Hop on for a swift ride through transportation-themed books. Today’s schedule is not permitting a lengthy post….my apologies!
I don’t often include nonfiction in my toddler storytimes. Finding good nonfiction read alouds for toddlers isn’t always possible. However, given the fascination that very young children have with trains, trucks, planes, and cars, I browsed through our transportation nonfiction section in the hopes of finding great pictures and simple yet appealing text. Once I glanced through All Aboard! A True Train Storyby Susan Kuklin, I knew I had hit the jackpot. These aren’t pictures of the sorry little trains that you may see chugging along railroads. No indeed. This is about five magnificent Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge steam engines. Their route takes them through the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountains; Kuklin’s fantastic photographs allows us to gaze at their power. We see the trains in their garage, admire their fire power, and marvel at the backdrop of the mountains. The text, filled with the appropriate steam engine sounds, carries us through the train’s journey. This is a quick read that will capture the attention of all future conductors.
If you work at a library that’s a day trip from the Richmond International Raceway, you’ll probably count a few race car fans among your patrons. The love of auto racing starts young, particularly in the South, and race car books are extremely popular. Combine race cars with a classic children’s song about transportation, and you have a book that’s guaranteed to be checked out after storytime. Alexander Lane has adapted the lyrics of ‘The Wheels on the Bus” in order to evoke a funny and very competitive car race in The Wheels on the Race Car. A variety of animals race along the track. The engines go vroom-vroom-vroom, drivers steer-steer-steer, race car mechanics go zzz-zzz-zzz, and so on. Lots of room for audience participation, if so desired.
Now, let’s accelerate to the finish line:
-If you’re a Minerva Louise fan, check out Minerva Louise and Her Red Truck.
-Trashy Town is a fun read for a very young group.
-Don’t forget to sing “The Wheels on the Bus!”
We’ve crossed the finish line! Did I bypass any of your favorites?
Books Mentioned:
Kuklin, Susan. All Aboard! A True Train Story. New York: Orchard Books, 2003.
Stoeke, Janet Morgan. Minerva Louise and the Red Truck. New York: Dutton Children’s Books, 2002.
Zane, Alex. The Wheels on the Race Car. New York: Orchard Books, 2005.