Picture Book Review - Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña

Hey friends! A lot has happened in the kidlit world since last I posted - namely, the Youth Media Awards (Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, etc.) given by the American Library Association. I've been crowing about it a lot on Twitter, but this year's awards were absolutely fantastic for the amount of diversity and kid appeal they included. So many great winners from so many diverse authors/illustrators! Check out the full list and make sure to buy or check out these and other diverse titles...as always, you can keep diverse books viable by purchasing them for your home, school or library.

It's shaping up to be an exciting spring for me personally and professionally. One of the highlights is that I get to attend the Children's Literature Conference at WWU, where guest speakers this year include Joyce Sidman, Kate diCamillo, Yuyi Morales and Matt de la Peña. Is that a lineup or what?? I'm super excited. I've been reading a lot of each author's backlist in preparation, and their new stuff as well of course, because WHY NOT? :)

Matt de la Peña is probably best known for his teen books, in particular The Living and Mexican WhiteBoy. Sometimes authors who write for older readers have trouble finding the right voice for the littles, but I'm happy to say that's not the case for de la Peña's new picture book, Last Stop on Market Street. This title is brimming with spirit and distinctiveness, in its depiction of a young boy, his nana, and the world of their city.

The story opens as CJ and his nana are leaving church. CJ is a curious guy, and he notices things - like why he and Nana take the bus when others drive cars, why he doesn't have an iPod when others do. Nana's got a simple response for everything, pointing out that what they have -- a bus with a cheerful driver, a fellow passenger with a guitar -- is plenty perfect. CJ visits with his fellow passengers, talking to a blind man about people "watching the world with their ears" and feeling the rhythm of the guitar player's song. Soon enough the pair is at their destination: the soup kitchen, in a rough part of town. CJ comments that the area is dirty; Nana responds "Sometimes when you're surrounded by dirt, CJ, you're a better witness for what's beautiful."

Last Stop on Market Street is a terrific book for sharing with kids of all colors and backgrounds, because of how deeply it makes you think. de la Peña makes his point without being preachy or didactic - that beauty is everywhere, that we can find it particularly in helping our fellow man. It's the calm certainty of CJ's nana that bowls me over. She looks around at what quite clearly could be depressing sights, and finds grace and warmth and color where others see ruin. That's a message I want Sprout to know with certainty, and it's delivered with inclusiveness through the text and the colorful, appealing illustrations done by Christian Robinson (an illustrator to watch, in my estimation!).

Pair Last Stop on Market Street with other city-centered tales of gracious acts, like City Green or A Bus Called Heaven. What de la Peña and Robinson have created is a fresh classic, a book that keeps giving with each subsequent read - and believe me, it's one you'll read time and time again.

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña, published by G. P. Putnam's Sons
Ages 4-6
Source: Library
Highly recommended

Picture Book Review - Otis and the Scarecrow by Loren Long

It's happening, my friends. Slowly but surely, Sprout is turning into a book nut. Squeeeee!

This was particularly evident a few weeks back, when we spent the weekend in Portland for a brief not-quite-ready-for-kindergarten-to-begin getaway. Of course a major stop on our trip was Powell's (really, is it possible to go to Portland and NOT go?), where Sprout proclaimed that "I could just live in this bookstore, Mom!"

By far the best souvenir of the weekend, in his estimation, was the newly published Otis and the Scarecrow, a title I had intended to purchase on the sly and save for the holidays. It was all over, though, once Sprout saw the bookstore display -- and truth be told, neither Hubs nor I could wait either, as we are both huge fans of Loren Long's precocious little red tractor as well. I'm thrilled to say that we've read all of the Otis titles so far, and this one absolutely lives up to the legacy, even throwing in a bit of an ambiguous aspect just to pique young reader's curiosity.

The story is very straightforward, as you might expect from Otis. This time there's a new addition to farm life in the form of a scarecrow, and of course the farm friends are excited to meet this mysterious fellow. But the scarecrow remains aloof and doesn't respond to any of the animals' overtures, so everyone decides to leave him be. As the summer turns into fall, a rainy day sets in, so Otis and the crew gather under the apple tree to play the quiet game. Then Otis notices the scarecrow, all alone in the field, and Otis being Otis, he just can't leave the scarecrow to his loneliness. The result is a lesson in kindness for readers young and old.

It's pretty hard to quantify just how much I love these books. Long has created a character in Otis that resonates with all readers, a set of characters that are timeless and enduring. Sprout is crazy for these books, and for good reason - the stories are thoughtfully told, with perfect pacing and illustrations that a reader can get lost in. (Seriously, they would make great artwork for a nursery - if you could bring yourself to take apart a copy of the book to frame the spreads!) In Otis and the Scarecrow, the outcome is a little more uncertain, but this just adds to the charm, and was a great touch for readers like Sprout who have literally grown up with Otis as a friend.

With Otis and the Scarecrow, we now have a title for all seasons - but I sincerely hope Long isn't done with the little red tractor. Sprout (and Mom and Daddy) can hardly wait for more!

Otis and the Scarecrow by Loren Long, published by Philomel Books
Ages 2-5
Source: Our collection
First line: "It was summer when the scarecrow first came to the farm where the friendly little tractor named Otis lived, back when the corn was tall and ripe."
Highly recommended

30 Days of Picture Books - Planes Fly! by George Ella Lyon

We're at Day 12 in our 30 Days of Picture Books. Are you loving what we've read so far? I have to say that this is probably my favorite blogging project of the entire year. It's an excuse for us to crack out our TBR list and request some titles we've been eyeing, and to revisit some of our favorites from the past several months. The only problem is narrowing the list to just 30 titles!

Tonight's pick has been described by Sprout as "super awesome", and I have to concur (what can I say, the boy has good taste!). George Ella Lyon is a poet, and she brings a poet's sensibilities to her work. That unique perspective definitely comes through in her recent picture book Planes Fly! This is a lyrical celebration of all kinds of aircraft, perfectly captured in Lyon's simple yet powerful verse. You name the plane, she's covered it, including commercial aircraft, seaplanes, and even Air Force One. From the first lines ("Planes have engines. / Planes have wings / lifted by the air that sings."), it's clear that this is an author that's not only skillful in her craft but also knowledgeable about her subject. It's a combination that's enough to make young aviators swoon.

And while I'm mentioning swoon-worthiness, let's talk about these illustrations by Mick Wiggins. Tinged with a flavor from vintage advertisements, these pictures definitely make you feel as though you're just about to wing off to somewhere fabulous. Wiggins manages to convey the wonder of flight in a way that suits Lyon's text to a tee. I'm not exaggerating when I say that Sprout's jaw absolutely dropped when he saw the spread with an aerial firefighter spraying water over a forest aflame and smoking. And on a second look-through with Daddy, he delighted at all the small details he found, like the picnickers on a bluff and the tiny shadow of a jumbo jet soaring above the landscape.

Planes Fly!, and with this informative and imaginative title, your little ones can too!

Planes Fly! by George Ella Lyon, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

30 Days of Picture Books - The Village Garage by G. Brian Karas

It's Day 3 of our 30 Days of Picture Books. Scoot over to Pinterest where I've created a board for our 2013 picks, and you can find a board for our 2012 picks there as well. And if you've got suggestions for titles we should feature in the series, we'd love to hear them -- comment here on the blog, or post them to us on Facebook!

Today's choice is one that we've read every fall, and that never fails to satisfy. I've posted before about our appreciation for author/illustrator G. Brian Karas, and his skillful integration of diversity into the cast of characters he uses for virtually every book. The Village Garage originally caught Sprout's eye because of the giant piece of machinery on the front cover. We brought it home in a huge stack of other titles, but this is the one that stuck with us. I'm not sure why it became associated with fall for us -- it's actually an exploration of the seasons -- but fall it is, and ever will be.

Karas goes inside the Village Garage to examine what workers do every season to keep life flowing smoothly in the small village where they live. From spring cleanup, to summer paving projects, from fall leaf wrangling to winter snow removal, each time of year brings unique challenges and requires different equipment. Karas frames the story with small bits of humor (Sprout loves when one worker sprays another with water during a truck washing) that feel authentic and add the perfect depth. No matter how mundane or unappealing the job might be, these village workers make it look like fun!

This is a natural fit for kiddos who love vehicles and who are fascinated by any aspect of big machinery. But it's a good way to introduce a discussion about the rhythm of life, and how what's critical in one season -- mowing lawns, for instance -- is totally a non-issue in others. Sprout especially likes part where the workers are waiting for snow, and then it comes, mountains of it. The scene with the snowplow rumbling through the night is especially thrilling for Sprout, and never fails to delight (plus it's followed by sledding - what could be better?).

For a unique take on seasons that's nicely balanced between informative and fun, look no further. But watch out for snowballs!

The Village Garage by G. Brian Karas, published by Henry Holt and Company

30 Days of Picture Books - Locomotive by Brian Floca

Well hello again! It's nice to be back to real life after a WONDERFUL family vacation. Our lives are so busy in the everyday rush of trying to get things accomplished that Hubs and I always feel better when we're able to step back, get away and reconnect. It was a great chance to be together as a family and hopefully make some lasting memories for Sprout. But of course even the best vacations have to end, and truth be told I'm a bit relieved to pick up our normal routine (at least, it will be normal once I catch up on all that email!).

Since I was so crazy busy before we left that I hardly had time to blog, I've got a nice big batch of books I'm bursting to write about, which is perfect timing for this year's 30 Days of Picture Books. I started this feature last November to tie into Picture Book Month: a time of the year when authors, illustrators, reviewers, bloggers, teachers, librarians and aficionados all turn the spotlight on this unique and critical format. It's no secret that we adore picture books, and I can't ever imagine a time when we won't be reading and sharing them. And a big part of our mission here at Sprout's Bookshelf is telling everyone how vital picture books are in the life and development of young children. I honestly believe the saying that "children are made readers on the laps of their parents" (Emilie Buchwald), and picture books are the vehicle that makes that interaction possible. The best thing is, picture books are easily accessible for everyone, parents and kids alike - just check out your library for loads of good stuff!

(Thanks to vacation, we're getting a late start on our 30 Days of Picture Books - but no worries, because you'll still get the full 30 picks, just overlapping into December, okay?)

First up is a book that might not fit exactly into everyone's definition of a picture book. Oh, it's plenty full of illustrations all right, and gorgeous ones at that. But it's also very text-heavy, so it's the kind of picture book that often ends up lurking around in the nonfiction area of the library or bookstore, which doesn't receive near enough love, in my humble opinion. I'm describing Brian Floca's latest wonderwork Locomotive, a title that every train-obsessed child and adult absolutely must lay eyes on, post-haste. Seriously. Sprout was so blown away by this book when we first read it, that he would hardly let me close the cover, and then proceeded to pore over it for at least an hour afterward.

Floca focuses on a rail journey from Omaha to San Francisco, in the summer of 1869. He really knows how to draw readers into the story, making them feel that they are actually on the train themselves. Most of this is accomplished by his spectacular illustrations, which have a photographic feel to them but also capture the humanity of his characters. But the text is also a big part of the immersive experience Locomotive offers. It reads like poetry, in small bursts that match the power of the big engine and the splendor of the landscape depicted. And the design work is fantastic - we love the way the font and type size is varied to emphasize certain portions (the page with the "rickety, rickety, rickety" trestle bridge is a total favorite!).

Locomotive definitely tops the list of the most stunning picture books we've read this year. If you need a gift for a young history or transportation fan this holiday season, look no further than Floca's newest book -- and don't be surprised if you see it on a "best of" list or two this year!

Locomotive by Brian Floca, published by Simon and Schuster

The Matatu by Eric Walters {The Children's Bookshelf}

Note: The Children's Bookshelf is going on vacation! We're taking the summer off with this linky, so we can all read even more terrific kidlit titles to share with you in the fall. Enjoy today's posts and remember you can always read any of our past posts for The Children's Bookshelf here.

Why read multicultural books to your kids? There are lots of reasons, many of which I've talked about here in the past. First and foremost, it opens up a child's mind to the notion that there are many people the world over who live in ways both different and the same. It helps connect them to their heritage, which is especially important for families who share multiple ethnicities. Multicultural literature develops tolerance and understanding, making kids mindful that we are all global citizens. And it's fun - young readers can travel around the world through litearture, all the while learning about traditions, customs and backgrounds from various countries.

Today's pick is a perfect example of a book that can accomplish all of the above, and that's got a good dose of humor besides. A brief note at the beginning explains that Eric Walters has been accepted as an elder of the Kamba people in Kenya; as such he is a cultural insider with the authority to relate one of the Kamba's stories in the form of his picture book The Matatu. What I love about this book is that Walters just tells the story - he doesn't exoticize the matatus, the buses that carry passengers and goods from village to village. And the traditional Kamba tale is tucked nicely into a story about young Kioko and his grandfather.

Kioko is excited to be celebrating his fifth birthday with a ride on a matatu! He rushes to get on board, then waits impatiently for his Babu, who seems to be taking forever. When the pair is finally settled in their seats, Kioko notices the dogs chasing the bus and asks his grandfather about them. Babu instructs Kioko to first look for sheep and goats, and see how they react when the matatu comes past. Then Babu tells Kioko the story of Dog, Goat, and Sheep, and how these animals took a ride on the matatu together. When it came time to pay, each animal had a different experience - and these encounters are why the various species run from or toward an approaching matatu. (No spoilers here - but if you've ever driven in Africa, you'll know the animal behaviors are spot on!).

An author's note explains the details of matatus and their role in Kenyan daily life, which adds even more authenticity to the tale. Eva Campbell did the illustrations and they are as colorful and lively as an African village. There's no shortage of excitement when a matatu rumbles through, and Campbell captures that spirit perfectly. Though the story of the dogs, goats and sheep forms the center of this story, the real heart of the book is Kioko's relationship with his Babu. It's terrific to see the the esteem with which the other villagers treat Babu, and this and his wonderful stories add to Kioko's appreciation of all his grandfather is for him.

The Matatu is a text-heavy title, which makes it a perfect choice for older preschoolers. Its sly humor is also best received by a slightly older audience (or really, their parents). This is a great addition to any unit about Africa. The genuine respect Walters feels for the Kamba people is evident throughout, and Campbell's illustrations bolster that feeling, which will translate to readers as well. Just don't be surprised if your kiddos want to jump on a matatu themselves!

The Matatu by Eric Walters, published by Orca Book Publishers
Ages 4-8
Source: Library
Sample: "Kioko raced toward the market. He passed huts, houses and stalls, not even glancing at the sweet mandazi for sale. / He ran past people, pushcarts and bicycles. Then he saw it - the matatu. A crowd of passengers waited to board. The roof was heavy with bags of maize, bundles of grass, a bed frame, a mattress and three chairs."
Recommended

Bonus: check out this clip of a matatu from Eric Walters' website

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This post is part of The Children’s Bookshelf, a weekly linky party with the goal of connecting parents with great books for their kids. Do you have a book review, literacy or book-related post that you think will be helpful for parents? If so, please add your link below.

NOTE: By linking up you are giving permission for any of the co-hosts to pin and/or feature a your photo on a future The Children’s Bookshelf post. Kindly link up to an individual post, not your blog’s homepage. The hosts reserve the right to delete any links to homepages, commercial links, repeat links or otherwise inappropriate links. Thank you for your understanding.

You can also follow The Children’s Bookshelf on Pinterest or visit TCB’s co-hosts: Sprout’s Bookshelf, What Do We Do All Day?, No Twiddle Twaddle, Smiling Like Sunshine, My Little Bookcase, The Picture Book Review, MemeTales and Mouse Grows, Mouse Learns. You can find more details here.

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Wind Flyers by Angela Johnson {The Children's Bookshelf}

Three years ago next month, I flew home from Ethiopia with a chubby-cheeked baby boy that had just joined our family. I was so worried before the trip about how he would react to the air travel, but I needn't have been - he settled right in like he was born to cruise through the clouds.

And thus began a love affair between my son and airplanes. He just adores them. We live quite near a regional airport, and for a long time now, just about every time a plane goes over, Sprout rushes to the window to see if he can catch a glimpse. We've been on a couple of family vacations since he came along, and Sprout's favorite destinations are "fly-away" ones -- sometimes I think he likes the airplane part better than the actual vacation!

So it's no surprise that a recent library find, Wind Flyers,  was a huge hit with him. Honestly, even if it wasn't about air travel I think it would have been a winner, seeing that it was created by two award-winning kidlit luminaries: author Angela Johnson and illustrator Loren Long. But the fact that the cover features a young boy and his dog climbing aboard a yellow-and-red barnstormer? That just put Sprout over the top.

Johnson adopts an introspective tone with this tale, narrated by a boy who is telling the story of his great-great-uncle, who all his life wanted to fly. As a lad Uncle would do just about anything to try to touch the clouds, including jumping out of a barn window (don't worry, he landed safely in a mound of hay). When he grew up, Uncle enlisted as a Tuskegee Airman, flying missions in World War II in the famous squad of African American pilots. "We were something." Uncle tells his young nephew. "Some of us didn't come back, but we never lost a plane we protected." And Uncle still flies now, mostly just to keep the feeling of the wind, but also, we learn, to pass that feeling on to a new generation.

As you might expect, coming from two such gifted artists, this is an incredible book. First and foremost it serves as an important introduction to a group of heroes whose contribution to our nation's history must never be forgotten. And it's also just a beautiful book to share with a young child. Johnson's narration is spare and perfect, each word set precisely as a stone in a beautiful mosaic. Long's paintings capture the elegance of the prose in visual form, lifting the viewer up into the wind that Uncle loves, the smooth wind, the magic wind of the Tuskegee wind flyers. This is the sort of book you read through several times just for the experience of it. Sprout can never get enough on just one reading, and often asks us to stop on one page or another, drinking in the heady mixture of poetry and light that is word and picture combined.

Whether you read it for the history, for the airplanes, or just for the lyricism, make sure you add Wind Flyers to your reading list soon. It's a piece of art as smooth as the wind that carries it.

Wind Flyers by Angela Johnson, published by Simon and Schuster

Ages 4-6

Source: Library

First lines: "Great-great-uncle was a wind flyer. A smooth wind flyer. A Tuskegee wind flyer. . . . "

Highly recommended

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This post is part of The Children’s Bookshelf, a weekly linky party with the goal of connecting parents with great books for their kids. Do you have a book review, literacy or book-related post that you think will be helpful for parents? If so, please add your link below.

NOTE: By linking up you are giving permission for any of the co-hosts to pin and/or feature a your photo on a future The Children’s Bookshelf post. Kindly link up to an individual post, not your blog’s homepage. The hosts reserve the right to delete any links to homepages, commercial links, repeat links or otherwise inappropriate links. Thank you for your understanding.

You can also follow The Children’s Bookshelf on Pinterest or visit TCB’s co-hosts: Sprout’s Bookshelf, What Do We Do All Day?, No Twiddle Twaddle, Smiling Like Sunshine, My Little Bookcase, The Picture Book Review, MemeTales and Mouse Grows, Mouse Learns. You can find more details here.

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Wayback Wednesday - Freight Train (1978)

Not quite sure how, but I entirely missed Donald Crews' books growing up. I remember seeing the cover of a few (most notably Ten Black Dots and Truck) but can't ever recall cracking them open. It's odd, because Crews received the Caldecott Honor twice in the late 70's and early 80's, so you'd think he would have been on every elementary teacher or librarian's must-read list. But then again, maybe he was, and his books were just being pored over by all the other kids in my class, as I was curling up with Bread and Jam for Frances. It's hard to say.

In any event, it wasn't until I had Sprout in my life that I came to encounter Donald Crews in a meaningful way. And that, of course, was due to this week's Wayback Wednesday read, Freight Train.

Longtime readers of this blog may remember that Sprout is a bit of a train nut. Okay, he's obsessed, really. Anything and everything trains delights him, and hardly a visit to the library goes by without us bringing home a book or two about engines of some sort. Freight Train was one of the first we read together, and he found it himself, so it has a special place in our heart.

The text is deceptively simple - just 55 words -- but each one is carefully chosen and set into its place like a jewel into a setting. And the illustrations are just as impactful. At first they appear simple, and they are, but the stylized images capture the spirit of a freight train through every single spread. Sprout loves it when the train speeds up, and I have to admit that the "Moving" images are pretty spectacular (check them out for yourself - you'll be amazed at the way Crews perfectly articulates the image of a speeding train). And there's so much more here too: colors and opposites (light/shadow), different types of cars and their placement in the train itself. The more you look at this phenomenal piece of art, the more you'll see.

In creating Freight Train, Crews has said he was inspired by his own childhood experiences riding the train from New Jersey to Cottondale, Florida. His memories no doubt helped evoke the graphic style that characterizes this work, and which makes it so visually appealing to even the youngest children. Crews went on to write other similarly themed picture books, and to collaborate with his wife, the author/illustrator Ann Jonas. His work remains vivid, bold, and relevant to children everywhere. Their daughter Nina Crews has carried on the family tradition, producing some amazing works of her own, which we love for their multiracial families and themes.

Believe me when I tell you that Sprout goes nuts for this book every single time he sees it. In fact tonight, he came in from playing outside to find me writing this blog post and insisted we had to read it right away. If that isn't high praise, I don't know what would be.

Wayback Wednesday verdict? A true classic.

Freight Train by Donald Crews, published by Greenwillow Press
All ages
Source: Library
Sample: "Moving in darkness. / Moving in daylight. Going, going...gone."
Highly recommended

Library Find -- Roadwork by Sally Sutton

On our weekly trips to the library, we are constantly on the lookout for books about trains, cars, trucks and all things transportation-related. Sprout is a HUGE fan of big rigs and thus any book which offers photos or drawings of heavy equipment is a guaranteed checkout for us. Since we have to read these books right away, the minute we find them, it often results in me reading aloud to a group of several toddler boys in the library picture book section. Pretty awesome!

A few weeks ago I stumbled across Roadwork by Sally Sutton, illustrated by Brian Lovelock. This was an instant hit with Sprout. The rhythmic, rhyming text is fun to read and yet substantive, so the reader really learns something about building a road. The entire construction process is spelled out step by step, with each page illustrating another phase in road-building. Best of all, each page features sound effects, which of course any toddler is going to love yelling out loud -- "Bump! Whump! Whop!". What could be better?

I suspect the success for us is in large part due to the illustrations, which are realistic, detailed, and vividly colored. Sprout pores over each spread, pointing out small things he notices, like the hook on the crane truck, or the liftgate on the dumptruck. Apparently this was Brian Lovelock's first children's book, and the jacket copy mentions that he tried very hard to capture all the points of the road equipment as best he could. Lovelock did an amazing job setting the main characters, the diggers and loaders and dump trucks, against backgrounds that emphasize the vastness of the project. I also love the way he seamlessly integrates diversity among the workers, so much so that I didn't at first notice that there are people of all colors and both genders included. Kudos!

If your little one is mesmerized when you drive past a construction zone, Roadwork is guaranteed to be a storytime favorite. Don't miss it!

Roadwork by Sally Sutton, published by Candlewick Press
Ages 2-5
Source: Library
Sample quote: "Roll the tar. Roll the tar. / Make it firm and flat. / Squash it down and press it out. / Squelch! Spluck! Splat!"

Of Trains and Planes and Things that Go

Pretty much everyone who knows my kiddo knows his obsession with all things transportation-related. It started with Thomas the Tank Engine, which has some oddly mesmerizing hold over the toddler male demographic. Then we got into Pixar's Cars -- great timing for that one because now with the sequel coming out, we can't even buy cereal without Lightning McQueen and crew staring out at us from every shelf. And along the way we have accumulated other vehicles of various origination and type. Most days my living room looks like we are about to hold a public auto auction.

Big surprise then that when we go to the library, most of our selections feature trains, trucks, boats and the like. This past week one of Sprout's favorite selections is Byron Barton's Trains. It's a classic that I remember from my bookselling days as being steadily popular, along with Barton's other titles like Trucks, Planes, and Boats. Barton's illustration style features chunky yet remarkably detailed translations of the theme, loads of primary colors, and pleasantly appealing humans, similar to Todd Parr's, who don't get in the way of the action. In short, all the things toddler boys are drawn to.

What I hadn't remembered, until I spent the past week reading this title twice a night, every night, is that Barton does a great job of incorporating diversity into a book that isn't ostensibly multicultural. Sure, the trains take center stage (especially that passenger train -- that sucker just keeps popping up!). But look closer and you'll note that Barton's people are all colors of the rainbow. And it's not just a token brown face at the edge of the crowd, but families, business travelers, and railway staff of multiple hues. Our favorite part of the book is the spread with the passengers asleep, one face in each window. Sprout delights in pointing out the little brown boy in the back ("me!" he chirps), and the reddish-haired white lady just in front of him ("Mama!"). This is a refreshing change for us from the mostly whitewashed world of Thomas and Friends. Kudos to you, Byron Barton!

If you can't find these in your library (and they are older -- Trains is copyrighted 1986), look for the board book versions online or at your local indie bookstore. A great addition to any little man's collection!