NOT SO FAST, TOM THUMB

A horse-drawn train faces off against a steam locomotive in Tabler’s book for young readers.

Lucius Stockton is having a lovely opening day on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. It’s Monday, September 20, 1830, and he is running the horse-powered train that delights riders experiencing the new track for the first time. However, he is brought back down to Earth by the appearance of Peter Cooper’s steam locomotive. An onlooker guffaws, “As if a horse could catch a steam locomotive!” Stockton takes this comment as a challenge and arranges for his horse-drawn train to sit alongside the locomotive, called Tom Thumb because of its small size, at an opportune moment. Following a luncheon honoring horse-drawn railroad supporter (and Declaration of Independence signer) Charles Carroll’s 93rd birthday, a crowd of party guests rushes outside to view the locomotive. It isn’t long before someone suggests a race, as Stockton likely intends. The two modes of transportation take off for an exciting contest that leaves readers on the edges of their seats. Stockton knows that steam is the future, but he isn’t ready to give up—and neither is his horse. Will he be able to pull ahead, right when the locomotive is in hot pursuit? As in her previous book, Rats in the White House (2020), the author sheds light on a true but lesser-known historical event through a dynamic story. The stakes are low, as the narrative itself acknowledges, but the race remains exciting in the short term. Tabler’s use of sensory details, like the sound of Mitzie the horse’s pounding hooves and Tom Thumb’s whistle “screaming,” brings the race alive. Antonello’s full-color illustrations are less exciting but serviceable, though the color scheme on one page that renders the horse blue and red is a strange choice.

An engaging story for young fans of history that may be useful in a classroom.