Locomotive (Caldecott Medal Book)

The pictures, history, and the workings of a train and the cars are very informative. The book allows for interpretation without reading the details to a three year old. The 7 year old and the five year old are mesmerized by the pictures of the old west, how the train makes steam to move the wheels, and all of the workers involved in running a train.

This is a wonderful LARGE picture book that is rich with historical detail that will warm the hearts of the reader and the listener or the reader who likes to read aloud to herself on an endless winter day.

The book has phenominal artwork. The story is written in an unusual...somewhat non-linear manner that will make kids think and read the book in a different way. It is filled with good, historical and factual information. I learned a bunch. Strongly recommend it.

Great book with wonderful pictures! My 7 year old nephew loves trains and really enjoys reading this book. He is going through a phase of only reading "real" (non-fiction) books and this was a great book for him.

A wonderfully told story of a rail journey across the early west to re-united a family. Quite simple but very human. What's so special though is the illustrations which are very detailed and with great precision. The steam loco is correct to the smallest oil box! Beautifully drawn and painted. This a book really has earned the Caldecott gold and silver medals.

Tremendous book for anyone why is interested in details about things. Sort of in the style of an "Usborne" book, only not as detailed. My grandson is really into trains, so this was the perfect Christmas Gift!

Two stories are woven into one as the reader learns HOW a locomotive works while enjoying a delightful story. Learning how a toilet works on a train makes it a hit for boys and reluctant readers. There is no wasted space on the pages or cover, every inch shares information.

We were surprised at the depth of information and wonderful photos and images included. This looks to be a promising book for our young man as he matures. He has a great affinity for all things railroad and train related so we expect this book to become a valuable resource that will continue to stir his mind and increase his knowledge on a subject so important to him.

I purchased this for my son for his 4thlunch birthday. The illustrations are awesome and it's very educational as well. I didn't know if he'd sit through it from start to finish because it is a long book, but he does and he absolutely loves it.

I love this book. The illustrations are engaging as is the use of typography throughout the text. It is informative and fun. I bought this book for my nephew who is six. My only concern was that it was too much information but they (he and his dad) read a little bit of the book over a couple nights. When talking to my nephew he relayed to me some of the facts that impressed him which made me smile and decide it was a good choice.

Our family with 3 little ones took the Amtrak train from Granby to Glenwood Springs CO for a weekend of fun. We read the book on the way there and our 6 year old especially liked the part about not using the toilet in the train station ...bathroom jokes are funny at any age.

The illustrations are certainly worthy of praise, but the text is overly long and plodding. It's dreadfully boring to read, and takes ages. My son does like the book because it is about trains, but there are a lot of better train books out there. As a lot of reviewers, I bought this book due to its Caldecott honors, but I've been quite disappointed with it. It has an awkward cadence, and I just dislike the writing style. If it were 1/5th the length I might tolerate it more - hence we only read pieces of it when my son insists on dragging it out.

The illustrations are certainly worthy of praise, but the text is overly long and plodding. It's dreadfully boring to read, and takes ages. My son does like the book because it is about trains, but there are a lot of better train books out there. As a lot of reviewers, I bought this book due to its Caldecott honors, but I've been quite disappointed with it. It has an awkward cadence, and I just dislike the writing style. If it were 1/5th the length I might tolerate it more - hence we only read pieces of it when my son insists on dragging it out.

I bought this for Christmas for my train-loving grandson. Actually decided to hole it until he is a little older. The book is actually recommended for age 4 and up. I was a little too anxious - will wait until he is 4 in June and give it for his birthday.

Great way to teach about US expansion to the west; even to a 4 year old. The medium of steam engines appeals to children and adults and there are diagrams and explinations to keep even "steam engine veterans" interested.

My four-year-old grandson loves trains! While he wasn't quite ready to sit and listen to the text, he spent his time showing us the pictures and telling us his own story. He has done this repeatedly since he received this book. I think it will be a favorite of his for a long time to come. This is a beautiful book and I am so happy I got to share it with him!

This is a beautifully illustrated story, ideal for train lovers. The details and diagrams about the engines left my son fascinated and wanting to look at it again and again. It's also nice for learning a bit of geography and historical context with regard to the transcontinental railroad.