Locomotive

Locomotive by Brian Floca. Atheneum Books, 2013. ISBN 978-1-4169-9415-2

Reader's Annotation: A telegram dated May 10, 1869, and addressed to Elizabeth Peckham in Omaha reads: "All is ready in California. Come West as soon as you are able. Love, Papa". Climb aboard with the Peckham family as they ride the new Trans-Continental Railroad westward.

Summary: "Here is a road made for crossing the country, a new road of rails made for people to ride". Locomotive opens with these lines, and readers embark on a journey full of fascinating details about how the Trans-Continental Railroad was built, the crews that man the trains, the nuts and bolts of how steam trains run, the landscape and landmarks along the rails from Omaha to San Francisco, and what it was like to travel by rail in the 1860's.

Told from the perspective of a mother and her two children, this informational narrative includes glimpses of a vanished America. As they travel through the Great Plains, over the Rocky Mountains, across the Great Basin, and up and over the Sierra Nevada to the Pacific Ocean, Floca has created an account of the steam era like no other. 

Critical Evaluation: Not only are Floca's illustrations full of movement and detail, they realistically depict this period in our nation's history when steam engines were driving industry and speeding up the pace of life. Floca's muted palette perfectly represents the dusty, smoky environment of train yards and stations, as well as the parched landscape of the West.

The text contains an incredible amount of information, but is broken into short paragraphs interwoven with the illustrations, which provides resting points between segments - very important for newly independent readers. Floca uses italics, typefaces varying in style and size, and many instances of onomatopoeia to create a complete, multi-sensory experience.



With so many entry points for children with varying interests, this book will appeal to far more readers than a typical book about trains. History, engineering, mechanical principles, geography, travel, and of course railroads are all included in this account of trans-continental transportation at its start.

Age or Interest Level: Ages 4 to 10

Lexile Level: 840L

Awards: 2014 Caldecott Medal; ALA Notable Children's Books; Robert F. Sibert Award Honor Book; NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book, NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing

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Why Included? Locomotive is a wonderful example of informational text at its best. There is so much that can be learned from the writing, and so many details to examine in the illustrations, that you feel almost as if you had ridden the rails yourself. Floca's narrative voice is warm and engaging, particularly when giving advice to young travelers, like when he suggests, "If the chicken tastes like prairie dog, don't ask why". This book is charming from beginning to end.