Steam Train, Dream Train

Steam Train, Dream Train

by Sherri Duskey Rinker, Tom Lichtenheld

The team behind the #1 New York Times bestseller Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site returns with another fabulous book for bedtime! The dream train pulls into the station, and one by one the train cars are loaded: polar bears pack the reefer car with ice cream, elephants fill the tanker cars with paints, tortoises stock the auto rack with race cars, bouncy kangaroos stuff the hopper car with balls. Sweet and silly dreams are guaranteed for any budding train enthusiasts!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Trains, Animals, Transport, Fiction, Storytime

32 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2013

About the author

Sherri has returned to her passion of writing to indulge her own children's passions. A graphic designer, she lives in Chicago with her photographer husband, a cockapoo named Quincy, several fish, a few hermit crabs, an ever-changing array of insects in jars, toys in every corner, and two energetic and inquisitive young boys: one fascinated by bugs and magic and another obsessed with trucks and trains. She's constantly inspired -- and often exhausted! She created GOODNIGHT, GOODNIGHT, CONSTRUCTION SITE in hopes of happier bedtimes and sweet dreams for all.

This is Sherri's first book, and (just in case you think it can't happen!) it was picked from the slush pile.

Reviews

[Chris Lee]

First nephew read. It was actually pretty good. The illustrations and story were interesting to say the least. The polar bears are starting an ice cream empire. 😆

[Archit]

The fast fast cars are fast asleep.

Steam train can come handy when you've a number of worker animals helping you loading up other fancy cars and comfortable beds for the animals.

[Sophia Triad]

We loved the "Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site" by the same author and illustrator.
"Steam Train, Dream Train" is almost equally good.
Perfect goodnight book.

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better)]

Lovely

"Steam Train, Dream Train" is a lighthearted story of a child's dream. A dream that brings his train set to life.

[J9]

After so many boring and lackluster children's books about trains, it was so refreshing to come across one so engaging with such beautiful illustrations! We all loved this book! Even my 5 yr old who claims to have no interest in trains anymore was riveted by the story and what would be loaded onto the dream train next. Even though a young reader could read this, it's much more fun to have a parent read this smoothly. I know that some people find rhyming tiresome and overdone, but this book does it so well, it was effortless to read it. I felt the words were flowing along like a train does. It was just wonderful all around. We really enjoyed this book.

[Imane Zerguit]

Tasty story with beautiful illustrations and the ending sentences rhyming that make reading feel like singing a song or hymn 🎼. I feel happy every time I have the chance to start a new story by the same author, a wonderful and unique discovery.

قصة لذيذة برسوم رائعة و جُمل تنتهي بقوافي تجعل القراءة تبدو كأننا نغني أغنية أو نرتل ترنيمة🎼. أشعر بالسرور كلما أتيحت لي الفرصة لبدأ قصة جديدة لنفس الكاتبة، اكتشاف رائع وفريد من نوعه.

Délicieuse histoire avec de belles illustrations et des phrases se terminant par des rimes qui donnent à la lecture l'impression de chanter une chanson ou un hymne 🎼. Je me sens heureux chaque fois que j'ai l'occasion de commencer une nouvelle histoire du même auteur, une découverte merveilleuse et unique.

[Niki (nikilovestoread)]

We've been reading this book for years and my boys still love it. The story is a cute one and the illustrations are beautiful.

[Cindy Hudson]

Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld, the duo that brought us the award-winning Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site, have created another bedtime picture book that’s sure to be a hit with parents and preschoolers alike.

Steam Train, Dream Train is the story of a train with a very unusual crew: bears, elephants, monkeys, kangaroos and other animals. When the train pulls into the station, crew members load it up with all kinds of things kids love to play with. The monkeys bring in monkey bars (and juggle while hoola-hooping and skate boarding), kangaroos bounce balls onboard, polar bears truck in ice cream and a camel balances a bike, a kite and more.

It’s a visual circus of activity in a kid’s fantasy world. Since everything takes place at night, illustrations are muted and calm, yet still portray the fun everyone seems to be having loading the boxcars. They have the grainy look of kids crayon drawings. The combination of words and drawings is sure to stir the imaginations of little ones as it lulls them to sleep.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Kaethe]

This is a weirdly specific book: a going-to-bed book with all the cars of the train named, and animals loading them. The text was fine, but the art was really special.

Library copy

[Jason Dillingham]

If you’re familiar with the Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site books, this will ring some bells. The flow and rhythm are pleasant and the book has a gentle way of easing into a soft, quiet ending. I very much enjoy these books for story time.

[Joannah Keats]

Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld are the modern masters of the bedtime story, especially for little boys. Their previous picture book, Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site, is a favorite of truck-loving children everywhere. In Steam Train Dream Train, they’ve taken another childhood obsession - trains, and managed to work in animals, toys, trucks, cars - even dinosaurs make an appearance in these pages. It may seem overwhelming at first because there is a lot more here than there was in Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site, and some might miss the overall concept of the book by getting lost in the text and amazing visuals. Make no mistake, this is a brilliant bedtime story in which little ones watch as their favorite things get loaded up onto the dream train one at a time, reminiscent of Goodnight Moon but much more sophisticated. It reads smoothly and the rhythm slowly winds down as the pages turn. The rich but muted illustrations are beautiful and calming, soothing in their soft lines with washed-out color that makes you feel as though you are in the midst of twilight.

If you have Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site memorized at this point, or if you are just looking for a new bedtime story to add to your collection, you can’t lose with Steam Train Dream Train, especially with the little boys in your life.

[Barbara]

Filled with plenty of onomatopeia such as "clickety-clack" (unpaged), "Cling! Clang!" (unpaged), "Puffing, chuffing out of sight" (unpaged), this book is fun to read aloud. A train arrives, and various animals load up each of its cars. while I liked the fact that it was written in rhyming text and that I learned some interesting information--who knew that the car where cold products are stored is called a reefer car?--I grew a bit tired of the text as several cars were filled, and then the train moves on down the track. The wax oil pastel illustrations are filled with detail and almost seem to shimmer, a fitting effect since the train is traveling through a sleeper's dreams. Fans of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site are likely to enjoy this one although it is much longer and seems to be trying to do a lot more; for instance, there are numbers mentioned in parts of the text, and readers will want to count the workers or the things being loaded. All in all, there seems to be too much here, and my senses felt overwhelmed.

[Bianca Orellana]

I love that it teaches the parts of a train, and it's the perfect bedtime story. 4.5 stars.

[Vityska]

Читала українське видання, про нього й розкажу :)
"Потяг-дрімотяг" Шеррі Даскі Рінгер від видавництва Artbooks - це чарівна книжка-"засинайка". У ній є великі ілюстрації і мало тексту, після прочитання якого тягне подрімати.
Казковий потяг прибуває на станцію Дрімайлівка. Веселі звірята - мавпочки, кенгуру, верблюди - вантажать на нього різні речі (переважно іграшки). Слоники заливають у спеціальні вагони-бочки кольорову фарбу. Динозаври на відкритій платформі жують листя з деревця. Білі ведмеді й пінгвіни вантажать морозиво у вагони-морозильники, і там же ним ласують. А коли все нарешті на місці і потяг вирушає в ніч, звірята сплять у своїх зручних ліжечках, поки дрімотяг мчить їх на зустріч новим пригодам...
Так, простенький невибагливий текст - але це саме те, що треба увечері малюкові: трішки веселощів і солодкий сон. До речі, надихнувшись прикладом звіряток-персонажів книжки, дитина теж може взяти за звичку "вантажити" свої іграшки туди, де вони зберігаються, і лише після цього лягати спати. Тож у "Дрімотяга" є не лише "засинальний", а й вихований ефект.
Як маю звичку дитячі книжки тестувати на своїх дітях)) Власне, "Потяг-дрімотяг" я якраз для Назара і купувала - він поведений на машинках, поїздах і різній техніці. Цю книжку малий сприйняв із захватом ("Ту-тууу!"). Правда, поки що - очікувано - розглядає лише ті сторінки, де намальований власне потяг. Але раз сподобалося це - значить, усе інше теж попереду :)

[Jared]

Currently the best book I've found for my 2 year old.

[MacK]

Me: great creative guide through train cars building to bed time.

Alex: I like the freezer car...yaaaawn...

Owen: I like all the...zzzzzzz

[Kate]

This is a children’s picture book about a train full of animals that travel at nighttime

[Jaid Wehrenberg]

Given by Megan B. 12/20/23

[Hanna]

Rhymes with purpose
for each act each scene
categorized in a prelude
to the title I mean!

[Tamarah]

The animals leave the train station to work, play, and sleep as they journey through the night on train tracks.

[Kerstin]

This is a lovely book. I love the rhyme and the illustrations are just darling.

[Olha]

Чудова книжечка для малечі. Поки що читали вдвох з чоловіком. Смішно, дотепно. Обожнюю сучасні книжки і віршики для дітей.
Подобається переклад і ілюстрації чудові.

[Y.Poston]

very cute

[Suzan]

This a nice bedtime story. Cute illustrations.

[Destiny Dawn Long]

This was a really enjoyable bedtime book. My daughter really likes trains right now, which was part of why I grabbed it from the library shelf. I was pleased to discover a fun story that teaches about the different parts of trains, while using a rhyming text story full of playful animal crew members. There are lots of fun action words and onomatopoeia. The wax oil pastel illustrations are imaginative and beautifully rendered. I especially like the heavy shadows and darker tones that were used to create a lush nighttime environment.

The one thing I was a bit ambivalent about was the last page. I know that it's a popular ending style for bedtime books... but for me, it took away from the magic a little.

[Joella]

A train gets loaded up for the night. Each of the various animal crew know just what they should do–from the monkeys who do acrobatics to get the cargo loaded to the polar animals who load the “reefer” (cold) car. Of course at the end of the story the reader will find out there is more to this train…it is a little child’s train set up at the foot of a bed while the child is sleeping.

The illustrations are beautiful. The dark strokes with speckled colors add to the night-time feel of the book. Plus there is so much detail in what each animal is doing. This is one calming train headed for a good night’s sleep.

[Nicky]

Was having trouble falling asleep and called for me. Upon entering his room, I got one word, “story” As I perused his bedside book case, he rolled over pulling the cover over his shoulders. He smiled and nodded at me when I pulled out this one. He fell asleep half way through. I continued on just for the pure sweet joy of it. Wonderful story , beautiful art work, and precious memories.

[CybercrrEDU]

My son's other favorite book. He likes trains. We literally live right next to the tracks so he hears and sees them all the time. This book is fun because of the circus animals. The artwork is fantastic as always. They pick really good artists for kids books. I like how they use pastel or colored pencils on textured paper. Lends a great style.

[Renee M]

I loved everything about this. The illustrations were engaging and enhanced the text. The text is clever, lush, delicious rhyme. Plus, it teaches about trains and their various cars and uses with charming accuracy. Loved!

[Kyra Fowler]

I tried reading this to Pre-K but it was a little over their head:(