Module 2- The Little Engine that Could

Book Cover Image:

Book Summary:

When the train carrying toys and good food for all of the boys and girls breaks down before reaching the other side of the mountain, the toys try to find another train to finish the journey and take them to the good boys and girls on the other side of the mountain.  They ask several different trains of all shapes and sizes, but none are willing to take the toys and the good food the rest of the way.  Finally, the Little Blue Engine comes along, and agrees to try to make the rest of the journey even though she had never been to the other side of the mountain before.  Because of the determination of the Little Blue Engine, the toys and the good food are delivered to the good boys and girls on the other side of the mountain.

APA Reference for the Book:

Piper, W. (1981). The little engine that could. New York, NY: Platt & Munk, Publishers.

Impressions:  

This story offers a great lesson for children.  Through the Little Blue Train, children are encouraged to persevere through tough situations or unfamiliar circumstances.  They even learn the great phrase "I think I can-I think I can- I think I can" that is catchy, easy to remember, and encouraging.  Even though this book is a classic, the illustrations still appeal to the children of today due to the great quality of the illustrations as well as the bright colors that are used.  This story also appeals to children that are familiar with a certain character  that brings toys and treats during the night to the houses of good boys and girls, and they can easy understand how disappointed the children will be if the toys are not delivered since they know how they would feel if they didn't receive toys on this special night of the year.  This increases the children's interest in the story as well as their desire to see the toys and the treats reach their destination and for the Little Blue Train to succeed in helping with this journey.  

Professional Review:

School Library Journal ( September 01, 2005; )

PreS-Gr 2-This classic tale has been re-released with updated illustrations and a larger format. The text remains the same. The art, done with acrylics, is stylized and still retains a bit of an old-fashioned flavor. Nevertheless, the '30s look is definitely gone. In its place, readers will find artwork suggestive of a retro '50s look. As with the original, the clown takes center stage. His outfit, however, has changed from green polka dots to red pants, yellow shirt, and a colorful stocking cap. The text, with its, "I think I can, I think I can" refrain, is a timeless piece of children's literature and so familiar that it needs no elaboration. It's hard to improve upon a classic, and one advantage that the traditional edition has over this one is that the quaint and sentimental text pairs nicely with the "antique" artwork. The modern illustrations undoubtedly work better with a group but they have a faux feel to them. As such they are a little out of sync with the prim and proper style of writing in the story about the "good little boys and girls on the other side of the mountain [who will be] without the wonderful toys to play with and the good food to eat-." Nevertheless, this is an acceptable purchase, especially for those libraries without a copy of the first edition or larger libraries wishing to collect all versions of classic tales.-Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Burg, R. (2005). The little engine that could review. School Library Journal, Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/

Library Uses:

Have a "From Print to the Big Screen" movie day at the library.  Before the movie, read the children the story of The Little Engine that Could, followed by The Little Engine that Could movie from 2011 with the voices of Whoopi Goldberg, and Jamie Lee Curtis.