The Train Home

by Dan-Ah Kim (Author) Dan-Ah Kim (Illustrator)

The Train Home
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

When a young girl wishes for a quiet place to call her own, her imagination takes her on a journey to discover the endless possibilities. Author-artist Dan-ah Kim's stunning picture book is an exploration of creativity, family, and the true meaning of home for fans of Carson Ellis's Home and Kobi Yamada's What Do You Do with an Idea?

Nari lives in a rowdy home in a crowded city. She sometimes wishes she lived somewhere else, somewhere quiet that she has all to herself. So when a train rumbles by her window, Nari goes on a journey to find her dream home.

Could it be in a vibrant garden? A colorful coral reef under the sea? Even up among the stars? Hmmm . . . what if those places are too quiet, or so beautiful she wants to share them? Maybe the train can take her back home, where she truly belongs.

Like Dan-ah Kim's debut The Grandmaster's Daughter, The Train Home is an inventive picture book about creativity and imagination. The accessible text is a terrific read-aloud that perfectly complements the stunning and detailed artwork. The Train Home is an irresistible choice for story-time sharing and anyone who has ever let their train of thought wander.

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Hardcover
$19.99

Kirkus

A quiet, imaginative, and tender tale of finding home.

Publishers Weekly

Nari's city household can be a challenging place: "Nari's parents bicker,/ her grandparents chatter,/ and her little sister whines." Readers see East Asian-presenting Nari gazing out her window at an elevated train. Maybe the train can carry her to a quieter place? As the cars rumble past, she boards one, then steps out its doors into a bower overgrown with twining blooms, moths, and other wildlife. In these woods, a child-size nest offers a place to "sleep and dream in the treetops." The next stops see the child visiting a coral reef, a houseboat, a library--scenes portrayed in muted blues, greens, and golds, that, despite their activity, carry a sense of solitary quiet. The subway's chrome siding and vintage signage offer piquant contrast to the lush natural surrounds. When the train carries Nari far into outer space, where "everything is beautiful," she wishes her family were there, and it's not long before she is ready to be back among them. Kim (The Grandmaster's Daughter) affirms the push and pull of life for a city child who loves her family and finds needed sanctuary in the quiet of her own company. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Starred Review

Nari lives in an apartment that's too full and in a city that's too loud. Watching the train rumble by her window, she dreams of taking it someplace quiet just for her: a treetop nest, under the sea, or outer space. But in each place she imagines, she also thinks of which family member would like to see it with her. Nari starts to miss the noise of her family amid the quiet and decides to take the train back home. Even in Nari's quiet times, Kim's illustrations are a riot of color and delicate details; young readers will love to explore the different worlds Nari visits in her imagination. The language is poetic: "Nari's parents bicker, her grandparents chatter, and her little sister whines. Their apartment grumbles with neighbors left and right, above and below." The overall effect is a comforting dream-like world. Nari is East Asian with pale skin and a long, black braid. VERDICT This quiet ode to imagination, the need for quiet, and the reassurance that one can always come back home should be a first purchase for most collections.—Jennifer Rothschild

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes



Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780063076914
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Greenwillow Books
Publication date
April 18, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV051000 - Juvenile Fiction | Imagination & Play
JUV041050 - Juvenile Fiction | Transportation | Railroads & Trains
JUV074000 - Juvenile Fiction | Diversity & Multicultural
Library of Congress categories
Picture books
Imagination
Families
Family life
Belonging (Social psychology)
Belonging

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