All Aboard! A True Train Story, by Susan Kuklin

Kuklin, Susan. All Aboard! A True Train Story. Orchard, 2003. 32 pages. $16.99, ISBN 978-0439455831

AGE LEVEL
1 and 2 year olds

GENRE
Nonfiction (Trains)

REVIEW
"Fire blazing / Water steaming / CHUGGA-CHUGGA /  Wheels rolling," begins this exuberant book, which shows in large photographic images the journey of a Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge steam engine through the Colorado Rocky Mountains.  Images are bordered by a track motif, and yellow, green, and red solids form the background -- everything comes together very attractively.  At no more than ten words per two-page spread in enormous text, some repetition of certain phrases, and a lot of onomatopoeia in words/made-up words such as "SQUEAK-SQUEAK", "WHOO-WHOO", and "HISSSSS", this book is perfect for 1 and 2 year-olds.  The book gives the basics of the events during a train's journey, in basic language: "Ring the bell All aboard!" and "Through the town, smoke swirls". This book certainly creates excitement about trains and books, and it is highly recommended for these facts.  However, the pervasive lack of proper punctuation is one slight concern.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING IDEAS
Here is a rhyme to accompany this book during toddler storytime:

          DOWN BY THE STATION 

          Down by the station
          Early in the morning
          See the little pufferbellies
          All in a row

          See the station master
          Turn the little handle
          Puff, puff, toot, toot
          Off we go!