Casey Jones's Fireman: The Story of Sim Webb (Phyllis Fogelman Books) [Hardcover]

Nancy Farmer (Author), James Bernardin (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1999 | Grade Level: K and up | Series: Phyllis Fogelman Books

The exciting story of a famous train disaster, as told by a two-time Newbery Honor author

In the final years of the nineteenth century, the engineer of the mighty locomotive depends on the fireman to stoke the furnace that runs the engine and supplies steam to the whistle. Sim Webb is proud to be Casey Jones's fireman--because Casey is the best engineer on the Illinois Central, and his is the biggest whistle. But one day Casey and Sim meet a sinister red-headed gentleman who offers Casey an even bigger whistle, an unearthly whistle that Sim knows should not be blown. Can Sim stop Casey from dooming not only the train, but the entire world?

The marvelous text of two-time Newbery Honor winner Nancy Farmer, and astonishingly vivid art of James Bernardin bring a thrilling part of American history and folklore to fire-breathing, steam-belching life. It's a story that will blaze across the reader's imagination and will not soon be forgotten.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It's all aboard for adventure as Newbery Honor author Farmer (The Eye, the Ear and the Arm) produces an exciting blend of history and imagination. Here, readers see the legendary train engineer Casey Jones through the eyes of his fireman, Sim Webb. As fireman, Webb maintains the coal-burning furnace that provides Jones's engine with its steam power. One night Jones meets a shady character who offers him a golden steam whistle for his engine. Said to be made from the angel Gabriel's trumpet, the whistle will require a dangerous amount of steam to blow. When a proud Jones tries out the new whistle (against Webb's advice), heAand his engineAmeet with disaster. Farmer's fully realized portrait of a little-known figure from African-American history will fascinate readers. Narrated by Webb, the account resonates with you-are-there immediacy and emotion. Bernardin (Dancing with the Wind) depicts Webb and Jones as jovial, hardworking young men, but the real stars of these dark-hued dramatic oil paintings are the trains, seen on nearly every page. Showing Jones's Cannonball racing through the inky night, Bernardin seems also to capture the sound of the whistle and the feel of the rushing wind. Children will want to proceed full steam ahead to the dramatic finale. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4-Farmer takes the historical facts of Casey Jones's final train ride and gives the story a Faustian twist. Told in the first person by Jones's African-American fireman, Sim Webb, the tale explains why the Cannonball was traveling at such a high rate of speed on the night of the crash. A stranger who looks suspiciously like the Devil offers Jones a whistle made of seven golden pipes, said to be fashioned from Gabriel's trumpet, which is prophesied to blow on Judgment Day. Jones, with his famous weakness for distinctive train whistles, "borrows" it against Webb's advice. Ordering more steam and speed than is wise, just to make the whistle sound, Jones ignores Webb's warning and rushes toward disaster. He stops shoveling coal and exhorts Jones to look out for lights ahead. The engineer commands his fireman to jump while he stays onboard, hand on the brake. The whistle itself survived the crash to be handed down from trainman to trainman until the day that Gabriel reclaims it. This is dramatic stuff and Bernardin's vivid, painterly illustrations do it justice, with larger-than-life heroes, and the mythic Cannonball hurtling through the night landscape. An author's note presents many facts about the men and 19th-century trains in general. Unfortunately, there are no source notes and readers are left to speculate on which parts of the story are original and which are based in traditional lore. Nonetheless, this is a handsome introduction to the age of steam trains and to two legendary trainmen.
Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Greenwich, CT
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Dial; 1st edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803719299
• ISBN-13: 978-0803719293
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,999,617 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nancy Farmer has written three Newbery Honor Books: The Ear the Eye and the Arm; A Girl Named Disaster; and The House of the Scorpion, which, in 2002, also won the National Book Award. Other books include Do You Know Me, The Warm Place, the Trolls trilogy and three picture books for young children. She grew up on the Arizona-Mexico border and lives with her family in Arizona.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, June 9, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Casey Jones's Fireman: The Story of Sim Webb (Phyllis Fogelman Books) (Hardcover)

This book sings with the cadence of the South and tells a wonderful story in spite of it's dramatic and TRAGIC end. My three year old loves it and has become one of our most requested stories.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, September 14, 2008

By 

Avid Reader (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Casey Jones's Fireman: The Story of Sim Webb (Phyllis Fogelman Books) (Hardcover)

Got this book for my rail fan pre-schooler who knows all the facts about Casey Jones. I thought this would round out what we know of the true story by providing more information about Sim. Very disappointed. This is some weird, angel/devil story (one very scary picture of the devil's face caused me to close the book!) that really has nothing to do with Casey Jones or Sim Webb. It's a good book if you're into heaven and hell, but we're into trains! Not a book for rail fans.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Train Book, July 6, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Casey Jones's Fireman: The Story of Sim Webb (Phyllis Fogelman Books) (Hardcover)

A great book that mixes the story of a legendary folk hero and a supernatural battle between heaven and hell. Nancy Farmer is a great writer and the oil paintings bring the story to life.