Reviews (8)

My son loves all the pictures
My nearly 3 year old son loves following along with all the pictures as the parts of the train unfold in the book. He knows them all by heart--we got it at the library and kept renewing it. They have a limit on renewals; we're happy to buy it.

Put it in your cart!
You won't be sorry. The text flows in such a rhythm, my 2 year old had it memorized after a few readings. It is a much requested story around here. A must for any little train lover!

Fun for All Ages
My son is almost two. He absolutely loves when I read him this book...over and over again. He even tries to read it with me. The rhyming and repetition keep his attention. He turns each page with great anticipation. He really loves the illustrations and pointing to all the pictures. It's one of his favorites and it's fun for parents to read, too! I HIGHLY recommend this to everyone.

Loads of pleasure for your child
My 16 month old loves this book. He would have us read it over and over again and never seems to tire of the story. The rhtyhm of the words and the simple and bold illustrations make this book an attention getter. As soon as I come home in the evening my son starts "choo-choo" and "clikkity-clak". He loves it.

Great Illustrations
Every child I have given this book to loves it-especially the wonderful illustrations by Donald Saaf-all of his books are illustrated beautifully,but this one is really superb. ... Read more

Book Description

Gordon crashes through the wall of Sir Topham Hatt's new train station. Toby gets washed downstream by a flash flood. Oliver's brakevan, Toad, careens out of control . . . backward! This collection of Thomas the Tank Engine stories is chock-full of runaways and rescues and illustrated with photos from the beloved TV show.
... Read more

Book Description

Be prepared. Reading this book is addictive. Read it once and you have to read it again. Read it twice and you want to read it again. Read it three times--and you know it by heart. Whatever your age, you will find yourself chanting it wherever you go. So get on board this is an unforgettable train ride, and the ticket is in your hand!

Reviews (2)

Jiggle Joggle - fun with words!
My son is almost two and requests this book often! Though he can't pronounce the words very well, he seems to really love the playfulness and repetition of the words. It's a fun book (and a tongue-twister for parents) and a great thing to bring out the silliness in all of us. I'd highly recommend it.

Jiggle joggle jee!
Who says poetry is boring? This is a nice way to introduce little ones to poetry. The illustrations will appeal to babies and toddlers in particular, as will the light-hearted nonsense verse. "Jiggle joggle, jiggle joggle, jiggle joggle jee!" ... Read more

Book Description

Follow your favorite engines around the island–and around the year–to find out what is going on at the station, the fair, the quarry, and more. With lots of flaps on every page, this is one trip that will be taken again and again. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great fun, over 55 flaps for toddlers to discover
My two year old son loves this book. The huge format and cardboard pages are great for toddlers. There are five two-page layouts, each with at least ten flaps each. The flaps are high-quality, two-sided, and are well-attached to endure toddler play. Scene one: Thomas, Annie and Claribel at the station. Scene two: Edward at a fair. Scene three: Percy and the troublesome trucks trying to deliver mail. Scene four: Mavis at the rock quarry [hey, you get to explain rock quarries!]. Scene five: Harold the Helicopter and three different train characters. Old fashioned, tactile fun for toddlers who love Thomas. ... Read more

Book Description

Niccolini is no ordinary night watchman in the train yard. He has a special talent: he can sing overwrought locomotives to sleep. Before long,parents get wind of Niccolini's skill and bring their crying babies, sleeplesschildren, and barking dogs to the rail yard, hoping to soothe them into slumber.But how will Niccolini's gentle song be heard in all this racket? Gorgeouslybrought to life with dramatic oil paintings, Niccolini's Song is music so sweet,and a story so comforting, even the most restless young listeners will drift off to peaceful dreams. ... Read more

Book Description

The New York City Subway system celebrates its 100th anniversary on October 27, 2004, but you can bring the romance of the old subway alive today with the Subway Punch-out Book. The book includes 15 easy-to-assemble punch-out train cars that are modeled after the historic old trains from the New York Transit Museum archives. The cars are printed on full-color laminated paper, with identifying historical information printed on the bottom of each. It's a fun book that sneaks in some fascinating history of America's first subway system, and it's the perfect gift for any New Yorker or New York-a-phile you might know!

Ride the subway down memory lane with pictures of cars such as:

o The classic R32/R38, also known as the Brightliners

o The traditional New York Subway Car that ran on every part of the IRT subway and was known for its speed and reliability

o The famous BMT D-Type, the best-loved and most fun to ride BMT car with its distinctive appearance inside and out

The New York Transit Museum is home to more than 100 years of transit lore and memorabilia. The museum's central facility is housed in an authentic 1930s subway station in Brooklyn Heights. ... Read more

Book Description

Welcome aboard! Travel back in time to join the workers of the Union Pacific Railroad as they pounded west and those from the Central Pacific Railroad as they charged east. They were racing to meet in Utah, and it was high drama all the way. Workers had to burst through rocky outcrops while hanging in baskets and sleep in tents on top of railroad cars or in barracks buried in snow.

Bouncy, short verse highlights the steps it took to finally bring the tracks together, and powerful illustrations capture the landscape and the labor. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Iron Horses--absolutely wonderful!
I absolutely loved this book! The cryptic rhyme is unmatched by any other. Very informative and fun to read! Young and old will enjoy reading this story and learning.

I can't wait to read more work by this author. Way to go Verla Kay! It was absolutely wonderful.

Remarkable! History in rhyme! What could be more fun?
Tight. Spare. Exacting. With great care and skill, author Verla Kay artfully recounts the long, complex, and often confusing story of the building of the transcontinental railway -- in fewer than 200 words! "Railroad barons, Visions, dreams. Thinking, planning, Plotting schemes. Politicians, Congress, vote. 'Build your railroad,' Lincoln wrote." Wow! Even in its simplicity, this book entertains, informs, and makes history come alive. With the help of striking, dramatic illustrations, it shrieks and whistles and pounds and thumps while serving up information in palatable, chewy bites. A welcome introduction to the fabulous adventure that the study of history can be. Kids, as well as stuffy old historians, are bound to love this book!

How the West was conquered by railroads.
This writer manages to tell the maximum story in the minimum words. Art is excellent & fits well with words. Good introduction to railroads. ... Read more

Book Description

Seymour Simon's exploration of these very different trains and their uses, combined with his characteristically eye-catching full-color photographs, captures the beauty and power of steam trains, diesel trains, electric trains, and more -- all at work!

Reviews (1)

An exceptional train book for youngsters
My 3 year old, like many others his age, is obsessed with trains. We regularly go to the library to check out books about trains. We found this one on a recent visit, and it stands heads and shoulders above many of the others I've seen because it is a great balance between the picture books that preschoolers and older children love and non-fiction books that can sometimes be too detailed for children.

Every other page has a photograph of a type of train or part of a train, and the facing pages provide a small amount of text about the subject. There is just enough text to provide basic information plus a little more, but the text is short enough that the entire book can be read aloud to a child in about 5-10 minutes. All types of trains (steam, diesel, and electric) are shown as well as different types of cars.

The photographs are bright, clear, and coloful, so much so that the images approache coffee-table book quality. This book would make an excellent gift. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

uplifting and colorful
I am an english speaking mom teaching my daughter to speak spanish. This book is excellent. The influctions in your voice as you read to the youngster keep her interested. The message is a good moral one. And the pages are colorful and fun. I recommend this one. ... Read more

Book Description

WHOO-EE! WHOO-EE! Wind up the train, set it on the track, and watch it roll through the three-dimensional village.

This delightful pop-up playset includes a wind-up toy train, a sound chip that makes incredibly realistic train sounds, 11 punch-out characters to play with, and a terrific story to get your imaginations rolling. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Cute little novelty
... This little train is so cute. We have had it for about 6 years and break it out every so often. It folds up nicely. You can take it wherever you go.

the whole family loves this little train set
Our toddler loves trains, so we have many railroad-themed books and toys around the house. Choo-Choo Charlie is a favorite with every member of the family. It looks almost like a book sitting on the shelf, but in two simple unfoldings you have a complete little old-fashioned American rural town (circa 1910?) with pop-up buildings and cardboard stand-up characters and a cute wind-up engine and tender that run along the tiny track. I think that alone fascinates our son. He takes it off the shelf, "assembles " it, plays with it, puts it away, and does it all over again -- just for the delight of having a little town appear so magically. A push button outside the station cafe renders realistic train noises, and the inside flaps of the "book" feature a poem about Choo-Choo Charlie and his busy day.

The only problem with the set is that it's made of thin cardboard and our son has already torn many of the buildings up. On the other hand, it is one of the few toys that we will willingly replace because it is so delightful. A charming toy.

Mom to toddler in So. Cal
My 1 1/2 year old loves his Choo Choo Charlie train book. He asks for it every night. His grandparents bought it at a book sale and we have actually worn the little wind up train out with all the use..definately worth the price and I'll be ordering another one immediately.

Choo Choo Charlie
This is one of the best presents my two year old got this year for his birthday! My sister found it during a booksale at her workplace. I'm buying another one because our little guy has played with Littletown so much that the only thing left intact is the train track...I recently repaired the pushbutton "choo-choo" on the pre-recorded electronic box that comes in the middle of this book to our son's delight. He calls for this book by name pratically every night. The reader from Idaho (Nov 99) sums up this fantastic three dimensional storybook toy combination.

Superb entertainment!
Our 2-year-old just loves this little 'town' for the train to ride around. He is just fascinated by it. It's great entertainment and just a terrific concept! ... Read more

Book Description

Diesel 10 thinks that steam engines are useless and that diesels are the Really Useful Engines. Find out how Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends prove him wrong in this delightful photographic Pictureback! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

More like a "Thomas" Nightmare - Not written like the others
We have many Thomas the Tank Engine books and tapes and DVDs of the TV show and from the first page I could tell this book wasn't written like the others. I've come to expect the Thomas stories to have a certain friendly mood but I'd characterize this one as having a "mean" mood. The story also has some strange additions like "magical gold dust" which does fit at all in the Thomas the Tank Engine world created by Rev W. Awdry.

If you are looking for a Thomas book for someone who loves the TV show my 3 year old some loves "Meet Thomas the Tank Engine and His Friends." For me, I'm throwing our copy of "Diesel 10 Means Trouble" away because I can't bear to give this poorly written mean book away and have it read to other children.

Diesel 10
My son was so excited when he listened to this story. He really enjoys it, time and time again. He can't hear it enough. He loves Diesel 10 and this book is completely revolved around him. Good reading for pre-schoolers who like Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.

Thomas and the Magic Railroad: Diesel 10 Means Trouble
The Thomas line is a very good line for young boys. It is had to find good cartoons in this day and age. There are to many things that teach our children thing that do not need to be seen by yound children and Thomas the Tank Engine is not one of those. Thank you to the creator for a holsome thing for my children and all the kids out there.

New Thomas character "Diesel 10" is a hit!
If you've seen the movie, Thomas and the Magic Railroad with your kids-this book is a "must have"! The book follows the basic plot of the movie with alot fewer details. However, the story does a great job of portraying the villian, Diesel 10's mean tricks and the other train's attempts to foil his plans. It's a cute story with a simple lesson that kids can understand. ... Read more

Book Description

Diesel tries to be good, but no one will give him a chance. It is only when Thomas gets stuck in the mud that Diesel gets the chance to prove himself by coming to the rescue in this adorable and heart-warming Pictureback®. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Great book for early readers
I am nine and when I first read this book I liked a lot. It is the perfect book for early readers. I being a fan of Thomas am very fond of it.The book is about when Sir Topham Hatt asks Diesel to help Thomas. Then Diesel gets into trouble. In the end it shows how Diesel really wasn't bad when he helped Thomas out of the mud.

The best so far!
This book is quite possibly my favorite in the Thomas the Tank engine series. The language is a little less complex than in some of the other books, and the length of the book is just right for the patience of a toddler. It is illustrated, as opposed to the photographs used in some of the other books, and the pictures are cheerful and bright. As can be expected from books in this series, "Thomas and the Naughty Diesel" teaches children of all ages a valuable lesson- that sometimes misbehaving feels bad, and that helping a friend in need can be both redeeming and rewarding. ... Read more

Book Description

Outstanding selection of 43 drawings by Swedish art firm Tre Tryckare depicts classic locomotives from 1805 to 1963, including: the English Rocket (1829) and Evening Star (1960); the American Pennsylvania (1863), Matt H. Shay, and Zephyr (1934); numerous others.
... Read more

Reviews (1)

Realistic
My nephews do not like - silly trains - they must be realistic. This book really satisified them.
(ages 4 - 6) ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

Train story about folk hero Casey Jones
I am ashamed to say I didn't know the story of Casey Jones before I read this book, but had heard the name connected with trains. I also did not read this book before reading it aloud to my son. I was kind of shocked at the content but my just turned 4-year-old was just fine with it all and he loves the book. You decide if your child is ready for this story.

This is a true story that took place in the year 1900 in America. To make a long story short, Casey Jones (a Caucasian) was an engineer of a steam locomotive who was never late with his passengers. One night there was a broken down freight train stuck on the track and they were headed right for it, going to collide. Casey realized that he would be killed so he told his fireman (an African American) to jump to save his life. The fireman jumped and lived to tell the tale. Casey pulled the break and the locomotive was smashed to smithereens and he was killed. All the passengers lived and escaped serious harm. Casey is called an American hero because he saved the lives of the passengers and gave his own life to save them.

So my son is fine with this. We had discussed death in the past and he understands the concept of death and that people die. He also understands that crashes/accidents sometimes result in injury or death. When I first read this I was surprised at a picture book for young children containing a story about the death of an engineer. But since he was fine with it and it was a heroic death, I am fine with it as well. My devil's advocate says that sometimes we shelter our children from knowing about death, while another part of me questions at what age they should be exposed to discussions about death.

The only other possibly controversial image and text refers to the western settlers and railroads.."their power brought destruction, the death of a way of life, disaster for the Native American", and shows a Native American sprawled on the ground with eyes closed, as if dead, clutching a rifle. I just have not broached the whole subject with my son yet, I think the whole Native American element and the history of the settlement of the west, is a bit beyond his ability to comprehend, at this age of just turned 4 years old. We are struggling with discussions about war and guns and killing. Some discussions we've had as a result of seeing some commercials on TV with war images have so far resulted in nightmares. I just wanted to let you know about these components so you can decide if this book is right for your child.

The illustrations are fun and cartoon like, as seen on the cover.

EVERYONE NEEDS A HERO!
Everyone needs a hero, and children will surely find one in this robust true story of John Luther "Casey" Jones, perhaps our country's most famous locomotive engineer who died in 1902 with "one hand on the whistle and the other on the brake."

A native of Cayce, Kentucky, "Casey" rose from freight engineer to locomotive engineer. The tall Irish man became well known among railroad men for his trademark whistle "taking its note from a whisper to a screaming Woo...oooh! And back down to a whisper again as he sped through the countryside."

On the night of the fateful crash, "Casey" told Sim, his fireman, to jump and save himself. Sim did, and lived to tell the story of Casey's bravery. It was Wallace Saunders, an engine wiper, who first wrote and sang about "Casey's" life. Later, another took up the tune and it became the stuff of legend.

English author/illustrator Allan Drummond offers an appealing retelling of Casey's story in bouncing rhyme perfectly suited to young eyes and ears. ... Read more

Book Description

Toddlers will find out what Thomas the Tank Engine's favorite color is in

this delightful tale.




... Read more

Reviews (2)

My son loves it!
My apraxic son (2 years old) loves this book! It is the only way that I can get him to say his color words. He needs the simplicity of the pages, plus the motivation of his love for Thomas. Only covers the colors blue, red, green, orange, and white.

Thomas the Tank Engine Colors
This board book is fairly simplistic, and not the most interesting of all the Thomas books my children have. Using some of the engines at the station, basic color principles are shown. Bill and Ben are yellow, as are the rails of the bridge. James is red, as are the flowers in the flowerbox where he is stopped, etc. Unfortunately, there is little else to hold a child's interest once they've memorized that color and repeatedly pointed out the matching objects. There is no real text beyond the color written at the bottom of the page. All in all, not a very appealing Thomas book to budding and interested little minds. ... Read more

Book Description

Discover the story of railroads -- from the days of steam to the high-speed, sophisticated trains of today.

Here is a spectacular and informative new look at the fascinating world of trains. Stunning real-life photographs of steam, diesel and electric locomotives, freight and passenger cars, engines and signals offer an "eyewitness" view of the history and development of railroads. See the oldest steam engine in existence, Queen Victoria's royal carriage, the fastest steam train ever built, a traveling post office, and train tickets from all over the world. Learn how a steam engine works, how early engineers avoided collisions, how railroads were built, the difference between narrow, standard, and wide gauge. Discover the longest railroad in the world, how trains climb up steep hills, which train has no wheels, how the railroads crossed American, how subway systems are built, how a driverless train works, and much, much more. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Fascinating Look at Trains
My four-year-old son and I checked this book out from our local library. The colorful pictures held his attention while I read the interesting facts and figures. The book is arranged so that readers of various ages can all enjoy the wonderful world of trains. We've decided to add this book to our family library. ... Read more

Book Description

Number 4 in the series, this classic story by bestsellingchildren's author, Margaret Wise Brown (author of Goonight Moon), follows thetravels of two trains - one big, one little - as they head down the tracks forTimbuctoo. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Definitely Five Stars!
I am looking for a reading copy of this book, as I fear for the life of my first edition since my two daughters, ages 2 and 4, have discovered it. They don't want to look at it by themselves -- they want me to read it, because this is one of the all-time great books for reading aloud. The pictures are nice, but it's the rhythm that makes the story. When read in the proper spirit, the text sounds like a train going over railroad tracks. The contrasting sounds of the big and small trains help to hold the kids'attention, and best of all, my kids love to make the sounds with me as I read. What kid can resist a hearty "Whooooooo!" or a quiet "wheeeeeee! or a quiet chant of "picketa picketa picketa picketa" for the small engine and a loud chant of "POCKETA POCKETA POCKETA POCKETA" for the big engine? Mine can't. And they're girls who aren't overly excited by trains. They do love music, though, and that's what the rhythm of this book most closely resembles.

Not 5 Stars!
My son is a tried-and-true train fan. He likes the pictures in the book, but I have had to modify the story to keep him interested. The text reads like a mumbled stream of consciouness. I purchased the book based on the 5-star customer rating, and was surprised and disappointed when I received it.

Outstanding!
I have absolutely loved this story from the first time I read it to my son. From the repetition of the story, to the rhythm of the trains, we literally read the cover off this book! I am excited to have found it again, and am ordering one to have on hand to read with my grand children, and my oldest child is only 12. That is how wonderful I think this story is!

An interesting rhythm captivates children 2 to 5 years.
A simple tale of two trains racing from Kalamazoo to Timbuctu.

Ms. Brown has a way with rhythm. Her stories build a tempo with the words, as do other childrens books, but then she breaks it. This captures the attention of young children as no other author has done. Her best known work is Good Night Moon. Yes, they sound like the usual bland works for youngsters, but watch the eyes of a four-year-old as you read it. It's magic! ... Read more