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Kirkus
Reviews
As The Goodnight Train traverses la-la land,
the rhythmic chugging and the cadenced clickety-clacking will
eventually lull even the most stalwart child to sleep. So, "Find
your sleepers! Grab your teddy." The train sets
forth over hill and dale, puffing and huffing, embraced by somnolent shades of
blue and purple. Upward through the tunnel, the train rockets around the curve
and toward its destination, choo-chooing all the way as it passes over a flat
plain and through a field of sheep. Gradually, the train begins to slow. At last
the little locomotive pulls into the depot and its occupants sigh and close their
sleepy eyes. The illustrations depict welcoming creatures of all sorts, children
and skunks alike. There is bountiful fun to be had in the journey's creamy hues,
painting fantastic hypnagogic images such as a turtle shoveling cinnamon rolls
and a mermaid applying night cream. The cheerful and rhyming text paired with
the frothy art creates an enchanting trip to dreamland.
(Picture book. 2-5)
Children's Literature
A lovely picture book rich with color, rhyme, and
sound words, this one will be a hit for parents and kids as
a bedtime read. The Goodnight Train rolls through the countryside,
counting down to bedtime, encountering dreamlike characters
and images along the way. The rhythms gently slow down as
the train reaches the station, lulling little ones to sleep.
Parents everywhere will be thrilled to have a fun, fresh alternative
to reading the classic Goodnight Moon, yet again.
School Library Journal
PreS-K-This bedtime story is likely to strike a chord
with young listeners. A gentle, rhyming text intersperses
train noises with a getting-ready-for-bed routine with a railroad-inspired
theme. Brightly colored cartoon illustrations picture children
in their beds being pulled along by the engine. They ride
through tunnels, over bridges, and past fields of sheep. The
words flow fairly well, with only a few minor skips, and the
sounds mixed with bedtime sounds ("Rock-a, rock-a, rock-a,
rock-a-Shhhhhhhhhhh! Shhhhhhhhhhh!") will delight youngsters
and have them chiming in. The acrylic-and-collage artwork
curves around the spreads and encourages page turns. Clever
backgrounds, including a sign that declares, "Dreamland
20 winks ahead," ensure that there is plenty to look
at, and the journey ends effectively with the children asleep
and the words, "Good night, train./Good night." Libraries
in need of more train or bedtime books will find this a useful
and enjoyable addition.-Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library,
Stamford, CT Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
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