An endearing tale of a jovial fellow, trying to do good by the world.
A lovable engineer gets confused and takes a train full of surprises up a mountain.
Granny Bett is feeling blue, so Railroad Hank is a-comin’ to her rescue. But what should he bring to cheer her up? Folk from all around the town give suggestions as Hank and his little red train chug past. Missy May from the Happy Flap Farm says that scrambley eggs always make her smile. Bringing Granny Bett some eggs is a fine idea. But instead of taking the eggs, Railroad Hank loads the chickens onto the train! After all, that is where the eggs come from, isn’t it? And of course, when Cinnamon Cobbler suggests giving Granny Bett a crunchy red apple, Railroad Hank takes the whole tree instead. By the time he makes it up the mountain to Granny Bett, with a string of townsfolk running behind him, his train is about to burst. But that just might be exactly what Granny Bett needs. With a large, rounded chin and kindhearted grin, Railroad Hank’s bumbling nature comes through with affection, not malice. Readers will delight in repeating Hank’s affable reply to each person that he meets: “Okey dokey.” (Impossible not be read aloud in a slow, drawn-out voice.) Plus, the inevitable train sounds will have everyone joining in.
An endearing tale of a jovial fellow, trying to do good by the world. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 25, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-375-86849-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: July 31, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
A thought-provoking tale of growth and change.
The Pumphrey brothers bring their now-signature style to this tale of an old sleigh that, like the vehicles in The Old Truck (2020) and The Old Boat (2021) before it, works hard in a changing world.
As the story opens, readers see a Black-presenting child and parent chopping firewood and loading it into a horse-drawn sleigh against a snowy landscape. “In a small town,” we learn, “an old sleigh gave all it took.” Parent and child deliver the firewood throughout the town, making it “merry and bright.” But the small town grows bigger, and the old sleigh’s wooden body begins to break down. The industrious child turns some of its planks into a new sled and uses it to deliver smaller loads of firewood. In the final pages, readers see that the child’s parent has repaired the old sleigh, which the child, older now, uses to deliver firewood in the “small city” that has sprung up. Some readers may be left with questions: Is the figure driving the sleigh at book’s close the child, now all grown up? And can a city really spring up that fast? On the whole, though, the narrative beguiles as sleigh and sled haul their loads from verso to recto across each scene. The community’s buildings stand out against the snow in reds, greens, and mustards, and the simple and rhythmic text charms.
A thought-provoking tale of growth and change. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781324054122
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Norton Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
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