School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-With a clear artistic and imaginative nod to Virginia Lee Burton's picture books, Shaskan's adorable tale centers a young talking engine, Choo, learning to ride the rails with his father, Papa Pufferbelly. Choo is riding confidently as he rolls off the loop and switches to the main line, rolls over a bridge, hauls freight, and charges up a mountain-until his wheels slip! When Choo derails, Papa assures him that he is brave, fast, strong, and smart, and not to let "a little tumble ruin [his] big day." Choo tries again and makes it to the top of the mountain. The digital art uses bold, bright colors to create lyrical landscapes and bring the trains to life with animated facial expressions. The high-energy story line has clear read-aloud appeal and the encouraging message of overcoming obstacles is one that will resonate positively with young listeners. VERDICT A modern book with a classic feel. This is a perfect choice for a preschool storytime, and a must-buy for libraries where trains, railway stories, and Thomas the Tank Engine are in demand.-Brianne Colombo, Fairfield Free Public Library, NJ © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Little Choo, a small locomotive, persuades his father that he's big enough to run on the main line. Big Choo, as he now insists on being called, seems to know what he's doing-he even expertly tows a line of freight cars. "Chugga-chugga! Chugga-chugga!" he says proudly, and Papa Pufferbelly responds with an approving "Choo-Choo!" But when the small locomotive derails while trying to scale a mountain, his confidence is shaken: "I'm not Big Choo," he sobs. "I'm Little Choo." Papa reminds his son that he's "brave, fast, strong, and smart" (words that Big Choo had previously used to describe himself), and soon he's back on track. In an afterword, Shaskan (Toad on the Road) cites Virginia Lee Burton as an aesthetic inspiration; her influence can be seen in his swoopy organic shapes and decorative treatment of the landscape, but the backgrounds feel at odds with the cutesy detailing of the trains, which have little emotional range in their expressions. Instead, the narrative propulsion comes from playful typography, the text's eager tone, and the recurring train sounds. Ages 3-5. Agent: Teresa Kietlinski, Bookmark Literary. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
