Monkey World: The Thunderbolt Express

by Matthew Porter

"All aboard!" calls the station master. So starts a magical train ride with Jango Jenkins and his Dixieland Band, Oscar the magician, Miss Trixie and her pug dog Napoleon. This is about what happens when a pleasant journey goes all wrong. The pug goes missing. The bridge ahead is missing. And, the handle on the train brake is broken. Only in Monkey World can the solution to this pickle involve shedding all weight to attempt to fly the train!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 24, 2013

About the author

Matthew Porter is a children's book illustrator and writer. His stories and imagery present the perfect balance of nostalgia with modern elegance. His work has become ubiquitous throughout the Pacific Northwest and he has been called the undisputed king of the hipster board book genre.

His books are populated by wide eyed animals and his cheeky monkeys. Matthew's pieces are acrylic paint on wood. The artwork is sanded to highlight the woods natural grain and is rounded out by his use of strong bold lines.

Reviews

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Thunderbolt Express train is loading up from Bartlett station. Many monkeys are hurrying aboard for their destinations. There's a magician, inventor and a band! All are enjoying the ride until a little dog goes missing. While they are looking for the dog the engine drive sees that there is no bridge where there should be one. He orders everyone to throw everything extra out of the train. One monkey and his little monkey even throw their clothes out the window! The train soars through the air and lands in a circus, hops back on the track and makes it to Miggleswick station. But back at the bridge, Oscar the magician, who jumped out of the train altogether, is having to deal with the crocodiles in the water.

Large colorful illustrations will invite young readers to point out intricacies in the pictures. A good choice for storytime.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a lot of questions. Firstly, who is in charge of the infrastructure of the world in which this book takes place? Why doesn't the train have a back-up stopping mechanism? Why does the vanishing cabinet transport you to a swamp? And is this a normal ride on the Thunderbolt Express? Because if so, why are people still riding it?!

This was a fun, colorful book, and my 4-year-old really enjoyed it (though she had a lot of questions, too).

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Story has a very declarative beginning, but then a plot shows up in the form of a mystery! Except it's more mayhem than mystery with no effort to solve. This colorful book with packed illustrations will please children who already are crazy about trains. Ages 3-6.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s pure, unrealistic chaos.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. It was a creative and very fun one to read. In it, the world is populated by monkeys, and the reader is introduced to a variety of characters about to board a train, The Thunderbolt Express. :)

One of the characters is a detective, and the story includes a side/bonus story told solely through the illustrations. The detective is obviously following the trail of something/someone, and in a later picture we see him reading a newspaper with a front-page feature detailing a missing blue diamond. Then in later illustrations, the diamond is found and the culprit gets his just deserts. :)

I enjoyed meeting the characters and then following them through the illustrations. I especially enjoyed the fun in looking out for the picture-only story, though the textual story was very good, too. :)

All in all, I think this would be a fun book for kids. Toddlers would enjoy the simple text and exciting story line, while older children would enjoy the story and the illustration-only story. Kids who love trains and/or monkeys would especially find this story fun. :)

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It is great for the 3yr old in my life who loves monkeys and trains. The pictures are very colorful and nicely detailed. This is another wonderful childrens book.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monkeys doing crazy things. Need I say more?