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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think I'm finally done reading this now...until I have grandkids.
Didn't realize how long this book / advanced the words in it actually were until rereading it for my son. I'm not sure how I read it in kindergarten
Fun and bright! We love doing the chug-a-chug sound to "I think I can, I think I can."
The best part of this story is learning about the author - Watty Piper.
Definitely worth a google.
Definitely worth a google.
This story and its "I think I can..." chant is fairly ubiquitous in our culture. Yet, despite knowing the story well, I am 95% sure that I never read the actual book when I was a kid. I picked it up this past month for the first time with my 11 month-old daughter.
The story is fine... but the gendered aspects are pretty fascinating. In this version, the little engine is a girl, but a quick google search says that the little engine has been both a boy and a girl in past versions, as far back as 1930. For the sake of this review, we'll roll with the little engine being a girl, which is haroled as an empowering narrative. I'm going to push back against this. This story shows two (three, if you count the old engine) large male engines, who, despite the fact that they have more resources and privilege, refuse to help others... just can't be bothered. So a small, girl engine comes along and puts her whole heart and body into helping others. If this isn't an allegory for the mismatched energy that women and men put into the labour of communal care, I don't know what is.
I also really dislike Santat's illustrations in this version. Not sure why, they just bother me. And the clown sucks and isn't funny. 2/5 stars.
The story is fine... but the gendered aspects are pretty fascinating. In this version, the little engine is a girl, but a quick google search says that the little engine has been both a boy and a girl in past versions, as far back as 1930. For the sake of this review, we'll roll with the little engine being a girl, which is haroled as an empowering narrative. I'm going to push back against this. This story shows two (three, if you count the old engine) large male engines, who, despite the fact that they have more resources and privilege, refuse to help others... just can't be bothered. So a small, girl engine comes along and puts her whole heart and body into helping others. If this isn't an allegory for the mismatched energy that women and men put into the labour of communal care, I don't know what is.
I also really dislike Santat's illustrations in this version. Not sure why, they just bother me. And the clown sucks and isn't funny. 2/5 stars.
reread for read a thon. One of my favorite books. Cole simply calls this his train book. He loves it.
I read this book to my grandson. He thoroughly enjoyed it. A great book for young and old alike to have confidence in what you can do if you don't give up.