Reading Together The Train Ride

"Reading Together" is a learn-to-read series of picture books for young children and parents to enjoy together. There are four levels, each consisting of six books, offering a variety of reading experiences: stories, poems, rhymes and songs, traditional tales and information books. Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly Enthusiasm is the order of the day as a round-faced child and her mother board a cheery red train: "We're off on a journey/ Out of the town-/ What shall I see?/ What shall I see?" On each subsequent spread, Crebbin's bouncy text and Lambert's sunshine-bright, chalk pastel art reveal the bucolic pleasures spied along the way-a mare and her foal; "A shiny red tractor/ Pulling its load"; a trio of geese; and a hot-air balloon. Repeated phrases ("What shall I see?" and "That's what I see") echo the soothing rhythm of a train's motion, until at last the girl and her mother reach their destination and spy the best view of all: "There is my grandma/ Welcoming me.../ Welcoming me." Lambert's varied perspectives and the book's attractive design heighten the visual appeal: text is confined to a two-inch strip beneath the full-spread illustrations, with each phrase set against alternating blocks of green and yellow. This sweet work by the creators of Fly by Night offers youngsters a nostalgic look at a favorite mode of transport. Ages 3-up. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From School Library Journal PreSchool-Grade 1?A rhyming text, similar in cadence to Bill Martin's Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See (Holt, 1983), sets the tone for a ride on the rails. A little girl and her mother board the train in the city and travel through the countryside to the seaside town where the child's grandmother lives. The verse runs below the full-bled chalk-pastel illustrations and repeatedly asks, "What shall I see? What shall I see?" The turn of the page reveals a new panorama, the reply, and the refrain, "That's what I see, That's what I see." Soft-edged artwork, done in warm, sunny colors, is appealing in its simplicity, but lacks the sharp outlines and crispness that many young children appreciate.?Carole D. Fiore, State Library of Florida, Tallahassee Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.