Although trains and train travel might not be as glamorous as it used to be, train books still hold a lot of appeal for toddlers. Here are some books that will get you on the right track:
If you enjoy incorporating audience participation and a variety of funny voices, you’ll want to check out And the Train Goes… by William Bee. “Here is the station all noisy and full, and the station clock goes tick-tock, tickety-tock…” We see the station master calling out, “All aboard who are coming aboard…” the whistle blowing “woo-woo, woo-woo,” and the train going “clickerty-click, clickerty-clack.” Of course, these are all expected noises associated with trains. However, on this train you’ll hear businessmen shouting, “Faster faster! Time is money, time is money,” a few ladies who lunch chattering, “Lovely cake, Doris, lovely tea, Mabel…” and at the end, a station parrot who repeats all the clangs, clatter, and chatter in an empty station. Your younger audience members will get a kick out of this very noisy and silly picture book (and it’s great fun to read aloud).
The power of imagination is the theme of Robert Burleigh’s It’s Funny Where Ben’s Train Takes Him. A fabulous train ride awaits Ben after he steps into his own train picture. Ben’s train takes him past horses browsing on hills, a mountain peak covered with snow, over a river, through a town, among other places. Watercolor illustrations add depth and vibrancy to the gentle text. This is a terrific read aloud, especially if you have an evening storytime.
The fun and anticipation of train watching is evoked in Charlotte Voake’s Here Comes the Train. A father and his two young children await the arrival of a train, which seems to be the highlight of their Saturday morning bike ride. We watch them waiting for the train, meet other folks walking across the bridge (or waiting for the train’s arrival), and finally, see the signal light change to green. “William shouts, ‘Here it comes…HERE COMES THE TRAIN! Louder and louder, nearer and nearer, it comes! Sparks shoot out from its wheels! All the children wave like crazy.” The text is economical, but Voake cleverly captures the simple pleasures of a Saturday morning adventure with Dad. Consider this if you do a “daddies” storytime for Father’s Day.
Books Mentioned:
Bee, William. And the Train Goes…Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2007.
Burleigh, Robert. It’s Funny Where Ben’s Train Takes Him. New York: Orchard Books,
1999.
Voake, Charlotte. Here Comes the Train. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 1998.
Tell us about your favorite train books!
Teresa Walls
I never tire of sharing Freight Train by Donald Crews and Chugga Chugga Choo Choo by Kevin Lewis. Good thing, too, since my son likes to hear them very often.
jschultz Post author
Chugga Chugga Choo Choo is terrific!