Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo by Kevin Lewis

This book is a treasure. How? Let us count the ways:

1. A train story. Instant love.

2. An eminently repeatable refrain.

3. Magic. In the still of the night, when the world sleeps, the toys awake.

4. Call-and-response. One voice reads “Chugga-Chugga, Choo-Choo,” the other responds “Whistle blowing, Whoooooooo! Whoooooooo!”

5. Simple vocabulary, short sentences. Before long even the youngest will be able to ‘read’ the book.

6. Easy rhyme-scheme, and a rhythm that duplicates the replicating motion of the pistons:

“Sun’s up!
Morning’s here.
Up and at ‘em,
engineer.”

Forward and back, forward and back, carrying the story along.

7. Bold illustrations. Daniel Kirk uses easy-on-the eye primary colors, and shading to create details.

8. Onomatopoeia. The word repeats the sound:
“Chugga-Chugga, Choo-Choo,”
“Whistle blowing, Whoooooooo! Whoooooooo!”
What a fun way to learn the language.

9. Imagination. A building-block bridge over a fish-tank river. Wow! Gives children free rein to imagine and build their own worlds.

10. Perfect blend of word and picture. Enjoy the book