LOCOMOTIVE Book Review

 

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Floca, Brian. Locomotive. New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2013. ISBN 978-1-4169-9415-2

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Historical fiction meets nonfiction as a family heads West in the summer of 1869 aboard the first Transcontinental Railroad. The journey comes alive as the family boards the locomotive. The locomotive is referred to as “her” as the journey unfolds describing her crew, passengers, stops and towns. The reader is part of the ride as the smells and sounds keep moving along each page across the plains, over and through mountains, all the way to the ocean. The beauty of the country and the locomotive is expressed through detailed illustrations that beckon the reader to come along on the first transcontinental locomotive trip.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Floca has captured the hearts of all train enthusiasts, young and old, eliciting curiosity at the very start with America’s bison on the cover. As the reader opens the book, the front endpapers deliver a glimpse of history before the transcontinental railroad to its completion with the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroad meeting in 1869. The back endpapers detail how the steam engine is powered with detailed diagrams of the locomotive and engine.

This is a book for pre-kindergarten to fifth grade but many adults will adore reading along! The book’s illustrations guide the reader on the journey as they watch the passengers looking out the window, falling asleep, awaking to see how far they have come. Floca's use of pen and watercolor give richness to the locomotive and passing landscapes. The double page layout allows the reader to view the passing countryside, the tunnels, bridges, the tracks, and humorous details unfold parts of the story.

Floca’s use of free verse, varying font styles, onomatopoeia, and alliteration engage the reader in the rhythm of the train ride while experiencing the "chug" and "huff" as it moves along the tracks. Children will delight in how the font styles explode with the sounds of the train! Locomotive is not only informative but entertaining as the reader is transported along the tracks.

The illustrations and details in Locomotive are amazing! The mix of nonfiction and history captivates children during read-alouds. In their free time, my second grade students pour over the pages to get an up close look at the details of each page and the diagram of the steam engine on the endpages. It could not be read in one sitting for second grade as they needed more time to view the illustrations and share their thinking. I could not stop them from talking about the train. It was rather wonderful!

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

“Striking cinematic front endpapers describe the creation of the Transcontinental Railroad. Then, in a sort of historical-fiction-meets-travelogue narrative, Floca zeroes in on one family's journey from Omaha to San Francisco.” -From Horn Book Guide, April 7, 2014

“It's impossible to turn a page without learning something, but it's these multiple wow moments that will knock readers from their chairs. Fantastic opening and closing notes make this the book for young train enthusiasts.” -From Booklist, July 1, 2013

“Talk about a youth librarian's dream come true: a big new book about those ever-popular trains from a bona fide picture-book-nonfiction all-star. Striking cinematic endpapers lay the groundwork, describing the creation of the Transcontinental Railroad in the 1860s.”-From Horn Book Magazine, October 8, 2013

“It’s awesome! I can really learn something about trains and history.” -From Second Grader

“I can see how a train works.” –From Second Grader

“The sounds are the best!” –From Second Grader

Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books Winner 2013

Caldecott Medal Winner 2014

American Library Association Notable Books for Children Winner 2014

5. CONNECTIONS

Introduce the use of onomatopoeia in writing and discuss how it is used in the story during read-aloud.

Students create a map of the journey in small groups by using the endpapers as a model and continuing their research identifying each train stop and the cities it passes.

Study the history of the steam engine and discuss other uses of the steam engine.
 
Plan a field trip to a train museum.