Railway Jack: The True Story of an Amazing Baboon

by KT Johnston, César Samaniego (Illustrator)

Overview

Jim was a South African railway inspector in the late 1800s who lost his legs in an accident while at work. Unable to perform all his tasks with his disability but desperate to keep his job, Jim discovered a brilliant solution, a baboon named Jack. Jim trained Jack to help him both at home and at the depot. But when the railway authorities and the public discovered a monkey on the job, Jack and Jim had to work together to convince everyone that they made a great team. This inspiring true story celebrates the history of service animals and a devoted friendship.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684460885
Publisher:	Capstone Editions
Publication date:	02/01/2020
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	700,042
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	700L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

KT found history a boring subject in school - but now it's the passion of her writing. She earned a degree in biology and conducted animal behavior studies before switching to a corporate career. After raising two children and several litters of curly-coated retrievers, KT began writing, spotlighting special animals who had affected the lives of everyday people. She and her husband live in Minneapolis where the four-legged members of their family have always been special. KT hopes to inspire others to be curious about the world, one true story at a time.

César Samaniego was born in Barcelona in 1975. He grew up with an artist father, smelling his father's oils, reading his comic books, and trying to paint over his father's illustrations! He attended Llotja Arts and Crafts School and graduated with honors in 2010. Since then he has published many books and provided art for apps, textbooks, and animations. César lives in Canet de Mar, a small town on the coast of Barcelona, with his wife, daughter, five cats, and a crazy dog.

Interviews

A true story about a man, his baboon service animal, and their great friendship; a fascinating look at the inner workings of railway depots in the 1800s; content-rich narrative nonfiction for upper elementary readers; inspiring story of problem-solving and living with a disability; lots of backmatter with photos and additional info on the story, the history of service animals, and baboons; strong industry sales for books about service animals (e.g., Tuesday Tucks Me In and Rescue and Jessica); no other picture books on the market about this true story.

Editorial Reviews

It's a human story, a story of resilience, a story of a dependent relationship and the human/animal connection, and most of all, a story of great friendship.

Kevin Kling

In the annals of service animals, there can be but few to equal Jack, a chacma baboon who operated switches, fetched keys, and performed other complex tasks at South Africa’s Uitenhage train station in the 1880s for Jim, a station attendant who had lost both legs in an accident. . . .Though the story itself is a sunny one, portraying a loving two-way relationship, the discussion questions add necessary balance by bringing up issues of exploitation, keeping wild animals in captivity, and the perils of anthropomorphism.

Booklist

The children you interact with are probably familiar with the idea of a service dog, but have they ever heard of a service baboon? Railway Jack is about a baboon that learned to help a disabled railway worker, but more than that it’s a touching story of a resilient, persistent, and creative man and a loyal and clever primate companion. At the end of the book, author KT Johnston provides a wealth of extra resources that can provide the structure for a lesson on primates, friendship, animal helpers, disabilities, problem-solving, railroads, or any number of topics. The story is extraordinary. It starts with a South African fellow named Jim Wide, who looked like he might have his railroad career cut short when an accident caused him to lose both of his legs below the knee. He figured out how to build a handcart that helped him do a different job at the railyard, but it was still difficult for him to do with the two wooden legs he had fashioned. One day, Jim saw a man who had a baboon with him to help lead his oxen. Realizing how helpful such an animal could be, he made a deal to get the baboon on. At first, he wondered if the baboon, named Jack, would just be more trouble, but he was happy to find that the two of them bonded well and that Jack was able to do things like sweep and pump water. It turns out, Jack could learn to do a great deal more. He could load Jim’s cart on the tracks and push him to work. It’s charming to see the two of them riding down hills together, having a great time. Johnston tells us “He [Jack] was so helpful that Jim came to think of Jack not merely as his assistant, but also as his best friend. It was clear Jack felt the same way. He would sit with his arm around Jim’s neck and stroke Jim’s hand, chattering endlessly.” Jack even learned how to throw the switches for the trains that came, learning from the number of whistle blows which track the engineer wanted. One of the passengers on the train was understandably not too happy to see a baboon running the switches, and complained to management. Here we have the showdown of the story, with the company bosses testing Jack to see if he could actually do the job. I won’t give away all the ending here, but will say it ends happily for both Jim and Jack. This is a charming story with all kinds of funny details that will interest and amuse children—as well as grownups. After the story, Johnston provides more information on what happened to Jim and Jack and includes several photos, which I loved seeing. She also includes information about baboons, a history of service animals, a glossary, discussion questions, internet resources, other books about remarkable animals, and a bibliography. The story is presented in a picture book format with large illustrations and 2 to 4 paragraphs on the pages with text. César Samaniego’s illustrations have a smudgy, coal-suffused feel to them, appropriate to the railyard and effectively conveying the emotions and action of the story.

Owlcation, The 18 Best New Narrative Nonfiction Books for Grades 3-6 - Adele Jeunette

01/01/2020

Gr 3–5—Debut author Johnston focuses on the relationship between Jim Wide, a railway guard and train inspector in Uitenhage, South Africa, in the late 1800s, and his service animal Jack, a chacma baboon. Wide made himself a pair of wooden legs after a work accident left him without the lower portions of his legs. He displayed continuous ingenuity when creating tools to improve his mobility and the capacity to do his job. One day, Wide saw Jack assisting a man with his oxen. Wide purchased Jack and trained the animal to pitch in with the many tasks around his home, help him get around, and ultimately provide aid in some of his rail work duties. Johnston is thorough in explaining the railway process that Jim was required to do. Spanish illustrator Samaniego's digitally rendered images support the text in depicting the mechanics of the train system and portraying details specific to the historical era. Both the art and the narrative steer clear of any anthropomorphization of Jack. Back matter includes photos of Jack and Wide at work, an author's note, information on primates, the history of service animals, discussion questions, and a glossary. Though the book successfully shows people's relationships with service animals and offers a positive portrayal of disability, readers have to get to the end of the book to obtain context about the time period's lack of services for people with disabilities. It also only shows a white population of South Africa. VERDICT A good conversation starter that will need some unpacking.—Danielle Jones, Multnomah County Library, OR

School Library Journal

2019-11-10
Johnston's debut recounts the partnership of English-born railway signalman Jim Wide and his service baboon, Jack, in 1880s South Africa.

After an accident necessitates the amputation of his legs, Jim can no longer inspect the trains at Uitenhage Station. Fortunately, his request for a new task is granted, and he becomes a signalman, switching trains onto different tracks by pulling levers. But getting around is difficult, even after Jim carves himself prostheses and builds a handcart. Jim finds a helping hand in Jack, a chacma baboon, training the animal to push the cart, operate switches, and more. Soon, the hardworking primate becomes not only Jim's assistant, but his "best friend." But when railway authorities discover a monkey at the switch, Jack must prove his reliability in order for Jim to keep his job. Jack's antics are sometimes charmingly (and somewhat disorientingly) humanlike; affection radiates throughout the straightforward text and Samaniego's close, expressive illustrations as the pair share an exuberant cart ride or Jack chatters at a smiling Jim, a hand on Jim's shoulder. Against the eloquent illustrations, the occasional speech-balloon dialogue feels redundant. Most humans, including Jim, present white; South Africa's troubled racial history goes unmentioned. An author's note provides an epilogue, and thought-provoking discussion questions touch on animal rights. Backmatter includes archival photos, a glossary, internet resources, related reading, a brief history of service animals, and a bibliography.

A warm, engaging tale of the bond between a resourceful man and his service animal. (Informational picture book. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews