Circus Train

Beautiful illustrations and a cute beginning, but then something looses flow about halfway through. It takes a little extra explaing from the reader because the text isn't there. I'm not sure what happened the build up was good. None the less it's trains, animals, circus it's hard to go too wrong.

Anyone who likes fantasy, circuses or trains should love this book.The story line is a little bumpy, but the gorgeous illustrations carry it through. A child who moved into Yonderville worried about where he would find friends. Then the circus arrived in town. Well, not actually in town. It arrived across a field from the boy's house, and had come to a dead end. The engineer had taken the wrong track, and was forced to stop by a collapsed bridge. The train could not make it into town, across the river, to set up the show. The boy used his imagination. If you appreciate imagination and good illustrations, the rest of the story and it's fold-out watercolor will take your breath away. Alyssa A. Lappen

Circus Train, by Joseph A. Smith, is a delightful book about a young boy, Timothy, who recently moved to the country and found himself without any friends. A train soon appeared on a nearby track which was no longer in service. Taking the wrong track, it was the circus train that had come to a complete stop because the bridge had long been collapsed. Hearing the commotion, Timothy and his dog felt the need to investigate.The engineer, worried because he could not put the train in reverse, was perplexed by his dilemma. He was stuck. He could not go in any direction. Timothy arrived on the scene and creatively solved the problem allowing the circus train to arrive on time at the fairgrounds in Yonderville.The book gives children an opportunity to try their hand at problem-solving. What are some of the ways they could resolve this crisis? Allowing children to use their imagination and try their hand at predicting the outcome, they soon come to realize the difference between fact and fantasy. The story concludes with yet another opportunity to predict the outcome!The beautiful watercolor illustrations give one a sense of nostalgia and excitement for those old days of the circus train. The vibrant use of color brings the pictures to life. It provides children of today a glimpse of one aspect of the "good ole days of years gone by."