Two Little Trains

Skillfully designed and composed, Pizzoli’s cheerful interpretation is thoroughly modern and charming. Swoonworthy for train lovers and preschoolers alike.

"Two little trains/ went down the track,/ two little trains went West.// PUFF PUFF PUFF/ CHUG CHUG CHUG/ two little trains to the West." The soothing clickity-clack of the late Brown's verse lulls as effectively as when it first appeared 70 years ago, illustrated first by Jean Charlot, then by Leo and Diane Dillon. This treatment by Geisel Medalist Pizzoli shows the two trains journeying in tandem through tunnels and over bridges. Toylike rubber stamp illustrations offer a grainy, vintage look, the trains' repeated sounds set in outsize, circus poster-style type. Here, the two trains run on the same track--the "little old" engine first; the newer, "streamlined" train, trailing--each headed across the country's vast interior through night and day, rain and snow, and hot sun rendered in faded colors. The trains start over a brick bridge crossing a wide river ("Look down/ look down/ below the bridge,/ at the deep dark river going West"), cross mountains and weather, arrive at an ocean full of origami-like fish, and rest at last in a sunbaked city: "They had come to the edge of the West." Brown's classic offers a beginner's map of the country's geography in a rhythmic journey that can be taken over and over again. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

PreS-Gr 2--First released in 1949 and illustrated by Jean Charlot, this classic story has been reimagined for a new generation with brand new illustrations. Brown tells readers that "Two little trains went down the track, two little trains went West. Puff Puff Puff. Chug Chug Chug." Two different trains--a streamliner and a steam engine--both travel down a long steel track, through a dark hill, over a river, through the rain, through the snow, and on until they reach the edge of the West. Pizzoli's illustrations have the look of sponge painting; stamps and a mix of digital media add texture, vibrancy, and bring the journey to new life. Train lovers will delight in the simple singsong text. VERDICT Toddlers and preschoolers who love trains will delight in the tale while adults familiar with the original book will appreciate the opportunity to introduce it to a new generation.--Kristen Todd-Wurm, Middle Country Public Library, NY