Steam Train, Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld
        Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC
        Published: April 16, 2013
        Source / Format: Purchased | Hardcover

       Through the darkness, clickety-clack, coming closer down the track… is Steam Train, Dream Train, by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld.  Steam Train, Dream Train is a story that captivates from the first line and will send your little ones into dreamland with a smile on their faces.  This train goes on a journey through a night’s worth of dreams, introducing us to silly new characters and exciting new places at each and every turn.

       Steam Train, Dream Train begins in the dark of night, with a beautiful illustration to set the scene.  We are passengers on the train, traveling to pick up others (an assortment of brightly colored animals) and meet the motley crew.  And meet them we do, in stunning illustrations that depict juggling monkeys storing cargo in the boxcar, polar bears eating ice cream in the reefer car, elephants filling tankers with paint, and so much more.  Readers will make their way through the compartments of the train, learning about passengers (monkeys, and camels, and bears – oh my!) and cabooses alike!  Steam Train, Dream Train will not only lull your children to sleep with its soothing rhyme and rhythm, it will make any train lover’s enthusiasm pick up steam.  As the trip progresses, the excitement winds down, transitioning to softer, sleepier stanzas.  Finally, the story closes with an illustration of a boy asleep in his bed, a toy train chugging along his floor, as he continues this magical journey in his dreams. 

       Steam Train, Dream Train is a voyage that every child will want to take again and again, awake or as they travel through their dreams.