Steam Train Dream Train

Authors:   Sherri Duskey Rinker

                 Tom Lichtenheld

Genre:   Children’s

Publisher:  Chronicle Books

Pages:   Hardcover

Reviewers:  Virginia Armstrong

                    Tyler Skyler

Rating:

    Story: 6

    Illustrations:  7

    Total:  6.5

               

Steam Train Dream Train is a sleepy time story for youngsters where animals – monkeys, bears, and even a dinosaur load a train with goodies.  It’s a good way to show how different animals (or people) can work and play together, and the value and rewards of teamwork.

Virginia’s take:  The illustrations were great!  Unfortunately the story didn’t hold the attention of five-year old Tyler or his two-year old sister, Sophia.  I found the story to be a little too busy for bedtime, yet the illustrations depicted too much of the night to be anything but that.  Also, the rhyming did not always flow smoothly, which threw the reading off a bit.
 

Tyler’s take:  Tyler liked the story.  He was quite impressed to see the bear driving the train and the dinosaur pulled his attention back into the book.  At the end, the story seems to make more sense to him when he realizes the story is about a boy dreaming about his toy train set.