It's Funny Where Ben's Train Takes Him [Hardcover]

Robert Burleigh (Author), Joanna Yardley (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Ben draws a train that takes him to all sorts of wonderful places before returning him to his own bed.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A boy draws a train one night right before bedtime, then climbs aboard for a "magical ride." In his imagination he crosses mountains and rivers, through cities and towns, until he arrives at his final destination, a whistlestop called "In-My-Bed," where "filled with travels,/ And train-wheel hums,/ He'll dream train dreams/ Till morning comes." Burleigh's (Flight) excursion travels a well-worn track. The rhymed couplets never rise above the pedestrian, and the refrain ("It's funny where Ben's train takes him") quickly becomes a tiresome interruption. Yardley's (The Bracelet) watercolors intersperse fantasy and reality somewhat erratically; a few nice touches, such as the star motif on Ben's pajamas echoed on the train's coal car, are overshadowed by the overall stock approach (a "track" created in crayon by the boy repeatedly intersects a realistic rendering of the rails; the fully realized engine chugs onto a patchwork countryside that turns out to be the quilt on Ben's bed). Contrary to the title, readers won't find much humor here. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-Ben draws a train and tracks with his crayons and then climbs aboard for a "magical ride." His imaginary journey takes him through city and country and ends just in time for bed. The short, rhyming verses are punctuated by a catchy refrain: "It's funny where Ben's train takes him." This phrase, however, may be confusing to children who only know "It's funny..." in the comedic sense, not in the more sophisticated sense that Burleigh intends it. Yardley's watercolor illustrations work perfectly with the text to bridge the leap between reality and imagination. Many of the paintings include a piece of Ben's drawing paper, reminding children that this trip is not real. The illustrations include numerous toys-a city is made from wooden blocks, plastic cows graze on a bedspread pasture, and a stuffed rabbit waits in a car at a railroad crossing. The short text, easy-to-grasp plot, and repeated refrain make this a good storytime choice. It will also please young train enthusiasts while encouraging them to take similar trips of their own.
Susan Marie Pitard, Weezie Library for Children, Nantucket Atheneum, MA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Orchard Books (NY) (March 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0531301060
• ISBN-13: 978-0531301067
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,267,188 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Imaginative Story, September 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: It's Funny Where Ben's Train Takes Him (Hardcover)

My five-year-old son loves this book and asks me to read it over and over to him. (He's even learning to recognize many of the words.) What I think he loves about it is that Ben uses his imagination to create magical worlds with his toys -- just like what five-year olds do.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book, November 3, 2004

By 

B. Pettiford "bripaja" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: It's Funny Where Ben's Train Takes Him (Hardcover)

My 2 y.o. son LOVES this book. He loves trains and he gets that the little boy in the story is using his imagination to fantasize where the train goes. It's a bedtime favorite and I highly recommend it.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bound to be a classic, March 8, 2000

By 

Anita M.N. Johnson - See all my reviews

This review is from: It's Funny Where Ben's Train Takes Him (Hardcover)

We came across this book by chance at the library. My son is 2 years old and loves trains- this story is so sweet, it's a wonderful make believe. He loves it so much I renewed it 2 times before we broke down and had to buy it for him.