredible international collection. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

a big disappointment
Although I am a huge fan of DK books, and my two boys are huge train fans, this book was a big disappointment. Our family owns many train books for children and I am sorry to rate this the poorest of the lot. I feel this is too high of a price for this book.

The title says it is a big book but what that means is the page size is large and the photos are huge. The huge page size makes it hard to hold up to read aloud to, it works best to lie it flat on the floor or the bed and sit beside it to read it aloud. Many of these photos are published in other/better DK or Eyewitness published books on the subject of trains and railroads (see below) so if you own those books already then this one will be a repeat. (Also note that the DK board book on trains has some of these same exact photos in it.) Many times the photos are gigantic, covering one entire page-and they are ineffective. For example, why would we want to see this huge ½ of the front of a diesel engine? I'd prefer to use the large size of the book and/or the fold out pages to show the full length of the engine (rather than parts of one car) and to show the tender (if applicable) or perhaps use the long page length to show a full train of many cars that are all coupled up to each other.

There is not a lot of text to go with the photo spreads, the font size is rather large. In other words, there is not a lot of text to go with the photos; there are simply large font words with gigantic and large photos. Also note that this book is 32 pages long, so this is not a big book in the sense of containing many pages. Some of the pages fold out for really long and large pages but since these are regular paper stock, our copy quickly was bent and a mess. I feel that any children's book with fold out pages, for the age range of 4-8 should be constructed of heavier stock paper so it will last longer.

I highly recommend meatier books rather than this one, such as DKs "See and Explore Trains and Railways" and "Eyewitness: Train". "Eyewitness Train"... is 64 pages long, has more illustrations and more text. It is a bargain to get so much more in a book that is only a [little] more than DK's Big Book of Trains. Although the publisher states this is for ages 8-12, my two-year old son loves this book and I can partially read aloud from the pages until he wants to turn to another page. I find these books for older children are definitely enjoyed by the younger children. Not only do they contain more text but they contain more images. I also enjoy these more comprehensive books as I can read them myself to learn about the trains and I am prepared to answer the many different questions that my children ask me to answer. It is nice to have these more comprehensive books that are not "dumbed down" and that the children can grow into.

If you have a train lover in the family, you need this book!
This is the first fact-filled non-fiction book my 5 year old ever listened to EVERY word of, including all the many captions! He learned a great deal from our many readings. The pictures are wonderful, and the information given interesting enough that a non-train lover (me) could stand to read it quite a few times. My son loves to amaze people by telling them about the train of the future with no wheels, which he learned about here!

A sterling train guide for all ages.
The "Big Book of Trains" introduces us to 50 of the world's most captivating trains.

From the super-heavy steam locomotives of the early 1800s to the futuristic Maglev ("magnetic levitation," which can move a train as fast as 341 miles per hour), this sterling and oversized volume has them all.

The color photos are large and crisp, and the captions are both informative and dramatic.

Interior shots of, say, the new Italian ETR 500 (which speeds to 190 mph) or one of Japan's renowned Bullet Trains would have been welcomed. (Nearly all of the volume's photos are exteriors.)

Still, this introductory train book is not to be missed. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Wait Until They're Older
While my 2-year-old likes the pictures, the concepts of imagination and fantasy are apparently over his head. He clearly doesn't understand the concept, although he does enjoy the clip of the rhyming text. My advice: wait until your child is a little older before trying this book.

Bound to be a classic
We came across this book by chance at the library. My son is 2 years old and loves trains- this story is so sweet, it's a wonderful make believe. He loves it so much I renewed it 2 times before we broke down and had to buy it for him.

An Imaginative Story
My five-year-old son loves this book and asks me to read it over and over to him. (He's even learning to recognize many of the words.) What I think he loves about it is that Ben uses his imagination to create magical worlds with his toys -- just like what five-year olds do. ... Read more

Book Description

In a brilliant anthology, THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE COLLECTION presents 56 unique Thomas the Tank Engine stories in one volume, promising hours of entertainment.Thomas and his six friends, Percy the Small Engine, Toby the Tram Engine, Edward the Blue Engine, Gordon the Big Engine, Henry the Green Engine, and James the Red Engine, will take you along on fun adventures through the railways.This volume is fully illustrated with over 400 color pictures that have been restored from the original Thomas the Tank Engine series.

Thomas the Tank Engine has been a family favorite for decades.Make sure you keep his spunky spirit alive by sharing Thomas with younger generations. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When a fierce storm rips through the Island of Sodor, a bolt of lightning knocks down a tree--right onto the train station's roof! James the Red Engine, Percy the Small Engine, and Henry the Green Engine are sent off to fetch supplies to repair the damage. When they don't return, little blue Thomas the Tank Engine grows worried, and decides to set out on his own to help. Sure enough, his fears are confirmed: one after the other, the engines have encountered mishaps, and Thomas is happy to save the day. After all, he is a really useful engine.

The adventures of Thomas and his friends, both on television and in books, have won many young devotees over the years. Based on the Railway series by the Rev. W. Awdry, the simple, colorful stories will please Thomas fans, if not literature buffs. Bright idyllic landscapes and a plethora of big-faced trains provide a surreal experience best appreciated by the smallest readers. (Ages 2 to 6) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Good 'Thomas' book for Little Ones
My two and a half year old daughter is just starting to get interested in Thomas and trains, so I looked for a book that would give some background information on Thomas and his friends. This is a pretty good introduction to the Sodor Island Railway and the Engines that are Thomas' best friends. The illustrations in this book are captivating, with enough of a mix of new and familiar to keep a small toddler engaged and curious. The story is very simple and each page has only a few sentences. My daughter loves this book and I am basically happy with it. However, if I had been writing this story, I would have included a little something in the beginning about Thomas doubting that he is really useful. His "really useful"-ness is affirmed at the end when he saves the day, but this affirmation seems meaningless because the author never established uselessness as a problem for Thomas in the start of the story. An older child might feel the story is a little hollow.

Our toddler loves this!
The pictures in this book are very entertaining for our 2 year old son. He sits through the entire story. Any child that loves trains (or cars, trucks, etc) will love this book! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good story, but lacking in comparison
Really, I wish I would have bought the original. Strangely enough we had the original version borrowed from the library in the house when this book arrived. Even my 2 1/2 year old daughter prefers the original. It is so much better. The details are more vivid. The language more interesting. This version isn't bad; it just isn't AS good.

Why abridge a classic?
Just buy the REAL Little Engine That Could with its beautiful poetic lines. Skip the easy-to-read version. Little kids have a greater appreciation for real books than some people give them credit for.

Wonderful Book
All I can say is that I love this book. As a child my mother read me this book over and over. Its message is as inspiring to me now as it was then. I can't say enough how much I love this book. It's a wonderful addition to anyones collection, young and old. Brings me to tears when I read it and think back on my childhood. I don't think I could have gotten through some of those early years without it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Informative and Easy to Understand
My 5-year-old son loves trains and this book has been his favorite library book since he was 3. It is very informative, yet easy to understand for preschoolers through first-graders. I was so happy to find it on Amazon.com so that we can add it to his personal library!

Good Value for the Money
Very neat little book for the buck. Great pictures, which appeals to my 2 yr old now, as well as informative text that will keep him interested as he gets older. A definate plus for the library of a little train lover. ... Read more

Book Description

Nowadays it's no big deal or a girl to travel seventy-five miles. But when Charlotte May Pierstorff wanted to cross seventy-five miles of Idaho mountains to see her grandma in 1914, it was a very big deal indeed. There was no highway except the railroad, and a train ticket would have cost her parents a full day's pay.

Here is the true story of how May got to visit her grandma, thanks to her won spunk, her father's ingenuity, and the U.S. mail.

00-01 CA Young Reader Medal Masterlist and 01 Colorado Children's Book Award (Pic. Bk Cat.)

Reviews (3)

Mailing May - clever, creative, great pictures.
I love Ted Rand's pictures. I'm trying to make a collection of books with his art works, but there are many. Mailing May is one I hadn't read and was delighted. I saw Ted Rand at work during one of the workshops for Children's Writers of the Northwest. He's pleasant as well as talented. I would recommend this book to those who love little children's stories with substance as well as art work.

Nice story, perfect drawings, great book
I chose this book to read to a group of children, ages 2 to 11. They all sat, listening, interested, and loved it! The story is so nice and the drawings are perfect. I think a child doesn't have to "believe it" to believe in the passion behind it. They get it. It was great.

A good story...
This is a touching story of a little girl who can't afford to visit her grandparents. It's set in the early 1900's. Children will learn a little history. They'll enjoy the family's solution to their problem. This is a lovely story. I'm afraid, however, that I enjoyed it a bit more than my children. From their 1990's perspective, the story was a little hard to believe. ... Read more

Book Description

Byron Barton introduces young readers to the excitement of trains in this bold and colorful book. All aboard as the train journeys through a town, past workers repairing a rail and into the station.

... Read more

Reviews (6)

My son's favorite book
This book is great - (...)when I read it aloud, it's kind of fun for adults to read, too. Out of all the books we have, I'd say this book is one of the top 2 my son wants to have read over and over. When we're not reading it, he flips through it on his own and looks at the clearly drawn, colorful, interesting pictures, which have just enough detail without being too complicated. The depictions of different kinds of trains are fairly accurate, too. And the book is a good length - not just a few pages, like some board books, but not so long he loses interest.

A can't lose book for a toddler boy!
My son got this book when he was 18 months old and he LOVES it! It is simple enough to keep his attention and not bore him with too many words. The pictures are perfect. I would ask questions about what he saw in the picture and he would point things out. We counted how many houses, how many trees, how many train cars. We noticed that all the people at the train station were wearing hats, and on the train they were not. I know this book by heart now and I'm not sick of it. My son is now 2 and 1/2 and he still wants to read this book.

Mom of a train lover
My son is 2 1/2 we first discovered Barton's "Trucks" book from our local library. My son loved it to pieces and the librarians were kind enough to let us buy it. I have had to make repairs to the book often as it has been such a prized possession. My son is now very into trains. All his toys are now lined up around the house and have become "choo choo's." I was so excited to find out the same person who wrote and illustrated the "Trucks" book has a book on trains. We got it for my son yesterday. His dad had to read it for him 5 times in a row last night. It was misplaced when it was time for a bedtime story and my son cried. He found it again this morning and has hardly put it down since. It is an instant favorite.

A colorful book for little train fans
My son is a train fanatic. We bought this book for him when he was a year old. He wanted it read to him constantly and before too long, we all knew it by heart! The book has fallen apart after 4 years of constant reading, carrying and as a bedtime companion. We would recommend Trains to anyone who has a child interested in these huge machines! We are going to get another copy of the book for our youngest son.

Where's my train book?!
I gave this book to my 3 year old son shortly before he and my husband were taking a train trip. I thought he would enjoy it since he loves trains so much, but I didn't realize that he would become completely attached to it! He hasn't let this book out of his sight and wants us to read it to him all the time. Since he has memorized the words, he even reads it to himself. Great book for a pre-schooler who is fascinated with trains or for a child who will be taking a trip on a train! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

exceptionally well made board book
My nine-month old loves this book--he spends a lot of time just flipping through the pages and checking out the different textures. Very simple text is balanced by very sturdy, brightly colored pages. Slightly larger than most board books, too. It's a great deal for the price.

Bright bold colors and great textures!
Board book is a terrific book for very young children. My three year old reads it to my nine month old! Graphics and colors are great; use of repeative verse is perfect for the very young, ie. "that's not my train it's ...A must have for a little one's library. ... Read more

Book Description

All aboard for a riveting ride along the rails! Tracks and smokestacks, signals and steam trains, engineers and diesels - all the details that thrill young train enthusiasts are here in this information-packed picture book.With its action-oriented text, detailed, full-color spreads and step-by-step illustrations, this book takes a trip aboard trains from all over the world, and every period of railroad history. Realistic art shows the fascinating detail behind the steam engines of the past, and the sleek outlines of the modern, high-speed French TGV and Japanese bullet trains. A cutaway drawing helps young readers imagine life in a dining car. A reference section at the back of the book includes an illustrated glossary and an index to encourage reference skills and stoke the imagination of any future Casey Jones. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Clear, colorful book at a great value
ordered this book for my almost-3 year old boy who just loves trains- he loved looking at all the pictures! the book is good for children 3 and up, due to it being a fact-based/reference book. my boy will "grow on this" book which is great- that is the purpose of books- have lasting use! very colorful book with big, clear, appealing pictures, much like those from DK Publishing. ... Read more

Book Description

All aboard for a history of America's trains! The hissing steam, billowing smoke, and sleek steel engine of the train have long captured the imagination. In this informative book, a young boy looks back through time to give a guided tour of his family's history on the railroad. Each generation is introduced by a detailed illustration of a train of the era. Facts and anecdotes about trains and the people who make them run follow each showcased locomotive. Discover how steam engines work, learn why a brakeman's job is so dangerous, and even witness a train robbery in this tribute to that nostalgic, enduring, and fascinating mode of transportation--the train. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Trains,Trains,Trains
I checked this book out at the library, and now have to purchase it for a nephew who loves trains. It is a great book that details the history of trains, but adds in a story (a family with many generations working on the trains) to keep the interest of children. Beautiful illustrations with a cat on every page my kids had to find. ... Read more