From steam engines to diesel engines and box cars to sleeper cars, a ride on Lynn Curlee’s Trains is about as close as most kids can hope to get to the Japanese bullet train or the inner workings of steam power. This book’s bold, graphic acrylic paintings are a perfect match for sleek, modern engines; dark, dirty locomotives; and the sprawling landscapes of the countryside. Thoroughly researched and very kid-friendly, Trains tells the history of the railroad, and in doing so, the history of America. This stunning book is one part history, one part art gallery, and a truly terrific ride!
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
As in previous works (Brooklyn Bridge; Skyscraper), Curlee illuminates a single subject—this time trains—with stunning, clean-lined illustrations and informative narration. He opens with a romantic reminiscence about the mighty engines that rumbled through his North Carolina hometown. We listened to the rhythmic clickety-clack of their steel wheels against the rails and the plaintive echoes of their whistles dying away as the trains sped through the night. Launching into a chronological account of the evolution of the iron horse, subsequent pages highlight major developments in (mostly American) railroad history, from the first steam engines to run on rails to the high-speed trains of Europe and Asia. Flatly styled and employing limited color palettes, several of Curlee's acrylic paintings will impress and awe readers with ground-up perspectives of trains set against broad expanses of sky or mountain ranges and sometimes put into historical context with people in the foreground. The author leaves readers to ponder whether modern trains, more efficient than their predecessors, may offer a highway into the future for a nation built by the railroads. All ages. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
In a clear, concise, and engaging narrative, Curlee tells the history of railroad technology. That trains have a special allure among transportation devotees is evident in his account of the very first successful run of a steam-powered locomotive in 1825, where cheering crowds, cannons, and a brass band completed the spectacle. The next century, of course, would be dominated by the linked dual expansion of America and its railroads. Curlee succinctly provides revealing details from the Civil War through the Industrial Revolution and into our modern age that place the evolution of railroad technology into historical context. But the real fascination with trains may be because of the visceral reaction they engender. To that end, Curlee’s geometric acrylic paintings do a terrific job of capturing the awe-inspiring physicality of various locomotives and rail-related paraphernalia. They show a draftsman’s command of perspective and scale, but the pictures do not quite impart the crucial element of movement, leading to a slightly static experience. This will be best appreciated by young aficionados looking to gain a deeper understanding of railroad history. Grades 4-6. --Ian Chipman
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