The Mighty Santa Fe

by William H. Hooks, Angela Trotta Thomas (Illustrator)

At Christmastime, William has to leave behind his cherished train set when his family goes to visit William's frightening great-grandmother.

Genres: Picture Books, Christmas, Childrens

Hardcover

First published October 31, 1993

About the author

Director of Publications at Bank Street College of Education

He collects folklore and lives in New York City

Reviews

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

When we brought this book home from the library, Alissa told me she wanted to read the Christmas book. I looked through the pile and saw this one. But I wasn't sure it was what she wanted. So I put them all on the table and asked her to choose it. She picked this one. It has a little snow on the evergreen trees at the miniature train station. That clued her in to the story. How perceptive!
She was afraid of Granny Blue. I don't blame her. She was all shriveled.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Copyright 1993. This was not a big favorite. Very wordy. The beginning starts slow.
Pouty William is mad he can't bring his trains to Granny Blue's house for Christmas. Granny Blue shows him a special train surprise.

The story is ok, but not really that exciting or Christmasy. Not a favorite to read aloud & the kids got antsy quickly.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the Santa fe engine! Great family story. You never know what will happen at grandmas house

[Brigid Keely · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's Christmas and William (who shares a name with the author) is traveling with his parents and siblings to visit his great grandma, aunts, uncles, and cousins. He's incredibly put out because he had to leave his freaking enormous electric trains behind and he's really obsessed with them. The lure of a bunch of relatives, including cousins (who are all girls EW YUCK GROSS)is completely lost on him. He sulks the whole ride there, and while meeting his great grandmother, who doesn't talk like a human being at all. The power goes out due to a huge blizzard and William and his cousins roast marshmallows and "have a winter picnick," spreading a quilt on the floor to eat dinner there. William begrudgingly allows himself to have a small amount of fun and then goes to bed. His great grandmother wakes him up and they go up into the attic where she shares a magical train set with him. It's a LIONEL(R) train set! Because name brands make everything better and it's not at all clumsy or awkward to drop a name brand mention into a story about toy trains! William goes back to bed. When he wakes the next morning it's presents time and William's great grandmother gives him the Sante Fe engine (LIONEL(R)!!!!!!) that once belonged to his father. His dad thought it was lost forever in a house fire (thanks for throwing a house fire in there, loved having to reassure my 3 1/2 year old that his house isn't going to burn down!) but his grandmother somehow saved it and then never told him about it and is now giving it to his kid without telling him.

It's a weird, clunky story with awkward, awful dialogue and events that don't make a lot of sense. Stuff is thrown in for the sake of drama (blizzards! power outages! house fires! etc!). The protagonist is kind of a sulky jerk but seems to get special status as THE ONLY BOY. My kid likes the book ok, but he likes about anything with a train in it.

[Kyrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's one of my kids' favorite Christmas stories, especially if you can read it aloud in an awesome granny voice.

[Linda Fisher]

A fantastic ride for a little boy who loves trains!