Cars and Trucks and Things that Go

Ooohhhh, just the mere mention of Richard Scarry sends me into a calm reverie!  His pictures are spellbinding and could mesmerize a child into silence.

I encourage young mothers to pick up a copy of Cars and Trucks and Things That Go.  Trust me, you'll thank me whenever you're in the doctor's office, the DMV,  the pharmacy line, etc. Seriously, it's about the only thing left that can actually compete with Angry Birds!  So put it to the test, check it out at your local bookseller, and drop back by to let us know just how much it's saved your peace-of-mind.

And while you're at it, take a look at Richard Scarry's The Best Mother Goose Ever.  It remains our kids' favorite nursery rhyme collection (and believe me, they've seen them all! this is the one they keep coming back to again and again).  

The Mouse and the Motorcycle

Do you know what I remember most about The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary (c. 1965)?  What I remember most is my prim, fourth grade teacher reading a chapter to us each afternoon.  What do I mean by prim?  Think navy orthopedic shoes and a wad of kleenex tucked into a sleeve, belt, pocket, or whatever most convenient spot for retrieval.  I never saw her smile except when she read to us.  Here we were a bunch of fourth graders stinking to-high-heaven of recess.  But she had our undivided attention for that whole chapter.  And what was most surprising to me was how reading this story completely transformed her from the prim, stodgy school-marm into a warm person with emotion and feeling.  I was transfixed with that afternoon alteration.

So, I decided to check out The Mouse and the Motorcycle to read to my little brood.  It's shocking how I don't remember one thing about the story line!  However, it's an entertaining one!  In a tale stock full of mischief and adventure, discover the blossoming friendship between a mouse and a boy.

And tell me readers: was this a drive down memory-lane? or is it a new-to-me read for you?

Iron Horses

Dedicated to all my train-loving readers: Have you ever wandered how the transcontinental railroad was built?  "Transcontinental Railroad?" you ask.  It was the joining of the American west's Central Pacific Railroad to the east's Union Pacific Railroad so that citizens could travel from one coast to the next in a matter of days rather than months.

Discover this train race afresh with Verla Kay's simple rhyming text and Michael McCurdy's signature illustrations in Iron Horses (c. 1999).

Peter Spier's Christmas!

I've found Peter Spier's books difficult to obtain.  However, if you can get your hands on a copy of Peter Spier's Christmas! (c. 1983) -- it's well worth the hassle!

Everyone in my family is riveted by Spier's illustrations that chronicle the cycle of the Christmas season, beginning with empty tree farms and ending with a weather-beaten tree lot.

We forget that this is a wordless book because Spier's illustrations take on a life of their own, telling their story so well.  It's fun to hear the different dialogues the kids come up with as they peruse the book.  The painstaking detail in each illustration begs to be reviewed again and again.

I'm amused by these next few grocery shopping illustrations.  Spier uncannily captures the experience quite accurately.

This book takes on a whole new meaning when you open it as a parent.  I especially love the Christmas Eve sequence and the mound of dirty dishes preceding the satisfaction of a clean kitchen.

The elements on each page are so recognizable; perhaps my strong attachment comes from the personal feeling that Spier depicts my childhood Christmas story.

So as you prepare and decorate during this Christmas season, feast your eyes on Spier's fascinating illustrations.  And have a very Merry Christmas!

The Fire Cat

Don't you just love stories where a naughty protagonist is taken in by a loving individual who nutures the little tyke with care and sound discernment.  That's just the story Esther Averill presents in The Fire Cat (c. 1960).  Averill weaves together a beautiful story of second chances, adoption, and dreams fulfilled.

Her three chapters of pure delight resonates among children and the child within.  Poor Pickles the cat is so aptly named for he's always getting himself into a pickle.  And who could resist a rescuing character named Mrs. Goodkind?  The rescuing theme continues throughout the book with the firemen and with . . . well, I can't give anything away, can I? 

A story beloved by many generations, The Fire Cat remains one of those books that evokes warmth and security by a mere glance of the cover.

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (c. 1939) by Virginia Lee Burton remains a must read for every child.  And you mothers who have requested titles to give your sons -- wrap this one up for his next birthday!  Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel is a book that little boys hang on to until they become big boys, and the big boys read it to their offspring, feasting on the memories it evokes.  If you don't believe me, ask your husband, dad, brothers, uncles, brother-in-laws, etc.  It's a timeless "keeper" that you'll be returning to again and again.  And so our story begins:

Mike Mulligan had a steam shovel,
    a beautiful red steam shovel.
       Her name was Mary Anne.
          Mike Mulligan was very proud of Mary Anne.
              He always said that she could dig as much in a day
                 as a hundred men could dig in a week,
                   but he had never been quite sure 
                      that this was true.

Introduce your children to Mike Mulligan, Mary Anne, the townspeople of Popperville, that winning, ingenious "little boy" of Popperville, and keep this book for generations to come!

More books by Virginia Lee Burton (click on image to read recommendation):

Katy and the Big Snow

If you haven't read Katy and the Big Snow (c. 1943), drop what you're doing, run out to your local library, and check this book out before the kids come home from school!  They'll be turning cartwheels!  Mine absolutely loved it.  We've read it several times, several days in a row, since the time we checked ours out.  I guess it goes without saying, both illustrations and story line prove fascinating.  I guarantee any of your young budding artists or map lovers will pour over it's pages.  Virginia Lee Burton's story opens:

                      Katy was a beautiful red crawler tractor.  
                      She was very big and very strong
                      and she could do a lot of things.

Aren't you just itching to see how it continues?!  Discover how heroic Katy saves the day, and bask in that lovely worded very last line by re-reading it several times over.

I'll feature some more Burton titles in later posts.  Essentially, you'll find that you can't go wrong with books illustrated and written by Virginia Lee Burton.  She has a clever way of juxtaposing progress against nostalgia.  She's not afraid to depict modern, industrial city scenes, while celebrating the values of hard work, friendship, and a simpler time.

Chug a chug a choo chooooo

For this post, I have consulted with my very own personal authority on trains -- hats off to my sister-in-law Tara!  Tara's three boys began their language with train vocabulary.  The eldest's first word was actually the compound word "hub cap" (I guess this is technically car vocabulary, but you see where he was headed.), shortly followed by "coupling," which I had to have defined for me.  Since then, the three have been walking train encyclopedias ~ we're talking about 2 to 3 year olds at the time.

Tara takes it from here:

Our family's love of trains began 9 years ago on our eldest son's first birthday.  He received a small Thomas the Tank Engine train set.  Well, that train set has grown greatly and so has our enjoyment of trains.  It probably helps that all three of our children are boys.  

We were fortunate to have a wonderful librarian in our town's public library.  We asked her about train books, and she opened the door to train literature for us - from the non-fiction picture books to wonderful fiction stories about trains.  Her first recommendation was Puff-Puff, Chugga-Chugga by Christopher Wormell.  The boys loved it so much that we bought it for Christmas that year.  

Another stellar recommendation was the Bill Peet books The Caboose Who Got Loose and Farewell to Shady Glade.  The stories are fantastic with a good lesson for our children, and the illustrations are the best I've ever seen.  To give you an indication, Peet worked with Walt Disney on many movie illustrations, including Dumbo!  

Along the way we have discovered other wonderful trains books.  The Rev. W. Awdry wrote all of the Thomas stories.  For the most part we find them to be very good, however, the British language sometimes throws our boys.  The stories sometimes show the trains dealing with bad attitudes and pride.  A wonderful board book for younger children is Red Train by Will Grace.  The book is helpful with counting and colors.  

The boys all love the Little Golden Book, a gift and recommendation by this blog's writer, The Little Red Caboose.  A list of wonderful train books would be lacking if it did not include the popular Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg.  

Another little known book that we discovered at the local library Steam, Smoke, and Steel:  Back in Time With Trains by Patrick O'Brien is better for the more mature children.  It is a clever book about a boy who wants to drive a train when he grows up.  It goes on to trace back the long family line of train drivers and the way trains were different in the past.  The illustrations are wonderful.  Each page contains a cat that the children can try to find; our boys showed us this.  The historical aspect of trains in this book is very good.  [Suggested reading level 4 - 9]

Happy journey with trains in literature!

Here's a few more for your Train Reading List:

Tara mentioned The Little Red Caboose by Marian Potter ~ tells why children wait to wave at the little red caboose lagging behind at the very end of the train.

The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper illustrated by George and Doris Hauman ~ a true classic!! ~ an excellent story in perseverance, with the familiar adage: "I think I can. I think I can."  Yes, I confess I took this to college with me!  Note: do check out the original illustrations as the publishers have recently updated the illustrations for none the better.

Freight Train by Donald Crews ~ perfect for the beginning train lover!  Also, this was a 1979 Caldecott Honor Winner.

The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit ~ a classic in children's literature and Edith Nesbit's best known work.  When their father is called away, three siblings and their mother move from the suburbs to the English countryside.  The children, lonely at first, discover a railway tunnel where the Station Master befriends them and where their adventures with the neighboring railway begin.  This also makes a great book to give to a family that's moving away.  Suggested reading level: 9 - 12+.

Although, I have yet to read the following books, I'm quite familiar with the authors, so you may want to try them out for additional books to your Train Reading List:  Inside Freight Train by Donald Crews, The Little Train by Lois Lenski, Two Little Trains by Margaret Wise Brown, and All Aboard Trains by Mary Harding.  Readers, what are your children's favorite train books?  Do you have any childhood memories with train books?  Thank you Tara and boys for the train recommendations!