Customer Reviews

Freight Train

5 star:		(67)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My 16-month-old son loves trains, and we have read many train books. Freight Train is his favorite (and has been his favorite book for the last two months). The illustrations are spare and clear, use primary colors, and have enough detail that my son finds some new train hardware to point at each time we read the book. As the train moves, its different-colored cars blur together for a nice visual effect.

Simple text describes 4 different types of freight cars, the caboose, the tender and the steam engine. The six basic colors plus black are used for each car and therefore this is an ideal way to teach colors to the little train-lover. Very fast read and my son pleads me to read it again. I don't mind, as this is not aggravating in any way (as some of the board books are). Sturdy board book construction. Great book!

This book has short phrases on each page, and the entire story reads like a non-rhyming poem. I believe that the rhythm of the verses, along with the clear bright illustrations, is what drew my son to this book, even at 10 months old. For his 3rd birthday recently, I made train decorations based on the illustrations in Freight Train. He still enjoys the book and now "reads" it to himself. Preschoolers can easily memorize this wonderful book.

My son got this book for Christmas, because I was so tired of hauling it back and forth to and from the library. There's something about the structure of the book that just mesmerizes him--I think it might be the transition from knowledge and understanding of colors and the names of the cars, to movement of the train through the countryside. It may be a boy thing--he's never cared for the highly verbal books his sister enjoyed so much, but wants this book over and over and over and over. One bonus is that it's relatively short, and appealing enough that I don't mind how often I've had to read it. I highly recommend this book, particularly for parents of preschool boys.

My son's first word was "car". The word "train" was not far behind. He loves this book. He has learned the types of train cars and colors from reading this simple and elegant book (board book version). It is a must have for all children who love trains. Mr. Crew's book truck is terrific but nowhere near as colorful and as filled with speed as this book. Highly recommended!

This is a simple presentation of the different cars on a freight train, with rhythmic text describing each car. It's a better board book than picture book, because for toddlers the bright colors and simple lines are very pleasing, but it might not hold the interest of older readers. This is good for the transition from looking at pictures to understanding stories, especially if the young reader can have exposure to a real train.

Great for teaching colors. We read this book 20 times the first day we got it. I only wish it was available as a board book so it would last longer!

This book for pre-schoolers shows, with only a few words, a colorful freight train traveling down the tracks. Little children, particularly toddlers, love it. It was a 1979 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustrations in a children's book.

This has been my youngest son's favorite book for 5 years. The illustrations get you so close-up to a freight train - you can see the rivets! -- and once the train starts rolling, we make chugga-chugga noises as we turn the pages. The illustration of the train in motion is a thing of beauty. On the last page, we say "gone!" and blow our steam whistles LOUD. This book is so much fun.

My one year olds love this book more than any other right now. The illustrations are very bright and colorful, and the book is fun to read aloud, especially if you add some of your own freight train sounds!