Soothing words and steady rhythm make a solid bedtime story for young listeners who won’t look too closely.
A trip back in time on a train ride across the country.
Sometime in the first half of the 20th century (judging by the clothing and men’s hats), a coal-powered steam engine, pulling both boxcars and passenger coaches, travels overnight across the country. Romano’s rhythmic poem is filled with repeated sounds, internal rhymes, and evocative imagery. “Locomotive roars to life”; “Wheat fields sway their golden greetings.” Some lines are repeated like mini refrains: “straight and speedy,” “chug and huff,” “squeal and creak.” Debut picture-book artist Soon’s digital illustrations have a soothing retro look and color. They include some lovely twilight shading. But they don’t always quite sync with the story. The train first travels west into the sunset. It crosses hills and plains, passes rivers and farms, races stallions, passes through tunnels, and goes over a bridge into a “drowsy town” by the sea where the sun comes up—still ahead of the train. The artist has added passengers, a family of three, all pale-skinned, to the visual narrative. Father and child enjoy a late cafe-car dinner. Mother loses her hat as she looks out from the open platform on the last car. After their arrival, “Worn conductor yawns and stretches.” The yawning figure in the illustration holds a cup of steaming coffee, which he’d better put down first.
Soothing words and steady rhythm make a solid bedtime story for young listeners who won’t look too closely. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-62414-657-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
May try the patience of antsy little ones, though vehicle fans will be delighted.
A cast of critters as impatient as they are colorful yearn for frozen treats.
In a neighborhood occupied by sweet-toothed beasties, the ice cream truck reigns supreme, but a lengthy roster of vehicles must first pass through this animal kingdom—a dump truck, mail truck, and fire truck, to name just a few. Trucks putter through town to onlookers’ delight and disappointment, and spectators bid each one farewell and wish it good luck—all the while dreaming of the delectable goodies to come. Eagle-eyed readers will know when to expect the ice cream truck’s advent, cleverly foreshadowed in the book’s opening spread. While Runyan’s work is pleasing in its simplicity, with characters rendered in bright watercolors and their homes and greenery depicted in appealing collages, Fairbank’s story drags on a shade too long. Though transportation-loving tots will eagerly exclaim over the various vehicles, others will grow frustrated waiting for the titular truck to arrive. Those seeking to incorporate the book into a storytime may want to practice reading this one aloud first, as some of the verses feel a bit clunky.
May try the patience of antsy little ones, though vehicle fans will be delighted. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 29, 2025
ISBN: 9780062842114
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
Traffic jams, it turns out, can be good fun, and children might even learn a word or two.
A genial elementary reader that taps into the electricity generated by Brian Biggs’ Everything Goes: On Land (2011).
This book has been designed to share with very beginning readers, as Bourne’s text amply illustrates in its simple repetitions: “ ‘Woof, woof, woof.’…The dog wags his tail. The dog does not want to stop. The dog wants to see.” Then there is the truck honking—“Honk, honk, honk!”—at the tree that has fallen across the road, causing the traffic jam that is the story’s pivot. Though the text can feel overly purpose-driven, and the words more to be absorbed than befriended, such is not the case with Abbott’s artwork—“in the style of Brian Biggs,”according to the title page—which is amiability itself. The line work is crayon bold, and the color so saturated it is thick as fudge. But there is something else lurking in the illustrations, something Claymation-tangible, which may arouse the urge to bring them home and introduce them to mother. If one of the objects of an early-early reader is to keep the reader focused, this artwork immeasurably helps.
Traffic jams, it turns out, can be good fun, and children might even learn a word or two. (Early reader. 3-5)Pub Date: March 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-195819-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2012
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