Steam Train, Dream Train (board book)

The story is told through freight cars, and the publisher names them: polar bears pack the reefer car with ice cream, elephants fill the tanker cars with paints, tortoises stock the auto rack with race cars, and kangaroos stuff the hopper car with balls while zebras referee. The publisher closes its description by calling the book a must-have for any budding train enthusiast. The publisher describes dreamy illustrations of animals of all shapes and sizes and says the book comes from the team behind Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site. The page also quotes Working Mother saying that each train car of softly colored animals has much to look at and point to, even as eyelids grow heavy, and the publisher calls the book a great family read-aloud.

This is a book for reading at home or on the road. The publisher describes the board book as an unabridged version of the hardcover, with gentle rhyming text meant to soothe and relax, and says its compact, durable board style makes it ideal for travelling and reading on-the-go. The publisher lists 32 pages, a size of 6 by 5.75 inches and an age range of 2 to 4 years. The publisher's description also lists it as a children's book for ages 4 to 8 and for grades K to 3, a wider range than the 2 to 4 years on its Details tab.

It suits a parent or grandparent shopping for a train-themed bedtime book for a child between 2 and 4, the age range the publisher gives. Chronicle also lists a hardcover edition and a deluxe edition for readers who want the larger book, and the Steam Train, Dream Train 1-2-3 and Colors board books for the same age group. The author biography on the publisher's page says Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld have created several books together, among them Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site and Mighty, Mighty Construction Site, so a family that already owns those books will find the same team here. The publisher says that fans of Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site, I Wish You More and Mighty, Mighty Construction Site will also enjoy this sweet bedtime story, written for quiet, sleepy moments. Its author biographies add that Sherri Duskey Rinker lives in the Chicago area, and that Tom Lichtenheld, who lives near Chicago, also illustrated Duck! Rabbit! and I Wish You More, both created with Amy Krouse Rosenthal.

Steam Train, Dream Train: Next Stop, Christmas! by the same author and illustrator is already in this catalogue and is a seasonal companion. Where Do Steam Trains Sleep at Night? is another train bedtime picture book, listed for ages 3 to 7.

Image: National Geographic (Penguin Random House) · source

100 Train Journeys of a Lifetime

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.

Why railfans pick itCheck price on Amazon (affiliate link, opens Amazon in a new tab)

Image: Lorenz Books / Simon & Schuster · source

An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Locomotives

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.

Why railfans pick itCheck price on Amazon (affiliate link, opens Amazon in a new tab)

Image: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers · source

Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo (board book)

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.

Why railfans pick itCheck price on Amazon (affiliate link, opens Amazon in a new tab)