Jingle the Brass [Hardcover]

Patricia Newman (Author), Michael Chesworth (Illustrator)

Book Description

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

"Climb aboard and ride the point!"

Step back in time to Ruby's rail-yard hash house and put on the nosebag with the boss hogger. He'll tell you he likes his eggs with headlights, but if you want scrambled, just order wreck on the main line. Follow him as he and his ashcat warm up engine number 417 at the roundhouse, give her a drink at the water tower, and then hitch her up to a jigger. Then jingle the brass and ride the point. Soon the rods will be flashing, because now you're railroading!

Rhythmic text and busy, detail-filled pictures make learning train lingo loads of fun in this picture book that transports readers back to the heyday of steam locomotion.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3–Set in 1926, this story is narrated by an engineer who gives a boy the ride of his life on a freight train. Readers vicariously experience the sights and sounds of the journey, from watching the "ashcat" (locomotive fireman) feed "black diamonds" (coal) into the firebox to inspecting the brakes on curving tracks, and, of course, "jingling the brass" (blowing the whistle). The emphasis is on the nuts and bolts of the operation of a steam locomotive as well as on the related slang. There is a glossary at the end, although many of the terms will be understood in context. In fact, the pictures and the text match beautifully, and provide additional clues. The paintings have a quick sketchiness reminiscent of James Stevenson's work; they are packed with details and show a sparsely populated, mountainous landscape. People and machines have lots of movement, personality, and historical flavor. This will be great fun for kids who like trains–and history and colorful language.–Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. The colorful language of a steam-locomotive engineer drives this picture book as a boy joins him for a surprisingly entertaining train trip in 1926. After ordering the lad a "wreck on the main line" (scrambled eggs) and "whitewash" (milk) for breakfast, the garrulous geezer peppers his narrative with similarly picturesque terms for the people, equipment, and tasks of the railway. The "hogger" (engineer) and his new helper take an engine out of the roundhouse, hitch it up to a train of freight cars, and go barreling through the countryside to their destination. By itself, the language might be puzzling at times, but most of the meanings will be clear from the pictures. Train-loving children will pore over the details in the lively line-and-watercolor illustrations, from the bird's-eye view of the railroad yard to the close-ups of the cab to the amusing scene in which hoboes sneak onto the cars and are booted off again. A clearly written glossary serves as a short course on railroad lingo. Good fun for locomotive fans. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (August 26, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374336792
• ISBN-13: 978-0374336790
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 10.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #829,039 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Many people think writers sit in front of their computers sipping coffee waiting for inspiration to strike. My inspiration usually strikes in the car ferrying kids on field trips or driving to music lessons. I do my best to carve out two or three hours in the early morning after my kids leave for school and my husband leaves for work, but it doesn't always work out. After a few hours I have to change hats and work on a volunteer project or drive my kids someplace. In order to eke out another hour or so each day, I taught myself to write on the run. I carry a manuscript wherever I go. If a story needs a bit of research, I take the source with me and makes notes while waiting in the pick-up line at school. I call it power writing.

With the publication of Jingle the Brass, I discovered that public speaking is part of the writing process. My lively presentations are popular with schools and libraries, and I like to give my audience a new appreciation for the rigors of writing and selling a children's book.

Writing for children is the hardest thing I've ever done. The children's publishing field is extremely competitive, but I'm not deterred. I write because I can't imagine not writing. I write for myself and for the kids who read my work. I write for the joy of seeing a kid sitting in the front row at a school visit, hand stretched high to answer my questions. I write for the kid who tells me he's read my books 15 times.

Learn more at www.patriciamnewman.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a fun read!, October 8, 2004

By 

Bethany Schroeder (West Sand Lake, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jingle the Brass (Hardcover)

This book cries out to be read out loud. A very fun, entertaining read. My only regret is that my children are too old to ask me to read it to them time and time again--I no longer have a convenient excuse. Highly recommended for readers of all ages -- and for parents who miss reading out loud to their children. Do it anyway--they'll thank you for it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A little ride with a lotta learning!, April 28, 2009

By 

bookaddict (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jingle the Brass (Hardcover)

My three yr old son and I picked up this book thinking it was just a fun ride with lots of pictures of trains. We started reading and it soon became apparent that this is like a nonfiction book on trains and a historical documentation of oldrailroading slang, not just a simple picturebook adventure.

Every phrase is an unexpected text treat: "Put on the nosebag" (have something to eat) " wreck on the main line" (scrambled eggs) "spoon-feed black diamonds" (shovel coal into the engine) "cornfield meet" (head-on train wreck) All this is the dialogue of the main character, a railroad man who is giving a tour to a young boy having a short train ride, dialogue that gives him character like no descriptive adjectives could do!

We are also treated to detailed overviews of the railyard, all very accurate with labels integrated into the illustrations: "spur track" "round house", and a two page rundown of the different railcars and their cargo. We have a multitude of books on trains, and I think I learned more from this rolicking little tale!

The watercolors are lively and expressive. Very clean and gestural and accurately portray the speed of the train (and the lack of it as it sits on a sidetrack waiting for a passenger car to go by... the opposite of how things work here on Canadian railways!)

Historically it has a few fascinating features such as a two page spread about hoboes taking a free ride on the train. There is so much detail we can see where the hoboes live, the ones climbing the hil to meet the train, two or three in various stages of boarding, several on the train, and parallel "railroad bulls" (train cops) hiding in a freight car, sneaking up on them, booting them off, and we see them landing in the water over a bridge and bing saved by someone in a boat. So much for a small boy to take in, both in actions and culturally.

And when the passenger train speeds by, we are treated to four sepia inserts showing a period girl in the dining car, sleeper, coach and debarking from the train.

Highly highly recommended. You will not grow out of this in one reading.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of fun and informative too., December 1, 2005

By 

J. Anne Riley - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Jingle the Brass (Hardcover)

A definite must for your home library! Kids love the detailed watercolors and the almost-musical text. Who knew railroading slang was so fun? Pretty soon your kids will be asking for their milk as "whitewash" and telling your their "trick is up" at bedtime. Train enthusiast of all ages will enjoy this trip down the main line.