The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper - reviewed by Suzanne McCarley

"The Little Engine That Could" was always one of my childhood favorites. I found it in a box full of my old books when I went home this past weekend. The book is about a little train that breaks down, carrying food and toys for good little boy and girl in the next town. The train happens to break down on the opposite side of the mountain that the town is on. The toys on the train make several attempts to wave other trains down for help, but have no such luck. The first two trains that come by think they are much too good to help the train because they are bigger and stronger. The third train that comes by is much too old and tired to help the little train up the mountain. The toys cry and wonder how they will ever get to the children on the other side of the mountain, when along comes the Little Engine. They wave him down and asked him for help. The Little Engine fears he is much too small to push the little train up the mountain. He sees the disappointment on the toy's faces and is determined to help the little train up the mountain. The Little Engine hooks onto the little train and starts pulling the toys and candy up the mountain, saying to himself "I think I can. I think I can. I think I can." Does the Little Engine make it to the other side of the mountain? Do the good little boys and girls get their toys? I'm sure most of you have heard the story, and for those of you who haven't, I bet you can guess.

"The Little Engine That Could" would be a great book for younger children, maybe in kindergarten and first grade. Second graders could even appreciate the moral of the story. The story is great because it stresses the importance on perseverance and teaches children that size is not a limitation. When children see The Little Engine pushing the little train up the mountain, instead of the bigger and older trains, they will learn that just because someone is bigger and stronger it doesn't make them better.

The moral of the story isn't the only reason I like this book. The pictures are outstanding. You would have to see the pictures to understand what I mean. The book is illustrated unlike any book I've ever seen. The pictures used to captivate me as a child. There's something special about the way the illustrators animated the toys and food. I have two favorite pages in the book. The first page is of apples and oranges. The second page in of milk bottles, lollipops, spinach, and peppermints. These are pages seven and eight in the book. You wouldn't think that these would be too interesting but the illustrators really brought the objects to life and discretely gave them human characteristics. They didn't just put faces on the objects. They used characteristics of the objects to make their faces. You really have to see what I am talking about to understand. Another great thing about the pictures is that they go right along with the words, so they would definitely help a first time reader.

I know most of you have heard this story but if you haven't seen the book, you should really take a look at it. You'll be amazed at how a simple story can come alive.