All Aboard the Alaska Train

Starred review from December 1, 2023
Preschool-Grade 2 *Starred Review* Written in brief, buoyant, rhymed verses, this picture book invites children to hop aboard the iconic blue-and-gold Alaska Train for an exciting journey across the state. There's plenty to see through the large windows: buffalo, otters, sheep, moose, porcupines, grizzly bears, and caribou. Children will enjoy trying to identify each one when prompted by the rhyming text: "Chugga-chugga, clickety-clack! / Racing down the railroad track. / Through a narrow mountain pass, / Around the bend, look in the grass! / Moving slow / And built for snow, / A burly, brawny--BUFFALO!" The creatures can soon be found on the train, staring out the windows alongside the amiable passengers. When the train gets stuck on a steep mountainside, some of the people and their animal friends get out and nudge it up the slope. The story ends that evening with a brilliant display of the northern lights, followed by the train's arrival at the Fairbanks station. Hartman, who lives in Alaska, writes about her state in an enticing chain of verse stanzas. Joseph's upbeat illustrations are richly colorful and studded with child-friendly details. It's hard to imagine a more appealing picture book for introducing young children to the varied landscapes and wild animals of Alaska.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2024
A rousing, rhyming tour of Alaskan wildlife and scenery. The Alaska Railroad is 120 years old, covers more than 500 miles, and boasts a string of midcentury modern cars, electric blue with gold streaks. At a station labeled "Seward," a crowd of passengers waits to board, and soon we're off: "Chugga-chugga, clickety-clack! / Racing down the railroad track." Racing is replaced by a succession of lively verbs on subsequent spreads: roaring, rushing, rocking, rolling, rumbling, rambling, and rattling. And with every new spread, a new habitat and a new animal are featured: buffalo (aka bison), otter, sheep (with curly horns), moose, porcupines, grizzly bears, caribou. The landscapes are of course spectacular; we're treated to steep cliffs, boggy meadows, fir and aspen groves, and, finally, a mountain so high that it halts the train. Throughout, the animals have been climbing aboard surreptitiously, until their presence becomes obvious. No predators (grizzly bear aside), just sightseers! They now climb out and, with a few intrepid children, push and pull the train up the impossibly steep track. Their reward: the northern lights spread across the night sky! The conductor and passengers vary in skin tone, and panoramic pictures offer lots of details and extra wildlife for searching eyes to find--especially amid the chaotic detraining in Fairbanks. Like Hartman and Joseph's earlier collaboration, The Littlest Airplane (2022), this book offers a perfect pairing of big, bright, expressive color illustrations and engaging read-aloud text. For budding train enthusiasts, animal lovers, and nature buffs. (map, history of the Alaska Railroad, diagram of the train, glossary) (Picture book. 4-8)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

February 1, 2024

PreS-Gr 2-Rhyming railroad fun until it's done is what this book is all about. Each page begins with onomatopoeia of a train sound, along with a verb that describes how the train moves along the track. "Chugga-chugga, clickety-clack! Rocking down the railroad track." Then the animal identification begins, with the name of the animal (done in large font) set apart from the typed words. A different animal (all of them native to Alaska) is featured on every page and appears to be happy and excited about the railroad adventure. As the train keeps moving along, the animal from the previous page is shown as a passenger, now peeking out the window. Joseph's bright and inviting pictures fill the entire page and are done in a similar style to the books in his "Little Blue Truck" series. People in the story are of varying skin tones. Two paragraphs at the end of the book offer more details about the Alaska Railroad Corporation, followed by a map. The final page features four railroad cars in the Alaska Railroad colors, labeled and defined for readers. VERDICT A cheerful ode to Alaska, its animals, train system, and landscape that is sure to leave readers demanding, "Again!"-Tracy Cronce

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