By Amanda Lynch, The Children’s Book Review
Published: May 27, 2009
Written by Jennifer Riggs Vetter
Illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz
Reading Level: Baby-Preschool
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Tricycle Press (April 14, 2009)
What to Expect: Trains, Animals, Noisy Read-Aloud, Repetition, Counting
Stories that contain repetition and onomatopoeia are often great for early literacy. Such is the case with Down by the Station, a noisy and fun read-aloud book that is perfect for babies, toddlers–and anyone who loves planes, trains, and automobiles!
See the little puffer-billies all in a row
See the engine driver pull the little lever Puff puff toot toot! Off we go!
The lyrical text easily turns the book into a sing-along, and the bright colors of the illustrations make the book an easy and fun read. Frank Remkiewicz’s images all feature animals, from the pilot duck and his son to the sea-faring turtle with his little one. I also liked the fact that the illustrations will be appealing to both boys and girls–too many times stories involving transportation are geared more towards the boys, but this book is much more gender neutral. The text is actually based off of a classic rhyme, but expanded to make it more modern for today’s young travelers. I think it would be particularly sweet as a bed-time story, for it does remind us that “everybody’s sleepy at the end of the day.”
Add this book to your collection: Down by the Station