★ 12/23/2019
“Two little trains/ went down the track,/ two little trains went West.// PUFF PUFF PUFF/ CHUG CHUG CHUG/ two little trains to the West.” The soothing clickity-clack of the late Brown’s verse lulls as effectively as when it first appeared 70 years ago, illustrated first by Jean Charlot, then by Leo and Diane Dillon. This treatment by Geisel Medalist Pizzoli shows the two trains journeying in tandem through tunnels and over bridges. Toylike rubber stamp illustrations offer a grainy, vintage look, the trains’ repeated sounds set in outsize, circus poster–style type. Here, the two trains run on the same track—the “little old” engine first; the newer, “streamlined” train, trailing—each headed across the country’s vast interior through night and day, rain and snow, and hot sun rendered in faded colors. The trains start over a brick bridge crossing a wide river (“Look down/ look down/ below the bridge,/ at the deep dark river going West”), cross mountains and weather, arrive at an ocean full of origami-like fish, and rest at last in a sunbaked city: “They had come to the edge of the West.” Brown’s classic offers a beginner’s map of the country’s geography in a rhythmic journey that can be taken over and over again. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)
This is a storytime winner…Blocky clear shapes, vivid colors, and simple designs make each page burst with an energy that will appeal to the smallest child.
This is a storytime winner…Blocky clear shapes, vivid colors, and simple designs make each page burst with an energy that will appeal to the smallest child.
★ 02/01/2020
PreS-Gr 2— First released in 1949 and illustrated by Jean Charlot, this classic story has been reimagined for a new generation with brand new illustrations. Brown tells readers that "Two little trains went down the track, two little trains went West. Puff Puff Puff. Chug Chug Chug." Two different trains—a streamliner and a steam engine—both travel down a long steel track, through a dark hill, over a river, through the rain, through the snow, and on until they reach the edge of the West. Pizzoli's illustrations have the look of sponge painting; stamps and a mix of digital media add texture, vibrancy, and bring the journey to new life. Train lovers will delight in the simple singsong text. VERDICT Toddlers and preschoolers who love trains will delight in the tale while adults familiar with the original book will appreciate the opportunity to introduce it to a new generation.—Kristen Todd-Wurm, Middle Country Public Library, NY
★ 2019-10-23 First illustrated by Jean Charlot (1949) and then by Leo and Diane Dillon (2001) and now reimagined by Pizzoli, Brown's enduring classic follows two distinct trains on their journeys west.
"Two little trains / went down the track, / two little trains went West. // PUFF PUFF PUFF / CHUG CHUG CHUG / two little trains to the West." Over hills and through rain, snow, night, and wind, the trains—one a steam engine, the other a streamliner—travel. Brown uses onomatopoeia to punctuate the narrative while Pizzoli exploits it to differentiate the two locomotives. He makes every spread a visual play on contrasts, from the different train stylizations and type styles (sans serif for the streamliner's "PUFF" and serif for the steam engine's "CHUG") to the complementary color palettes. The bold illustrations, created with rubber stamps and Photoshop, are done in a simplified style. Accessible, appealing, and understandable, both artwork and text are deceivingly simple, belying the sophisticated nature of each. Lively, rhythmic, and often rhyming text propels trains and readers down the tracks while evocative descriptions work within the confines of a few phrases per page. Skillfully designed and composed, Pizzoli's cheerful interpretation is thoroughly modern and charming.
Swoonworthy for train lovers and preschoolers alike. (Picture book. 3-7)
A Child Magazine Best Book of 2001 Pick
Back in print with a fresh new look, Brown's tale of a "streamlined train" and a "little old train" is given an inventive twist by the Dillons. Here, they envision parallel journeys, one real and one fanciful. The sleek and striking new artwork invites all aboard for a journey of the imagination.
A handsome reinterpretation.” — ALA Booklist (starred review)
“Sure to delight yet another generation of children.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“This beautiful new edition is in the same spirit as Brown’s Goodnight Moon and should please the same broad audience. It’s wonderful to have it back in such appropriate, and handsome, new garb.” — Horn Book (starred review)
A handsome reinterpretation.
ALA Booklist (starred review)
This beautiful new edition is in the same spirit as Brown’s Goodnight Moon and should please the same broad audience. It’s wonderful to have it back in such appropriate, and handsome, new garb.
Horn Book (starred review)