For budding train enthusiasts, animal lovers, and nature buffs.
A rousing, rhyming tour of Alaskan wildlife and scenery.
The Alaska Railroad is 120 years old, covers more than 500 miles, and boasts a string of midcentury modern cars, electric blue with gold streaks. At a station labeled “Seward,” a crowd of passengers waits to board, and soon we’re off: “Chugga-chugga, clickety-clack! / Racing down the railroad track.” Racing is replaced by a succession of lively verbs on subsequent spreads: roaring, rushing, rocking, rolling, rumbling, rambling, and rattling. And with every new spread, a new habitat and a new animal are featured: buffalo (aka bison), otter, sheep (with curly horns), moose, porcupines, grizzly bears, caribou. The landscapes are of course spectacular; we’re treated to steep cliffs, boggy meadows, fir and aspen groves, and, finally, a mountain so high that it halts the train. Throughout, the animals have been climbing aboard surreptitiously, until their presence becomes obvious. No predators (grizzly bear aside), just sightseers! They now climb out and, with a few intrepid children, push and pull the train up the impossibly steep track. Their reward: the northern lights spread across the night sky! The conductor and passengers vary in skin tone, and panoramic pictures offer lots of details and extra wildlife for searching eyes to find—especially amid the chaotic detraining in Fairbanks. Like Hartman and Joseph’s earlier collaboration, The Littlest Airplane (2022), this book offers a perfect pairing of big, bright, expressive color illustrations and engaging read-aloud text.
For budding train enthusiasts, animal lovers, and nature buffs. (map, history of the Alaska Railroad, diagram of the train, glossary) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781636550992
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Red Comet Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Not astonishingly go-out-and-buy-it-at-graduation inspirational, but all it takes is one seed of change to be planted.
Imagination soars—quite literally—when a little girl follows her own set of rules.
Every year Oak Hill School has a go-kart race called the Going Places contest. Students are given identical go-kart kits with a precise set of instructions. And of course, every single kart ends up exactly the same. Every one, that is, except Maya’s. Maya is a dreamy artist, and she would rather sketch birds in her backyard than get caught up in the competition. When she finally does start working, she uses the parts in the go-kart box but creates something completely different. No one ever said it had to be a go-kart. Maya’s creative thinking inspires Rafael, her neighbor (and the most enthusiastic Going Places contestant), to ask to team up. The instructions never say they couldn’t work together, either! An ode to creativity and individuality to be sure, but the Reynolds brothers are also taking a swipe at modern education: Endless repetition and following instructions without question create a culture of conformity. Hopefully now, readers will see infinite possibility every time the system hands them an identical go-kart box.
Not astonishingly go-out-and-buy-it-at-graduation inspirational, but all it takes is one seed of change to be planted. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-6608-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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