FICTION

Alphabet Trains

by Samantha R. VAMOS
illus. by Ryan O'Rourke. 32p. ebook available. Charlesbridge. Aug. 2015. RTE $14.95. ISBN 9781580895927. LC 2014010487.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 1—A cheerful rhyming text and painterly illustrations created in Adobe Photoshop offer young readers a different train for each letter of the alphabet. The simple language is straightforward without letting the rhyme become cloying: "G is for Glacier Express,/a scenic, alpine glide./H is for Hurricane Turn./Wave a flag to catch a ride." Each train is featured on its own page, allowing the page turns to reveal the next type of train. The book concludes with a spread with factual information on each of the trains depicted, further enhancing the book's appeal to train enthusiasts.
VERDICT Pair this with Donald Crews's Freight Train (Greenwillow, 1978) and Margaret Wise Brown's Two Little Trains (HarperCollins, 2001) illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, for a high-speed storytime.
Reviewed by Lisa Kropp, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
"A is for Auto Train / Load your car on the track." Despite the somewhat uneven text--comprised of short rhymes of descriptive train information arranged alphabetically--vehicle enthusiasts will enjoy learning about the various types of trains (bullet, elevated, freight) and famous route trains (Italy's Leonardo Express, California Zephyr); more information about each is appended. Sunny digital illustrations further the alphabetical theme with cleverly incorporated letters.
 , Aug 01, 2015

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