Steam Train Ride [Paperback]

Evelyn Clarke Mott (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

A young boy takes a ride on a steam engine train and learns how it works.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-- Christopher, an appealing preschool railroad enthusiast, takes a train ride (without adult accompaniment) and meets the railroad crew. Mott provides a simple explanation for how a steam train works, but her photographs do not always clearly illustrate or amplify the text and may frustrate the mechanically curious. The inside of the engine is all black, and what shows up most is the grandfatherly engineer's white glove. The water tower pouring water into the tender car is another unclear photo; kids may well miss what's happening. The train signals are well explained. The trip itself begins with Christopher buying his ticket, waiting for the train, and meeting the conductor. These shots are much clearer, as they feature the engine from front and side. A blurred photo of the moving train is meant to show speed, but its juxtaposition with Christopher hanging his head out the window does not give any basic awareness of safety; the idyllic farm scenes are lovely, but don't really have anything to do with steam trains or how they differ from other trains. While the reproduction of the full-color photos is excellent and some individual photos are picturesque, the book does not work well as a nonfiction title. This is one ride that young engineers can miss.
- Dorcas Hand, Annunciation Orthodox School, Houston
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Mott's first book is an attractive but otherwise unexceptional documentary account of a winsome preschooler's trip on a train whose one stop seems to be Cherry Hill--''Pop. 17 (More or Less),'' says the sign. Mott's photos are well composed, but--though the engineer shows off the throttle and the firebox- -not clear on technical details; there's a shot of the tender being filled with water, but the tender itself remains a cropped enigma except for a brief description of its function. An acceptable vicarious experience. (Picture book. 3-7) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers (March 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802774520
• ISBN-13: 978-0802774521
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.1 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,404,946 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great story for small fans of trains, July 15, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Steam Train Ride (Paperback)

Our train-obsessed three-year-old likes to read this one over and over. He identifies with Christopher and likes to examine the photographs of the train closely. We have yet to find a book that shows the fundamentals of running an actual (as opposed to illustrated) steam engine as well as this one. He especially likes the water tower and fireman pictures. This book is a great way to show how the real "Thomas the Tank Engines" work. Good basic bedtime (or other-time) story, especially for the train-obsessed. We have since ridden the train depicted in the book, and the excitement was not measurable!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable book, especially for heavy duty train lovers!, May 26, 2000

By 

Suzanne Amara (MA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Steam Train Ride (Paperback)

My 2 boys really enjoy this book, and love all the details of running a steam train. I'm not really sure, however, that kids who are not extreme train lovers would like it as much---there isn't much going on except the viewing of the train and all the train related signs and stations! But there are plenty of big time train lovers out there! We've been to Strasburg, where this is set, and this book makes the boys want to go back!

4.0 out of 5 stars 2 year old likes it, April 30, 2006

By 

R. R. Ernst "rrernst" (Midwest, U.S.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Steam Train Ride (Paperback)

I'm buying this book because I checked out a couple of books for my almost-2 son on trains and this was the one out of the batch that he liked the most. The text doesn't impress me much, but the photos are good and I can paraphrase the text. I add in the noises as much as fits the photos and he is totally engrossed.