Trains

Usborne Beginners

by Emily Bone, Christyan Fox (Illustrator), Samuel Chandler (Contributor)

Presents information about trains and railroads, including the history of railroads, different types of trains, and famous trains.

Genres: Childrens, Nonfiction, Transport, Science, Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Emily Bone grew up among the rolling hills of Hampshire, writing stories about the ants and birds in her garden. After studying English at Cambridge, she found her dream job at Usborne in 2007. Since then, she's written about many weird and wonderful creatures, along with books on space, fashion and food.

Reviews

[J9 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another book about trains I picked up for my train loving 2/almost 3 yr olds. Way too much writing to keep them interested, so I had to slim it down and add some words they know like, Thomas, caboose, and toot-toot! They still enjoyed looking at the pictures, and for that, it deserves the two stars.

[Christine Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has your child ever been a Thomas or Chuggington fan? If so, then your child will enjoy "Trains" by Emily Bone! It is a great little book for anyone who would like a simple, straightforward overview of the topic. Each set of pages covers a basic aspect of trains, including what they do, how they are powered/operated, and how trains can be specialized to address specific challenges (i.e. steep mountains). The brief descriptions are informative without getting bogged down in too much detail, and they are complimented by a mix of real-life pictures and fun illustrations. Trains from specific places around the world like Namibia, Africa, are featured periodically and help children see tangible examples of what they are learning (while also providing a bit of a geography lesson too!)

For younger audiences (under age 4), the book may be a bit long to read all in one sitting, but the structure of the book makes it easy for parents to read specific sections of it if need be. The book is organized nicely, even including a Table of Contents, a Glossary, an Index, and a list of internet references where parents and their children can learn more. My own kids loved this little book - my oldest son memorized much of the material in it, and grown-ups (such as myself) can learn from it too. If you have train-loving children, I highly recommend adding this book to your collection!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Copy provided by Follett First Look

I tend not to read many Usborne titles because they are rather hard to get. While this book on trains is a very small trim size and proports to be a beginner book, there is quite a lot of text in it, so probably better for 2nd or 3rd graders. There's lots of good information, and a train obsessed youngster would probably really enjoy this. There's a table of contents and an index.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

My train lover was pleased with this little reader, which gives interesting information about trains, along with good photos and illustrations. :)

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always loved trains

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great informational book for young kids. Meant as a beginner reader, it is geared towards children with a better grasp already on reading. Very wordy for young'uns. Then again, my beginner reader is just going into kindergarten, so she'll probably work her way up to it soon. This book described and explained the different types of train cars and other inner workings of the railroad. Definitely recommended for young readers, especially those with an interest in trains.