  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 07/01/2017 PreS-Gr 2—Railway lovers will relish Gall's latest offering. A little train, who has known only the "tiny town" he has spent his days circling, sees his world derailed when Mr. Fingers arrives, demolishing all he has ever known. After getting knocked over by a crane, he tumbles "down, down, down and into a brand-new world." The little train meets a variety of big trains who take him on many exciting adventures with myriad new sights to take in. The digitally created artwork's use of bold lines, bright colors, and expressive faces brings the trains to life, letting them burst with personality. A mix of oblong paneling and full spreads captures the energy of each train and the rich worlds they inhabit, propelling the narrative forward. Several spreads, with minimal to no text, of vast landscapes will absorb readers. The tale ends on a satisfying note as the little hero makes it home to find his tiny town is now an expanded world with new train friends and more tracks to explore. An author's note with information about the trains will appease young train buffs. VERDICT A must-buy for all libraries where train books are in demand. A perfect choice for storytime or one-on-one sharing.—Danielle Jones, Multnomah County Library, OR - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 09/01/2017 *Starred Review* Gall, creator of the smash hit Dinotrux series, now brings to life six working trains, along with a toy train that hauls LEGO-like people and wooden blocks around a model village. One day, “Mr. Fingers” inadvertently knocks the little train off the table and onto the floor, catapulting him into entirely new landscapes and adventures. The train spies a tunnel (a mouse hole) and travels behind the wall—depicted through a wonderfully realized sequence of long, wordless panels—until emerging outside. The small red locomotive proceeds to hop aboard a series of real trains, each showing him a different view of the wider world, before helping him back home. As with Dinotrux (2009), the digital artwork explodes with expressive vehicles, colorful landscapes (including farmland, desert, and mountain terrain), and panels and double-page spreads filled with action. His use of a corrugated cardboardlike texture unites the wooden world of the indoor train set with the real world. This well-plotted and suspenseful story of disruption, adventure, and a hero’s return will have massive appeal for all train-lovers, as it showcases the steam locomotive, cog railway engine, bullet train, and freight train, not to mention a crowded switching yard. The “More about Trains” page at the book’s end contains quick facts on these and other trains. Being little has never been so grand. - Copyright 2017 Booklist. Loading...
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