STEAM TRAIN RIDE

Mott's first book is an attractive but otherwise unexceptional documentary account of a winsome preschooler's trip on a train whose one stop seems to be Cherry Hill—''Pop. 17 (More or Less),'' says the sign. Mott's photos are well composed, but—though the engineer shows off the throttle and the firebox- -not clear on technical details; there's a shot of the tender being filled with water, but the tender itself remains a cropped enigma except for a brief description of its function. An acceptable vicarious experience. (Picture book. 3-7)