Night Train [Hardcover]

Caroline Stutson (Author), Katherine Tillotson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Series: Single Titles

A majestic, streamlined locomotive sweeps into the pages of this striking picture book and a little boy climbs aboard for a nighttime journey. Through the countryside and on to the city, passing farms and houses and trucks on the highway, the journey is seen through the wide-open eyes of a child taking his first train trip.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

On an overnight train to see Grandma, a boy traveling with his father takes in the sights and sounds. It's a vintage subject, but Stutson (Prairie Primer A to Z) and Tillotson (Nice Try, Tooth Fairy) mine it astutely. Small sensations and experiences are just as important here as big ones, as they so often are for children: mastering the art of carrying a water-filled paper cup down the rocking aisles receives the same weight as the thrill of speeding through countryside and town. Truncated verse suggests the motion of the train: "Back we go On rattling floors," Stutson writes after the boy has eaten in the dining car, "Car To car Through hissing doors." Her spare tone acts as counterpoint to the glowing lighting and dramatic angles of Tillotson's full-bleed pastels. One of the most telling scenes takes place in the dining car, where the boy is shown wondering at the presentation of an exotic, domed entree; the mirrored surface reflects the server's smiling face. This tribute offers evidence that, when it comes to the romance of train travel, a child's love is here to stay. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

reSchool-Grade 1-A ride that will delight train lovers. A young boy boards one of the passenger cars in the country and readers' first views are of passing meadows and farm animals, bridges and tunnels. Soon, night falls, and the locomotive approaches a city where the scenes become those of apartment buildings and an expressway. Inside, there is also much to be fascinated with, including a meal in the dining car and silver sinks in the bathroom. The rhyming text, "Back we go On rattling floors. Car To car Through hissing doors," adds details while conveying the power and the beauty of the train and the wonder and adventure of an all-night ride as seen through the eyes of a child. The large double-page paintings feature a contrast of colors: warm oranges and browns and greens for the countryside and varying shades of blue and gray for the city. A trip every child should experience, even if only through this story.
Wanda Meyers-Hines, Ridgecrest Elementary School, Huntsville, AL
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Roaring Brook Press (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761315985
• ISBN-13: 978-0761315988
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 10.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,164,349 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All Aboard for a wonderful ride, March 19, 2002

By 

W. FLANAGAN "Dutchgirl-73" (The Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Night Train (Hardcover)

Reading this beautifully illustrated poem about the pleasures of riding a passenger train through dusky country and lit up cities is enough to make one wish to go "all aboard!" The illustrations have a sense of motion, in elongated forms, and slightly out of focus distant viewpoints. The rhythm of the poetry adds to the feeling of the movement of the train. The colors are warm golds and oranges and greens, against cool blues and grays. The magic and romance of a train trip are very much in evidence here; let's hope that the children who read this book will have the chance to experience the reality of train travel as well.