Tag Archives: train

377G: Young boy makes maps

1 Reply

This fiction book set in Butte Montana. A young boy makes amazing maps and illustrations and a teacher, I think, submits them to a national magazine and for years he makes these amazing illustrations and they don’t know it’s a kid. Eventually they give him an award and he doesn’t know how to get there (I think the teacher doesn’t want the secret revealed) so he hides on a train (this turns into kind of a magical time warp train ride) and goes to Washington DC. 
I think it must have been published prior to 2010? Around there or before.

369R: Steam locomotive explodes when boy covers steam pipe with bandana

Leave a reply

I’m trying to track down an illustrated children’s book, here’s what I remember from the story:

– The story is about a steam locomotive operator (a boy or young man)

– At some point, he wants to either eat lunch or take a nap near the train

– However, he is bothered by the noise of the steam coming out of the train

– To solve this, he puts something over the steam valve (I’m pretty sure it’s either a lunch bag or a hat/bandana)

– This blocks the steam from escaping from the train and causes it to explode

– I’m pretty sure the book mentions nobody could find him (maybe they find his hat or some article of clothing?)

Thanks!!

317T: The US Constitution for Children

Leave a reply

It was a fairly thin book, maybe 10” x 10” with a blue/green hard cover.
It portrayed the constitution as a locomotive engine pulling the Bill of Rights, each amendment represented by a train car featuring an explanation.  Probably published about 55 years ago.  Most interesting book and format to help a kid (me) understand the document.

294V: A locomotive in my living room

Leave a reply

A children’s book my parents read to me in the 1950s, about a family and a model train that somehow gets out of hand.  At one point the mother comes into the room and demands:

“To whom am I to be grateful, to whom,

For a locomotive in my living room?”

I have no idea whether or not the rest of the book rhymed, or what its title was, but that couplet has been in my head for approximately 60 years.

281H: Locomotive explodes when steam valve is blocked!

Leave a reply

I’m trying to track down an illustrated children’s book, here’s what I remember from the story:

– The story is about a steam locomotive operator (a boy or young man)

– At some point, he wants to either eat lunch or take a nap near the train

– However, he is bothered by the noise of the steam coming out of the train

– To solve this, he puts something over the steam valve (I’m pretty sure it’s either a lunch bag or a hat)

– This blocks the steam from escaping from the train and causes it to explode

– I’m pretty sure the book mentions nobody could find him (maybe they find his hat or some article of clothing?)

Thanks!!

237C: “Always keep a spoon with you…”

2 Replies

I have been thinking about this book a lot lately. No idea of the title.
The story (fiction) was about a young child (girl? boy?) who went on a train ride with someone? something? else, and was offered some jam — or marmalade — to try. However, the young child did not have any utensil to use to dip into the marmalade. This is the part that has stuck with me to this day: the companion gave the advice to the child “…always keep a spoon with you, because you never know when someone will offer you something to try” — or words to that effect.
This advice made a major impression on my young mind, and to this day I always carry a metal spoon with me.
I would love to read this story again. Would you help me find it?

226A: Picture book of toys

1 Reply

It is a children’s hard page book. I had it in 1987. The lines that I can remember are:
Look at all of baby’s toys!
Big ones and little ones
Shiny toys and cuddly toys
Some to push and some to pull
Toot Toot! Here comes the truck.
Choo choo! Here comes the train
Ok – that’s all I got. 🙂 I know this is a long shot. It was my daughter’s favorite book – and she just had my first granddaughter. It would be such a great treat if I could find this book!
Thank you!