Freight Train - by Donald Crews

About the Book

Brief text and illustrations trace the journey of a colorful train as it goes through tunnels, by cities, and over trestles.

Book Synopsis

In simple, powerful words and vibrant illustrations, Donald Crews evokes the rolling wheels of that childhood favorite: a train.

This Caldecott Honor Book features bright colors and bold shapes. Even a child not lucky enough to have counted freight cars will feel he or she has watched a freight train passing after reading Freight Train.

Donald Crews used childhood memories of trains seen during his travels to his grandparents' farm in the American South as the inspiration for this timeless favorite.

New York magazine's The Strategist chose Freight Train as one of the "Best (Nonobvious) Baby Books to Bring to a Shower." As The Strategist stated: "The Caldecott Honor Book is spare and minimal in both art and text and follows the journey of a freight train and all its cars until it rolls off the page and into the distance. It's a good way to learn all the different names of train cars, too."

Red caboose at the back, orange tank car, green cattle car, purple box car, black tender and a black steam engine . . . freight train.

From the Back Cover

Red caboose at the back, orange tank car, green cattle car, purple box car, black tender and a black steam engine . . . freight train.

The powerful words evoke the essence of inexorably rolling wheels, so that even a child not lucky enough to have counted freight cars will feel he has watched a freight train passing. A book truly for the youngest child--and for every one of us who has been that child.

Review Quotes

"A color concept book of outstanding quality."
-- Boston Globe