Author: Donald Crews
Title: Freight Train
Illustrator: Donald Crews
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Year: 1978
Genre: Caldecott
Format: Hardcover
Reading level: Early
Interest level: Pre-K, Early Elementary
Topics: Freight trains, colors, movement, day/night
Summary: This book is about freight trains and how quickly they move. Also, this book explains what freight trains are made up of. In this particular book, a freight train is a red caboose at the back, then an orange tank car, yellow hopper car, then a green cattle car, to a blue gondola car, next is a purple box car, then a black tender, and finally a black steam engine.That is what makes up a freight train. Also the idea of movement is discussed and depicted in this book, along with where and when freight trains move. The book ends with a picture of steam and no train. This last picture represents the train gone- gone so quickly. Trains move very fast, which is one message I believe the author is trying to betray with the beautifully illustrated pictures. A lot of the pictures in this book are blurred, depicting how quickly the train is moving. Every color of the rainbow is in this book. The pictures in this book are very kid-friendly, meaning kids will be attracted to this book because of the colors and pictures.
Extension Activity: Children could create their very own freight train. Teacher would supply stencils of the box cars and for other parts of the train. If kids were old enough, they could cut out the stencils and color the parts of the train whatever color they wanted. wheels would be cut out of black construction paper for the kids prior to the activity. Kids can glue together their train with wheels. This is a great activity to go along with the book because kids can understand how a train works and the different parts that make up a train.
