Image: Penguin Random House / Golden Books · source
Golden Books · Budget
A hardcover Little Golden Book classic by Gertrude Crampton, illustrated by Tibor Gergely, about Tootle, a young locomotive who loves to chase butterflies through the meadow but has to learn to stay on the tracks.
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We have not tested it ourselves: strengths and weaknesses below come from the tests cited.
The whole story belongs to a locomotive. The publisher's description says Tootle must stay on the tracks no matter what if he is ever to achieve his dream of being a Flyer between New York and Chicago. Penguin Random House classes it under Children's Classics and Children's Picture Books. Its biography of the author says Tootle has never been out of print, and its biography of the illustrator credits Tibor Gergely with bringing Tootle and Scuffy the Tugboat to life, naming them two of the most popular Little Golden Book characters.
This is a book for the lap or the bedside, not the trackside. The publisher lists it as a 24-page hardcover for ages 3 to 7, with a grade range of Preschool to Grade 2, so it is a short book for a young child. The publisher's page offers a Look Inside preview and an audio sample, and it lists ebook and audio editions under separate tabs, so a parent can sample the text before choosing the hardcover. Nothing on the page ties the story to a real railroad or a particular locomotive type, so it works as a story about trains rather than as a guide to them.
Strengths
Weaknesses
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Pages | 24 |
| Author | Gertrude Crampton |
| Format | Hardcover |
| ISBN-13 | 9780307020970 |
| Age range | 3-7 years |
| Publisher | Golden Books (Penguin Random House) |
| Grade range | Preschool - 2 |
| Illustrator | Tibor Gergely |
A parent or grandparent giving a train-themed picture book to a child between three and seven. It also suits an adult railfan who wants a short, classic story to share with a child in the family. It is not a reference book: a parent who wants real locomotive facts should look at the factual reader described below.
How to Train a Train, by Jason Carter Eaton and illustrated by John Rocco, is a longer hardcover picture book at 48 pages for ages 4 to 8, written as a humorous guide to keeping a pet train. Trains, from the National Geographic Kids Readers series at Level 1, is a 32-page paperback of facts for ages 4 to 6, covering a train in Japan that runs at 361 miles per hour and the world's longest freight train.
Image: National Geographic (Penguin Random House) · source
National Geographic · Mid-range
A National Geographic hardcover that profiles 100 railway journeys around the world, with notes on when and where to go, which cabins to book and what to see off the train.
Image: Lorenz Books / Simon & Schuster · source
Lorenz Books · Mid-range
A hardcover guide to the golden age of train engines by Colin Garratt, with 700 photographs covering the first designs to modern high-speed trains.
Image: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers · source
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers · Budget
A board book by Kevin Lewis, with pictures by Daniel Kirk, that follows a busy toy steam locomotive through a playroom from sunrise until all its freight has been delivered.
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Compare all railway books.
