Snakes on a Train

PreS-K–Debut author Dennis parodies the suspense film Snakes on a Plane in title only. The adorable snakes on this train are anything but stealthy and terrifying. Flat, wormlike snakes with googly eyes embody bold colors on a white background. Geometric shapes abound in every object and lend an overall impression of sturdiness. Anxious eyes comically peer through a black window as the train passes through a tunnel. Rhyming couplets incorporate a broad but appropriate vocabulary: conductor, switcher, flagger, brakesnake. Kids will enjoy echoing the refrain: “Hissssssssssssssss goes the sound of the train.” The minimalist layout makes this a good choice for very young readers. Deceptively simple, this book covers a lot of ground. A light and breezy read-aloud introduces shapes, onomatopoeia, rhyming, repetition, sequencing, movement, and direction.