Locomotive

Author and IlustratorL Brian Floca

Awards: Caldecott and Robert F. Sibert

Grade Level: 2nd-5th

Summary: 

Set in 1869 we follow a family's journey across the united states in the bran new locomotive. This used to not be possible because it would take too long to travel but the locomotive allows for a quicker form of transportation. There are many workers that work very hard in making this locomotive journey possible, some jobs are even dangerous. During the night, passengers must get as comfortable as possible to try to sleep, but in nicer locomotives, there are more comfortable bedding options. Other technological advancements follow the locomotives path, such as the telephone poles. After a long journey, the family reaches their destination.

Evaluation:

The illustrations in this book were amazing! I believe they were water color and you can tell a lot of effort was put into the pictures to the point I wish it was a wordless picture book. I enjoyed reading this book for a little bit but quickly found myself wondering how much was left as it felt really drawn out and became boring. This makes me question if I would read it to my students because it was simply too long and if I lost attention quickly, my students will too. I did appreciate how it brought history to life through the illustrations, but I was disappointed on how lengthy it was as a good portion of it felt unnecessary.