My son’s book collection is full of classics, like the works of Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle. He has a number of Caldecott and Newbery Award winners. Sometimes, however, it’s fun to find books that may be just shy of top-tier classics, yet still have something to recommend them. Often, these books, especially if they’re a few years old, don’t get front-facing shelf time at the local bookplexes, and are easy to overlook. Here are two I’ve stumbled across recently, which support my son’s ongoing obsession with trains and firetrucks. They’re also both great “transition” books for that stage between board books and beginning readers.
The Caboose Who Got Loose, by Bill Peet, is the tale of Katy, a caboose struggling with job dissatisfaction. She’s much rather have a quiet home in the woods than be pulled over steep mountains by a smoke-belching engine. She finally gets her wish in an unexpected turn of events. The crayon drawings are expressive and clever. The rhyme, while not quite as catchy as, say, Dr. Seuss, evokes the rhythm of wheels over rails. If you’re looking for a train book other than one about Thomas or The Little Engine, this may be just the ticket.
Firefighters A to Z, by Chris Demarest, is a great non-fiction book on firefighting for the pre-school and early-elementary set. The author is a full-time illustrator who became a volunteer firefighter after taking his son to visit a local firehouse. The pastel drawings are therefore accurate as well as artistic. They portray female as well as male firefighters. There’s enough detail to keep the interest of the older end of the age range, while the wording is still simple and the rhyme compelling. Unlike many ABC books, each letter doesn’t stand alone, but rather forms part of an ongoing narrative.
If you have book suggestions of your own, check out Mombian Books, a place I’ve created for LGBT parents to share their book ideas and get recommendations from each other.