Choo Choo
Horácek’s cheerful acrylic collage artwork shines in this small, beautifully designed board book about a train that carries cars full of smiling children to the beach. From the sound effects that begin the single line on each spread (Clack, clack, over the bridge) to the shaped pages that emphasize the curve of mountains or the spikes of treetops, this book begs for interaction. The text shows a thoughtful, poetic attention to sound and rhythm (Rumble, rumble, into the tunnel), and the train’s passage through an ink-black tunnel (It’s dark in here) to bright sunshine adds appealing dramatic contrasts. Like its companion volume, Beep Beep, about a car trip, this is an excellent example of a successful board book. Preschool. --Gillian Engberg