2. Freight Train by Donald Crews

Bibliographic Citation:

Crews, Donald. Freight Train. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books, 1992. 24 p. ISBN 978-0688117016

Awards/Selection Lists:

ALA Notable Children's Book
Caldecott Honor Book

Format Examined:

Paperback

Annotation:
Each type of car that is part of a freight train is named as the train moves down the tracks.

Personal Reaction:
All the colorful cars that are part of a freight train are identified as they move together through tunnels, cities, and across trestles. The cars are connected by couplers and pulled by a big, black engine with steam billowing behind as the train gains speed. The minimal use of words draws attention to the action on the page as the train continues to chug faster and faster, until it chugs right off the last page.

Age Recommendation:

I would recommend this book for children ages 2-4 years.

Themes/Issues:

Trains, colors, transportation

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: Individual letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills: The minimal use of words allows children to use the illustrations to tell the rest of the story.

Phonological Awareness: The authentic sounds of a train are represented by matching text.


Print Awareness: The simple text that identifies each of the freight train cars draws the child's attention to the fact that the words printed on each of the pages.   

Print Motivation: The use of clear line illustrations draws attention to the simple text, making this a fun book that children will want to read over and over.

Vocabulary: The simple text in the beginning of the book focuses attention on the colors and proper names of each train car.  

Author/ Illustrator Website:
No author website.