Big Book Of Trains [Hardcover]

DK Publishing (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 3^-5, younger for reading aloud. The gigantic format is totally appropriate for this book about the huge, powerful, rushing trains that transport people and freight by steam, diesel, and electricity on rails around the world. In the usual DK photo-essay style, with great, big, free-standing, close-up photographs in full color and sharp detail, there are more than 50 trains, from the early steam locomotives in England and the U.S. to today's high-speed bullet trains and monorails, with a dramatic center foldout featuring the Channel Tunnel and the high-speed trains that travel on land and under the sea. In each case, there are captions and small chunks of information about size, weight, stations, tracks, speed, mileage, maintenance, etc., with special focus on the roles of human drivers and computers. The facts are as exciting as the pictures, and the sturdy, inexpensive hardcover book will stand up to the heavy use it will get from readers who want to pore over the details. Hazel Rochman

Product Description

The Big Book of Trains is setting off on a journey to explore the fastest, heaviest, longest, and most fantastic trains in the world. Features more than 50 of the world's most amazing trains, from the Bullet train-the fastest-and the Rocket-the oldest-to the Trans-Siberian Express, the longest scheduled train. Explained in simple language and packed with enough fascinating facts to satisfy every avid young enthusiast. Stunning, specially commissioned photos are reproduced in large format. Detailed annotation highlights the unique features of each example from this incredible international collection.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: DK CHILDREN (October 12, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789434369
• ISBN-13: 978-0789434364
• Product Dimensions: 14 x 10.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #46,801 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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  Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Transportation > Trains

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

107 of 108 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars a big disappointment, April 23, 2002

By	christinemm - The Thinking Mother (Connecticut, United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Big Book Of Trains (Hardcover)

Although I am a huge fan of DK books, and my two boys are huge train fans, this book was a big disappointment. Our family owns many train books for children and I am sorry to rate this the poorest of the lot. I feel this is too high of a price for this book.

The title says it is a big book but what that means is the page size is large and the photos are huge. The huge page size makes it hard to hold up to read aloud to, it works best to lie it flat on the floor or the bed and sit beside it to read it aloud. Many of these photos are published in other/better DK or Eyewitness published books on the subject of trains and railroads (see below) so if you own those books already then this one will be a repeat. (Also note that the DK board book on trains has some of these same exact photos in it.) Many times the photos are gigantic, covering one entire page-and they are ineffective. For example, why would we want to see this huge ½ of the front of a diesel engine? I'd prefer to use the large size of the book and/or the fold out pages to show the full length of the engine (rather than parts of one car) and to show the tender (if applicable) or perhaps use the long page length to show a full train of many cars that are all coupled up to each other.

There is not a lot of text to go with the photo spreads, the font size is rather large. In other words, there is not a lot of text to go with the photos; there are simply large font words with gigantic and large photos. Also note that this book is 32 pages long, so this is not a big book in the sense of containing many pages. Some of the pages fold out for really long and large pages but since these are regular paper stock, our copy quickly was bent and a mess. I feel that any children's book with fold out pages, for the age range of 4-8 should be constructed of heavier stock paper so it will last longer.

I highly recommend meatier books rather than this one, such as DKs "See and Explore Trains and Railways" and "Eyewitness: Train". "Eyewitness Train"... is 64 pages long, has more illustrations and more text. It is a bargain to get so much more in a book that is only a [little] more than DK's Big Book of Trains. Although the publisher states this is for ages 8-12, my two-year old son loves this book and I can partially read aloud from the pages until he wants to turn to another page. I find these books for older children are definitely enjoyed by the younger children. Not only do they contain more text but they contain more images. I also enjoy these more comprehensive books as I can read them myself to learn about the trains and I am prepared to answer the many different questions that my children ask me to answer. It is nice to have these more comprehensive books that are not "dumbed down" and that the children can grow into.

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you have a train lover in the family, you need this book!, December 20, 1999

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

This review is from: Big Book Of Trains (Hardcover)

This is the first fact-filled non-fiction book my 5 year old ever listened to EVERY word of, including all the many captions! He learned a great deal from our many readings. The pictures are wonderful, and the information given interesting enough that a non-train lover (me) could stand to read it quite a few times. My son loves to amaze people by telling them about the train of the future with no wheels, which he learned about here!

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A sterling train guide for all ages., September 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Big Book Of Trains (Hardcover)

The "Big Book of Trains" introduces us to 50 of the world's most captivating trains.

From the super-heavy steam locomotives of the early 1800s to the futuristic Maglev ("magnetic levitation," which can move a train as fast as 341 miles per hour), this sterling and oversized volume has them all.

The color photos are large and crisp, and the captions are both informative and dramatic.

Interior shots of, say, the new Italian ETR 500 (which speeds to 190 mph) or one of Japan's renowned Bullet Trains would have been welcomed. (Nearly all of the volume's photos are exteriors.)

Still, this introductory train book is not to be missed.