Ghost Train

by Paul Yee, Harvey Chan (Illustrator)

Winner of the Governor General's Award, the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award, the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award and the Ruth Schwartz Award


This powerful, unforgettable and multi-award-winning tale is based on the lives of the Chinese who settled on the west coast of North America in the early 1900s.


Left behind in China by her father, who has gone to North America to find work, Choon-yi has made her living by selling her paintings in the market. When her father writes one day and asks her to join him, she joyously sets off, only to discover that he has been killed. Choon-yi sees the railway and the giant train engines that her father died for, and she is filled with an urge to paint them.


But her work disappoints her until a ghostly presence beckons her to board the train where she meets the ghosts of the men who died building the railway. She is able to give them peace by returning their bones to China where they were born.

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, China, Childrens, Canada, Multicultural Literature, Asian American

32 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1996

About the author

Paul Yee never planned to be an author but got published in 1983 and followed up with over twenty books in his area of obsession: Chinese immigrants to North America. He wrote mostly for young readers, from picture books to Young Adult fiction, as well as histories for everyone. His university degrees in history, plus working as an archivist, plunged him into researching the past. His work has been translated into French and Chinese, and used in animated films as well as stage plays. Born in small-town prairie Canada, he grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, but Toronto tempted him away from that west coast paradise in 1988.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of about a Chinese girl that was born with only one arm. Her mom didn't like her with one arm, but her dad loved her. After she grew older, her father figured out that her one arm had a talent, and that is to paint. Her dad goes to North America because they have no income and he needs to go away to make a wage. Father and Daughter mail each other back and forth, and one letter from the dad requests her to go to North America. When she gets their she finds out he died the week before. Her dad comes to her in her sleep and tells her to ride the train, after she does that he comes back in another dream to tell her what to paint. She does that and has to follow the directions on where to put this painting. After she follows directions she sees her dad, and all the people who have died building these railroad tracks. After she has that dream, her dad tells her to fold up the painting, and bring it home to burn on the mountains so that their souls can rest.

I like this book for its difference in cultural perspectives, however, I wouldn't recommend this book to any one below the 3rd grade. The content seems to be more 4th grade and on. Younger kids might be able to like the book, but I don't think that they will be able to comprehend the book in its entirety.

[Chris Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

A chinese girl comes to America to reunite with her railroad worker father, only to find he has been killed in an accident. His ghost instructs her to use her artistic talents to paint a train that will carry the ghosts of other fallen Chinese railroad workers home. I would have liked an author's note referencing real statistics about Chinese railroad workers, but maybe that's something for students to investigate.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghost Train is a touching book about a young artist finding that her father, like many Chinese men at the time, has died building railways in North America and how she helps lay him and the many like him despite not being able to recover the bodies. The story is tender and emotional. The art is fantastic. Ideal for older readers of picture books. Recommended.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was kind of spooky. In China, a girl with one arm is born to her family. She is a very good artist. Her father goes to America to work and send money back to the family. He bids his daughter to come paint. It was interesting, but not my favorite.

[غنية · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chinese culture.
The language and writing style are charming, same for the illustrations.

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is for CHILDREN I am in DISTRESS

[Despina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story of a girl and the ghost of her father. Read for English Reading Circle

[Juta Kruusmäe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trains build on thousands of blood drops, paintings only a drop of ink…

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous paintings combined with a story that gives us a glimpse into the lives of the people who built the railroads in the US.

[S. Shigemitsu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story that is both sad and beautiful, about a young girl on a quest to paint a train in North America.

[Kazia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and well illustrated

[Jaclyn Giordano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ghost Train is a picture book intended for older readers in grades 3 through 6. It is the powerful story of Choon-yi of China, a one-armed child whose “one arm was no ordinary limb” because “the picture she painted looked as real as life.” The text follows Choon-yi’s adventurous journey into the unknown worlds of fire-cars and industry in order to fulfill her father’s dying wishes: to paint him a fire-car and the train that runs on the road he built. I gave this story 3 stars. For me, it is an extremely dark tale, full of pain and supernatural beings. While Choon-yi works hard to paint her father’s wishes, she truly feels and sees him and it is her final painting that allow her father, and all of the men who were killed while courageously building the railroads, to finally be free and continue on peacefully. This text is very sad yet powerful, allowing students to connect to the idea of hard work being rewarding and finding peace amongst pain and fear. While the story is well-written, I don’t feel enough background is given to students to fully capture the spirit of this story and its relevance to culture. If students are given this information prior to reading, the meaning of this text could be enhanced and deepened.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about a girl with only one arm, even though she had only one arm, she was a really good painter, her paintings were wonderful. Her family wasn't that rich, one day, they found that in North America, they were hiring jobs to make a railway. Then her father decided to go to North America to help build the railway and earn money for his family. One day, her father asked her to come to North America, so she got a ticket and went to visit him, but when she got there, she was told her father died. She was so sad, but in her dreams her father comes and talks to her, he asks her to paint the train. She does everything he asks her to, and she then sees wonderful things.
I didn't pick this book up, Mr.Gould read it to me and the whole class.
Mr.Gould finished reading it to me and the whole class.
I would recommend this book to my best friend Iris. I think this book will be good for her. She likes sweet sad-ish books.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Picture Book
Audience: Grades 3-6
Reading Level: Transitional
Curricular Uses: Read-Aloud, Independent Reading
Issues: Economic troubles, disabilities, death
Illustrations: Dark and mysterious illustrations add to the mood of the book. Beautiful full page pictures.
Additional Comments: This is not one of my favorite books, but it does address important issues such as a death in the family, overcoming a disability, and getting through economic hard times. Choon-yi is a very strong person. This book may make students aware of other cultures. I would consider using this book if I felt the need to address certain issues or to discuss cultural aspects of literature.

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read this sad story many times, and each time the beauty of the art combines with the words to evoke a feeling of not only sadness, but also appreciation.

Chhon-yi travels to North America to help bring her father, and other Chinese railway workers home after they have died.

I picked up this book because it was going to be a good one with which to demonstrate the strategy of Listening to your Inner Voice.

I finished it because it is beautifully written and illustrated and short enough to complete within one period.

I would recommend this to Philip who may wish to know about how the Chinese were treated when they came to Canada to build the railroad.

[Jolynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delicious ghost story with wonderfully vivid language. Wonderful for looking at North AMerican history to explore the working conditions of Chinese laborers and their role in building the railroads.

Craft moves: Vivid language
Opportunities for Reading Workshop mini-lessons- predictions, visualizing.

[Devin L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a magnificent tale of how Chinese immigrants who built the American railways died while working. This book is one daughter's journey to free her father's soul from the rubble which burried him. Absolutely incredible illustrations.

[Rehan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as childhood memories go, this book is one of the greats in children's illustrated literature. Not only does this superb author convey a factual and magnanimous moral of life, but the story tugs at your heartstrings and makes you love the main character

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghost Train by Paul Yee, paintings by Harvey Chan – 1996 – What a gorgeous, touching book following a young girl whose father goes to the US to work on railroad development and how she is able to mystically help many people… just beautiful.

[Ana Oropeza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although a children's book, it is profoundly deep- reminding us of the family sacrifices made and the tragedy that followed to build this nation, in efforts for future generations to have a better future. This book brings tears to my eyes every time I read it!

[Ms. D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad but inspiring. An important reminder of those who were killed working on the CPR.

[Lilly [Hiatus due to School] · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not recall the details but I remember it leaving a strong impression on me.

[Paul]

Review at asianamlitfans.

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story about a Chinese girl with one arm who paints a beautiful masterpiece.

[Rebecca Jones]

This story is about a little girl who game to South China with only one arm. Her family believed that her one arm was magical as it could paint and draw things in a way no-one else could. She traveled to America after the death of her father and set out on an adventure to paint her father in the way he wanted.