And the Train Goes...

by William Bee, William Bee (Illustrator)

Overview

Climb aboard for a quirky look at life on a train, chock-full of sound words and sly surprises.

CHUFF-CHUFF, CHUFFERTY-CHUFF...PUFF-PUFF, PUFFERTY-PUFF...

Here’s one train you don’t want to miss! From the stout stationmaster to the chickens a-laying, from a traveling teapot to a chaotic class trip, the clever visual details aboard every teeming car will have readers riding this train again and again. Woo-wooooo!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763632489
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	03/27/2007
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.92(w) x 9.70(h) x 0.36(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

William Bee was born in London but now lives in the English countryside. In addition to writing children’s books, he races a vintage sports car, is an international skier, and when at home tends his lawns and meadows.

Editorial Reviews

PreS-K
Filled with sound effects galore, this rollicking read-aloud is perfect for transportation storytimes. The text moves along with a steady rhythm, describing the passengers who occupy the various cars of a colorful train ("Here is the school class off on a trip, and the children yell, Please, sir, please, ma'am...are we there yet?'") followed by a refrain ("and the train goes, Clickerty-click, clickerty-clack . . . "). The bright retro illustrations look like a 1960s record-album cover. The train and the characters' clothing are depicted in glossy colors and covered with flat floral patterns and other graphic designs. The people's stylized faces are adorned with eyeglasses, freckles, and/or beards and mustaches; surrounded by hair of different shades; and topped with hats of all shapes and sizes. There are many details for children to pore over, like a full tea cart and doily-covered tables for the "ladies off to the races" and the fancy uniforms worn by the "soldiers off on parade." This visually pleasing offering joins a large pantheon of good train titles including Philemon Sturges's I Love Trains! (HarperCollins, 2001) and Donald Crews's Freight Train (HarperCollins, 1978).
—Linda M. KentonCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

"Here is the station all noisy and full, / and the station clock goes, ‘Tick-tock, tickerty-tock . . . '/ and the man in the station office cries, ‘Hurry up! Hurry up! Any more tickets . . . ?' " So begins this charming chronicle of the cacophonous morning departure of an old-fashioned, presumably British train. Fun-to-read-aloud sound effects from engines ("Chuff-chuff, chufferty-chuff"), passengers ("Lovely cake, Doris. Lovely tea, Mabel . . . ") and even chickens keep the linear story chugging along to its finale, when a caged parrot mimics the train's sounds and the passengers' prattle in a lively, rhythmic song. The color-soaked illustrations, in "pen, ink and Macintosh," are wonderfully whimsical depictions of frivolously curlicued railway stations of yesteryear, ornate trains and eccentric passengers, from bespectacled, broom-bearing soldiers to purple-suited businessmen eating boiled eggs. Recurring elements such as a teapot and a few snails reward young readers who take the time to look closely. A fresh, visually arresting read-aloud with a lovely old-time feel. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews