Trains and Railroads Books

The little boy in this story loves trains, and when it's time for bed he chugs his wooden train all around a most elaborate track...under the tunnels under the chairs in the bedroom, around some blocks that might cause a landslide, on a bridge across the river (a fish tank) and onto bed with the tired little boy who settles in with some stuffed animals for the night. It's a soothing and inventive bedtime story, and a pleasure to read aloud.

We have both the board book and the regular book. We love them and read them on a daily basis. Definitely a must for all boys!

BUY THIS BOOK! I received it as part of an educational kit, which sends top quality books once a month. I have since purchased it again because the first copy was loved to pieces by me and my son!

Every morning, he wakes up, goes to his bookshelf to locate this book and carries it to me saying, "Mommy read train book!" And that is how we begin the day every morning, reading this book in "mommy's bed." No matter where I hide this book to try and get him to try another, he finds it and brings it. I performed "book surgery" at least 20 times with packing tape before breaking down and buying a new copy.

The pictures in this book foster vocabulary building and the canter of the text is perfect for keeping the attention of a busy toddler. The story is very sweet and it would work well for bedtime, as the boy is in bed and the story reads, "To the Roundhouse you are bound, goodnight engine, safe and sound." My son delights in pointing to various items in the pictures and saying, "princess," "snail," "boxcar," "birds," "airplane," "pilot," "engineer" and so on. YOUR CHILD WILL LOVE THIS ITEM.

Usually trains and little boys go hand-in-hand but my little daughter recently fell in love with them just like I did when I was small. I got this book to add to her bedtime collection and she LOVES it. I've been asked to read it several times each night since we got it a few days ago.
It follows a little toy train through it's day of hauling freight from the countryside to the city and then off to the roundhouse for the night. She especially likes the train whistle sound that's repeated throughout the story.
Very cute story for bedtime or daytime.

My Son is 2 1/2 now and loves his toy trains. I love that he loves trains because I've got a fascination with trains too (especially steam engines).

As a parent, I know it's important to build a love of reading in my Son. But in order to do so the books have to hold his interest, otherwise he'll just go off to other things or just not pay attention...But the book has to hold MY interest too, or be fun to read aloud, otherwise he'll pick-up on my non-interest (because as any parent knows, toddlers can pickup on our feelings quite easily) and be uninterested as well.

Something I like to do is that when we read together (for the books that he's familiar with) I let him finish the sentences usually having him say the last word in the sentence. This is kind of my gauge for whether he likes the book or not as well because if it's a book he likes we can easily go through it and get almost all the words.

We just got the Hardcover version of Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo and it's already one of my absolute favorite books to read to my Son, and I have to admit the little kid in me loves it to. My Son keeps asking to read it again and again and he's already memorizing words, so I think I can safely say it's one of his favorites too.

This book is a solid winner because it's great for both of us...

For him:
- Lots of vivid images and colors (especially of trains and train cars!)
- Lots of chugga-chugga choo choo and Whooooo whooo sounds that he loves to hear and say
- Fun rhymes that make him want to learn the words

For me:
- Lots of vivid images and colors that capture my imagination and makes me want to make setup a world like that to play in
- All the chugga-chugga choo-choo and whoooo whooo sounds are great fun to say (in-time with the rhymes) and even greater fun to see the big smile on my Sons face
- There's an underlying story of a young boy who's got his whole room setup with trains and the rhymes are told from the boys perspective while he's imagining that world of trains
- The book can be read as a lullaby as the final pages can be read at a whisper because the little boy in the story is off to sleep

Books like this make it easy to instill a love of reading, very highly recommended.

A must-read to share with kids! Freight Train uses simple text and clear illustrations. The book can be very interactive for little ones: count the cars, identify colors, make "whoosh" sounds when the train is in motion and find the smoke from the steam engine. Perfect for toddlers!

I absolutely love this book! We checked it out all the time when I was young, about three to five years old, because I could not get enough of it. I loved the shiny pages, the bright, solid colors, and the different cars on the train. I'd forgotten, until I read the reviews here, that the book had words, but then, that's how I learned the names of train cars. I'm getting this book for my son.

My son loves trains, and he loves this book. I like the way it titles all the different cars, not being a train person myself it has taught me a few things. I like the concepts of the pictures being slightly blurred when the train is moving, b/c we match our train sounds to the speed as we;re reading. It's very delightful, it def deserved the caldecott medal.

My 6-month old loves to read and these pictures are perfect for babies. It's great that it's a board book so that we don't worry about the pages ripping.

This was my son's very favorite toddler book! The story is cute as it follows a train and also is great for teaching colors. Highly recommended!

As I read this book I could almost feel the track clicking below the engine, hear the chuffing of the engine as it labored to pull the cars, listen to the lonesome sound of the whistle as the engineer arrived at the crossing and feel the power as the fireman put the coal to the firebox and the engineer pulled the Johnson bar. All in all a great read and a book that anyone interested in the steam era would read with relish.

One of the most compelling railroad books I've read - the narrative is compelling because of Orr's consistent, insightful commitment to doing his job well and discovering the most efficient way to get his train over the road. Of course hardcore railfans will enjoy this book, but I think students of industrial history and those interested in the way people go about their jobs (a la Studs Terkel/working) will get something out of this book as well.

The detailed descriptions in "Set Up Running" will have you smelling coal smoke. Even though I have been a rail fan for all of my 65 years, was an NYC-PC employee, and I'm a native of Pennsylvania, I learned something new on nearly every page and thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Although "Set Up Running" deals almost exclusively with operations on a PRR branch line, ferroequinologists (students of the iron horse) everywhere will love this book. It has the unique quality of making you wish it would go on forever.

When I read a book or article about railroads it is easy to tell when the writer is over his head. Not here. This book is authentic.

The time covers a great period of growth of steam locomotive development. PRR classes from the old class R through the M1a are run and evaluated. Which one is the engineer's favorite? You might be surprised.

The book is a labor of love. It is human as well as technological. Here you find the enthusiasm of the young man, the confidence of the mature man, and the feelings of being squeezed out of the retiring man. As I finished the book I sat and thought about the family for a long time.

Set Up Running is simply the VERY BEST railroad related book which I have EVER read! If you don't have it GET IT! PERIOD! (PS: I have NO financial interest in this book or any organization/company which sells it). I'm doing YOU a favor by rating this book and advising YOU to get it!)

ceh

This is the most inspirational book I have read in a long time!! Recommended for all ages

I am an elementary school teacher and also the mother of 4. My oldest is graduating from high school this year. After I read this book, I bought several. One for my son and several for his friends. I also sent it to my nephew that is leaving for a mission to Honduras for the next 2 years. It's a perfect book for those that are heading off in new directions in their lives and it gives them advice and encouragement! I love it!

This is a book that follows the I Think I Can Book, about the little train, It is a wonderful book for anyone that needs a little boost of self-esteem, or courage. It is perfect for those that are graduating or who have completed a difficult task in their life. I would recommend it to anyone.

I purchased this book for my daughter. I felt it was the perfect gift for someone who is graduating from high school. The message about tracks taken and/or not taken in life is especially relevant to young adults as they begin to venture out into the world. My daughter thought it was great and she believes the message will be valuable throughout her life.

I read this book to my graduating preschoolers every year. This year I bought a copy for each of my graduates!

My 2-year-old son absolutely adores this book! My husband had to read it to him every night at bedtime for weeks, until we finally wised up and found another equally "exciting" book for him. He has dozens of books in the bookcase in his bedroom and throughout our house, but this is definitely one of his favorites. The story is fun and the illustrations give my son much to look at and mull over. The best part is that when the book is over, my son is ready to go to sleep! :-)

My 2 boys, 5 & 3 years old really love this book. It's an easy, soothing and enjoyable read. It's short enough to keep them captivated, but long enough to tell a story. Nice colorful illustrations. A good bedtime book for any young train lover.

My 3 year old son LOVES trains so we were excited to find a new train book for our bedtime routine. It's a fun story with silly pictures. The train passes through many interesting places on it's way to bedtime. My son enjoys pointing out all the oddities in the illustrations--mostly to draw out the story!

All of my kids love trains and this is a great bedtime story about going off to bed. The pictures are cute and it's not a very long book to read.

My 19 month old loves the pictures and the rhyme. Beautiful pics. A fun one for bedtime.

Jimmy Liao is my favourite illustrator and I was excited to find his book translated into English. I have seen the illustrations before in the Chinese book and enjoyed them on a visual level. However, having the text in English really brought the story to life.

The story is of a young woman who is going blind - it is an exploration of sight and how imagination can compensate for the loss of sight. The ending is inspiring.

This book would be excellent to expose children to a different perspective of the world and also would make a lovely gift for any adult who enjoys detailed and whimsical illustrations.

The reason I bought this book is I rented a movie called "The Sound of Color". It is a movie about a woman who is blind, strong, resourceful and full of joy. In the movie she teaches a man who becomes blind how to live and navigate around the city he once knew. The movie has drawings from the book and I became intrigued. The director of the movie told how he loved the book but it was hard to bring it to film. I disagree with him because his film and the book tells of one persons joy with the world around her even though she becomes blind and can't see it anymore. The beautiful ink and watercolor drawings with the powerful story will show you another way to look at your world and inspire your imagination.

This books is good in English, but I preferred the Chinese version much better. In English, things got a little over simplified, where as they were more complex in Chinese. I recently saw the Chinese version available for sale on the China Books website.
This book is age appropriate for older children to adults, not exactly children. I wouldn't buy it for anyone younger than 10.

Captivatingly colourful and creative illustrations combine with dreamy inner dialogue to carry us along on a journey of reflection, isolation, loss and hope. This book envelopes our whole family and sweeps us away.

With allusions to "The Wizard of Oz," "Alice in Wonderland," and psychologist/anthropologist C. G. Jung, "Color of Sounds" tells teh story of a blind young girl who rides a vast subway network because "I have a journey to go on. There are some thing I need to find." What follows is a remarkable narrative about internal and external discovery, with some of the most luscious and creative illustrations in recent memory.

The girl disembarks at various subway stops (subway illustrations are always panelled strips running across the middle of a two page spread), and climbs colorfully patterned stairs (often reminscent of M.C.Escher) and arrives at archtypal settings: An apple tree sitting Eden-like in a verdant forest, alongside dolphis and atop a whale, a topiary-adorned maze. Jimmy Liao presents his metaphors on both adult and children's levels. While adults may recognize the symbolic conflicts and issues presented by a maze; for example, children benefit from the explicit text: "Sometimes the street twist themselves into a maze.But if you look hard enough, there's always a way out. Other sections may benefit from discussion at an age-appropriate level. At one subway station, there are four trains going in both directions, all filled with people, and all colored differently. THe girl stands between them, "Which is the right one? It's easy to get lost underground."

At his point, she seems to take her own route, riding a kiddie train (decorated with motifs decorated a la Guaguin, Matisse, and others), then abandons the train to a white swan swimming against a cloudy yet luminescent background (a mystically beautiful and serene illustration). She slowly arrives at her answers. "HOme is the place where everything I've lost is waiting patiently for me to find my way back." She realizes that because she "went forward, step by step, into the dark," used her other sense (listening "for the sound of colors I can't see"; smelling the shapes and tasting "the light and dark," and hoping for someone "who'll sit beside me, sip tea, tell me her hopes for the future, and listen to mine." (Here, the two-page spread depicts her sitting on a green oval-shaped chair, surrounded by four rows of empty chairs in various colors, shapes, and sizes.

Towards the conclusion, the young girl encounters a butterfly, whom she believes may offer the answers to her hopes and dreams:

She'll tale me
to the friend I need to find.
She'll lead me to the place
where all the colors are.

she'll bring me back to the light that I lost,
still glowing here, in my heart.

An enormously colorful mosaic of birds, flowers, eyes, and other motifs surround the now smiling girl, when Liao write "in my heart." It's neither saccharine or precious. While the book may be read at many levels, and it simulatneously present many emotions and moods (fear, comfort, solitude, hope, wonder) the overall effect is an almost staggering visual and narrative display of poetry. The undertones can be dark and may even frighten some children (know your audience), but for othos who have begun their own journies of self- and other- discovery, for those who feel lost or have experienced pain, poor health, or disability, this book highlights the fact and ignites thought of possibility and transcendance.

Choo Choo the runaway engine is a delightful story that mesmerizes three to four year old boys who like trains. Our son asks for this volume each night.
As with all of Virginia Lee Burton's books, the illustrations are delightful, here all rendered in charcoal, which is strangely appropriate for the "shiny black engine" at the center of the story.
The story is simple and easily understood by little readers, and they can pick out some words and map them to the illustrations. There is nothing objectionable in the tale, involving an engine who wants to break free of her responsibilities and run away to be the center of attention. Her engineer, conductor, and coal-man all work hard to chase her and bring her back, and she learns the lesson that running away from those who care for you typically ends in disaster.
We bought our edition in London, without the cassette, which strikes me as a bit datted in this CDROM and DVD era.
Highly recommended.

My train-loving son really enjoyed this book many times but we never bought it because it takes a little while to read it. Some nights when you're trying to hurry up the bedtime routines it feels like a very, very long time to read it.

Now at 32 months, he loves it even more. He can recite the entire book page by page. He knows the names of the characters and their jobs. He confirms that the "coal car fell off the bridge onto the barge and now the train derrick picks it up." all the sketches are black and white and quite unique. i recommend this book for all ages, boy or girl.

This book is one of Burton's masterpieces. She wrote and illustrated her books for her son and the reader can tell that she definitely knows what children, especially little boys want in a picture book. This book has been one of my children's favorites and now I am reading it to my grandson. Written 60 years ago it certainly qualifies as a classic!

Awesome classic book. My husband remembers it from his childhood. :) Our three year old loves the story and the pictures. Highly recommend!

My son loved this book from the time he was about 15 months old. The words and the illustrations are simple and catchy. I'm not sure if this one comes in paperback but I highly suggest getting all of the Barton books in the board book style. They are sure to be read over and over!!

This story was kind of boring, not as melodic as some of the other books (Cars is our favorite) but kind of cute. Graphics are somewhat boring too (compared to the others)

My kids love this very cute little book.. They want me to read it to them over and over again. A great book for your little one. Must have!!

This our favotite train book. Love this book for a 1, 2, or even 3 yo. Both my boys love(d) it. We just bought it as a gift.

I was a teacher in early childhood and I love to find new books for my grandson, who is almost 3. At the early level they need simple books both in text and pictures. The Barton books have a very simple text and great pictures and my grandson loves all of them. I always let him choose what books to read and Barton is his favorite since he was 1 1/2. I would recommend all of his books for young children ages 1 to 4. We have read Trucks, Trains, Men at Work, Planes, Airport & Dinosaurs.

Tobin is a train and kids love trains. This little train teaches young children and those with social problems how to make friends. I recommend this book for classes of special education children or those with Asperger syndrome. It's really appropriate for any young child who is beginning to realize the world is a social place and skills are needed to become a member of a group where each person has a role and follows rules.

I am a pre-school teacher. I took this book out at the library because we were studying trains. I had no idea how much it was going to help some of my students. This book helps all kids.

My son with Autism and my son who is on target love this book, it is a great book to help get my sons to discuss proper behavior to make a friend

I am a teacher of children with Autism and use this book in order to help my students' classmates to understand that everyone makes mistakes when they are learing how to make friends. We discuss the mistakes Tobin makes and how the other engines forgive his mistakes because they know he is trying very hard to be a friend. I also read the book to my students section by section as we learn the rules for making friends. This book is wonderful for many populations and can be used in so many ways. Other books by this author are just as wonderful.

I bought this book originally at a Future Horizons and love it so much that I'm donating this one to my sons school. It's a great book for those children that have an awkward time making friends. I highly recommend this book.

This is a great story of the magic that Christmas brings each year.

A dear teacher friend recommended this book and said she couldn't read it to her class without crying! I thought I would be able to read it to my grandson without tearing up, but alas...he had to finish the last few pages! (Much to his delight!) It is such a gentle, tender story. Even when you KNOW what the outcome will be, you can't help but FEEL the emotions the writer conveys so well! Outstanding illustrations put this book in a rare class!

This was a beautiful story written and illustrated. It allows one to discover how people can reach into the hearts of so many with a simple act of kindness. It also reassures children that one does not have to have a lot to change the lives of another. And that dreams do come true.

Karen

I like Chris Soentpiet's book called Silver Packages. The pictures he drew were OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! The book was outstanding! I like the part when the boy is holding his first one in front of the Christmas tree.

If you want to read a great book then read Silver Packages because it will just touch your heart. It all started when no one had anything so every Christmas a man came and threw silver packages out the back of the train. Chris Soentpiet's illustrations are colorful and interesting.