Time Train [Hardcover]

Paul Fleischman (Author), Claire Ewart (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1991 | Age Level: 5 and up

A class takes a field trip back through time to observe living dinosaurs in their natural habitat.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When Miss Pym's class boards the Rocky Mountain Unlimited on a trip to learn "all about dinosaurs," a seemingly ordinary outing takes a wildly unexpected turn. Fleischman's understated text sets up the illustrations as punch lines in this tongue-in-cheek time-travel adventure. Each stop offers bizarre views as the train carries the youngsters closer to their destination: the sight of a woolly mammoth across the snow-covered tundra signals "that the weather had changed"; giant insects zooming through the train indicate that things "had warmed up a bit." Only Miss Pym's continually startled expression belies the unusualness of the experience as the students make scrambled (dinosaur) eggs and romp with the behemoths on the beach. The larger-than-life train illustrations bring to mind Van Allsburg's The Polar Express , although Ewart's palette, with its vivid blues, greens and golds, has an otherworldly glow. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-- Does the Polar Express rust idly for 364 days a year? Or does it perhaps run off-peak as the Time Train, a.k.a. the Rocky Mountain Unlimited ? A class trip from New York to the Dinosaur National Monument stays on track geographically, but chronologically it's a bit of a surprise. Horse-drawn carriages, Civil War officers, and herds of bison mark the turning back of the clock, accelerated when an Ice Age snowscape and woolly mammoth pass by. The final destination is damp and tropical--but swarming with dinosaurs. With study projects (on live subjects) and play, the days pass--until one morning the train returns to take them home. The text maintains an ironic reserve, never commenting directly on the unusual circumstances depicted. Ewart's warm watercolors brighten the simplified volumes that recall Van Allsburg's style. Young passengers who seasonally line up for The Polar Express should be delighted with a year-round excursion on The Time Train.
-Patricia Dooley, University of Washington, Seattle
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover
• Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books; 1st edition (September 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006021709X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060217099
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,519,018 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Paul Fleischman grew up in Santa Monica, California, the son of children's book author Sid Fleischman. Drawing on history, music, art, and theater, his books have often experimented with multiple viewpoints and performance. He received the Newbery Medal in 1989 for JOYFUL NOISE: POEMS FOR TWO VOICES, a Newbery Honor Award for GRAVEN IMAGES, the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction for BULL RUN, and was a National Book Award finalist for BREAKOUT. He lives on the central coast of California.

For more information, visit paulfleischman.net.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Ticket to Ride, March 14, 2011

By 

Gramma - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Time Train (Paperback)

I was fully satistied with this purchase, but I knew what I was getting before I ordered. My grandson was given an old copy of the book with some pages missing, so we had to find out what we missed. It's not a long book, but very imaginative - it gave us alot to talk about. He loved it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Time Train, September 12, 2009

By 

Christina Harper (SC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Time Train (Paperback)

This book is an exciting read for children. My grandson is 3 yrs old and just loves this book. The pictures are wonderfully done.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for the 3-5 set, July 25, 2003

By 

Nichelle Nelson "rejoice_first_lady" (Cedar Park, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Time Train (Paperback)

The story begins at a train station in New York city. A teacher and her class are going on a field trip to Utah. As they travel further and further from New York, they look out the window and see earlier and earlier periods of time. In Philadelphia, they see horse-drawn carriages and women in long skirts. In Pittsburgh Civil War Union soldiers board the train. By the time they reach Utah, they are in prehistoric times.

I checked this book out of the library after hearing about it on Reading Rainbow. After reading it to my 3 and 5 year olds, I realize that this was really not for their age-group. Too many conclusions must be drawn by looking at the pictures. It left them thinking, "I don't get it." Maybe I'll try again when they're older.