Customer Reviews

I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I chose this book to read aloud to my son's preschool class and they loved it! The writing is exciting and the pictures are wonderful. And if you care to look beyond the great writing/illustrations you can explore the bigger themes of empathy and the strong caring for the weak with your child. All and all a fun read for adults and kids that does not pander to either group. I hope to see alot more from this new author-it's a treat to read a children's book that is geared towards kids instead of their parents!(My mom is a 20 year veteran of the public library system in the children's department and agrees that this is a great read!)

I purchased the softcover edition at a book fair a several years ago having no idea how great it would be (it has held up nicely despite "the love" we've shown it). My son is 5 1/2, and we just read it again tonight! This is by far one of his all time favorites, and one of mine too! I can't begin to tell you how many times we've read this book - and "I" never get tired of it either! The book is cleverly written and a joy to read with a lot of expression. "And on the horizon, sure as shellac, was a frieght train freighting down the track, heading straight for the ant walking tickety-tack. Ten tons of iron, coal-pitch black! Now what to do? Think quick! Think, Jack! Before that train and ant go whack! So I grabbed the switch and dropped my sack, pulled with my arms, pulled with my back...." It was also a great book for practice counting - my son loved to count the number of "train coaches" and is always amazed at how many coaches there are. I must also say that this book is remarkably and beautifully illustrated, which goes that much further to make the book so great! I actually am here to purchase a hardcover edition as a keepsake, and it dawned on me to add this review. Buy the book!!

This is one of my faves for preschool storytime reading.

The rhymes are natural, the plot is gripping and the pictures are large and humorous.

If you read to groups of preschoolers - or are doing a unit on insects at your primary school - don't miss this one.

"I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track" is an expertly delivered little tale about a wandering ant in search of a snack and the concerned switchman who interrupts his lunch to try to save him from an oncoming train. The poem-- enthrallingly rythmic and vibrant-- would alone capture the attention of children (and their parents), but the dynamic, colorful illustrations infuse the story with even more drama and playful energy.

Over the years I have read many books to my children ages 5 and 3 and this one is by far our favorite EVER. The story is very well written, very exciting, and my favorite part is that the story flows so well that you can use your voice to create even more excitement. You really find yourself rooting for the wrongway ant on the wrongway track.

We found this book in a bookstore and bought it for the train theme (our son loves trains), but keep going back because it's funny, fun to read, has tongue twisters, and is all about saving this ant from a train on the track - so it has a good message (helping those weaker than us, not hurting an ant) to boot. It's not preachy though, the message is just a perk to a fun book that has a lot to talk about with a child. But mostly it's just more "fun" and savvy than a lot of kids' books!

Perfect bedtime read for my 6 and 3 year old boys. We consume huge stacks of library books each week, and I keep a list of our favorites. When considering gifts for their cousins (same aged boys) I scanned the list and this one stood out among all the other books we loved. Catchy fun ryhme, wonderfully expressive illustrations inviting kids to recognize emotion on the faces of others, creativity in the art and words to engage the mind, and a good message of caring, all wrapped up into just plain FUN.
Wonderful.

THis book has become one of his favorites. The pictures and story are great for 3 yr olds.

Great book! Awesome illustrations! Fantastic, catchy rhythm to the words! Easy and fun to read for both children and adults! Excellent story about the importance of all of God's creatures, great and small!

We were at the library and my 2 year old son picked up this book.
We brought it home and he couldn't get enough of it. The pictures are great, the whole book rhymes well and the plot is gripping. We were reading it every night.
We returned the book a month ago and even now my 2 year old son constantly talks about this book. He has memorized it completely. He does not understand some of the words but he understands the story and recites the book word for word. I will buy this book so he has his own copy.