The Little Red Caboose

Seri Gajah Putih

by Marian Potter, Tibor Gergely

All aboard for the timeless classic about the littler red caboose with the big ambition!

This classic Little Golden Book, originally published in 1953, tells the tale of a charming red caboose who wants nothing more than to be as popular as the big steam engine at the front of the train. Boys and girls will love the inspiring tale by Marian Potter and the colorful illustrations by Tibor Gergely.

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Fiction, Classics, Trains, Transport, Kids

24 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1953

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic tale of trying harder - excellent book for small children. There is often a point where we all feel as if it would be better just to quit; that the goal we are trying to reach is unreachable. TLRC is one of the first lessons I can remember reading as a small child that taught me that you have to keep trying - a lesson well learned!

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

My nephew keeps bringing these Little Golden Books to be read. The story is quaint. I think people are excited to see the Caboose because it means the train has finally cleared the railroad crossing. It's funny to see how excited kids get about a train in this book.

The art is bright and sunny. The nephew thought it was a good book. He gave it 4 stars.

[Jessaka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't read this book; I didn't have to because my little brother read it out loud over and over and over and over again. He had memorized the book. Think of sitting in a car with him on a long trip. But maybe it wasn't that he was quoting from this book but from a song he had somehow learned:

Little red caboose
Chug chug chug
Little red caboose
Chug chug chug
Little red caboose behind the train train train.
Goin' down the track
Track track track
Smokestack in the back
Back back back
Little red caboose behind the train.

I miss trains. I even miss Greyhound buses. But I really miss trains. If one came through our town I would tell my husband that we have to ride all over America. We would see the backside of towns and the country, even though it doesn't look like early America anymore, and by that I mean, the 1940s and 50s. Who took away our trains and our train tracks? I want to know who to blame?

You could walk around on trains, go to the lounge or whatever it was called. You could even sleep in little bunk beds. And most of all if you were not on a train you could hear them whistle as they went through your town.

And who took away Greyhound and those Discover Ameri-passes that people would buy that allowed them to go anywhere in America in a month for just $50? Well, $50 in the 60s. You could get on and off anywhere you liked and stay in a town for as long as you wanted. Who did this? Who destroyed Greyhound?

I remember stepping over men's feet whenever I walked back to the restrooms. But you know, you had leg room, and you could go to the bathroom whenever you liked. You didn't have to fasten your seat belt and wait an hour for your plane to land and then discover you needed to use the restroom. You didn't have to wear granny pants because you were afraid that you might wet your pants before the plane landed, and if you did, the stewardess would throw you off the plane over the ocean.

I really miss America.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, I'm going to sound like I'm about 50 years older than I am, but there's something about these "boomer" children's books that's missing in today's literature. I like that this book's lesson is that it's okay to not be the flashy, noticeable one all the time. If you do your job, and you do it well, then that is enough to keep the whole train from destruction. It's a lesson in humility and pride in ones talents, be they extraordinary or simple.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story with vibrant illustrations, and a moral about being important and feeling needed. I think all kids feel like the caboose some days.

[Skylar Burris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This classic Golden Book is simple, easy to read, and not too wordy. It's a cute story in which the little red caboose discovers his calling in life. My daughter wanted it read repeatedly.

[John Yelverton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book as a child. It only makes me sad that there are no more cabooses on trains anymore.

[David Sarkies · Rating 4 out of 5]

The little things make all the difference
12 February 2012

Well, with an average rating of 4/5 and 439 reviews I have a feeling that people won't necessarily consider me a 'cheat' by adding this book to my list and including a review. I do remember reading this book as a child and I since read through it again because my brother (who has a mental age of 10) had it sitting next to his computer. I believe my brother has an almost complete collection of Little Golden Books (and if I add all of them I am sure I can bump my read number up substantially, but I won't, though I think I might add one more and that is it).

Granted, this is a kid's book and my brother likes it because it is about trains. Actually it is funny how my younger brother's interests seemed to have dominated us as kids. For a mentally handicapped bo, he was quite influential in our up bringing and we would actually mimic him in what we did. Maybe it has something to do with us 'normal' people (and I emphasise the quotes on that statement) are always aware and concerned of what others may think were as my brother simply does not give a toss. People like that can tend to have a significant influence on those around them.

Anyway, this book is about how even the smallest of us can have a significant role to play in society (gee, I did not realise that I would turn a Little Golden Book into an allegorical text, but I would not be surprised if a lot of them are allegorical so that children are able to understand the complex lessons). To me, the train represents society and the caboose is the smallest carriage at the end of the train and he is depressed because nobody pays any attention to him. However, as the train attempts to climb a steep mountain (trains in reality don't do that), it starts slipping so the caboose slams on his breaks and begins to push with all his might. The train gets over the hill and the caboose becomes a hero.

Yes, it is allegorical in that the reader (usually a child) identifies with the caboose, and when the caboose confronts a challenge the caboose does not give up, but does what he does best, and overcomes the challenge. This is to tell our children that nothing is ever to high, or too difficult, that without willpower we will not be able to overcome it. Just remember the words of the little red caboose 'I think I can, I think I can'!

[booklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been a favorite at our house for years. In fact, when they were only 3 and 2 my older daughter was the The Little Engine That Could (a book she loved and had memorized before she learned to read) and my young daughter was The Little Red Caboose for Halloween. My husband made them these little cardboard boxes painted up to look like railway cars to fit over their shoulders. They were dressed in overalls and wore stripped railway hats. The girls couldn’t wear them for long or walk very far because even though they were lightweight they were still awkward, but they were as cute as could be. We took plenty of pictures and since they weren’t too keen on trick or treating yet, they stood at our front door and helped hand out candy and were a real hit with those who came to our house.

The Little Red Caboose thinks he has no value because he comes at the end of the train and no one notices him. He thinks he wants to be a big engine or freight car and be important. This is a story about discovering your own value, that size is not what matters, and neither is position or what others think. What matters is realizing that we each have intrinsic value as a function of our being as well as something to offer and sooner or later we will be shown what those are if we hold the faith.

[midnightfaerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little Golden book that brought me back to my childhood. A great book for train lovers, with brightly colored pictures and not too many words. Good for a new reader, or just something to read out loud.

[Dustyloup · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit I was disappointed by this. :/
I had fond memories of it and it just seemed blah story wise. Apparently I just focused on the pictures and the idea of feeling less important / not as strong as the others, but it just seemed... Hollow.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for my young son because I remembered having a copy when I was a kid (no, it wasn't a first edition copy). And also because my son has caught my husband's train-craziness.

This book is about the perfect length for reading to Preschoolers. The text per illustrations is pretty light, and, while longer in places, the additional length adds emphasis. It is easy to understand the caboose's internal and external conflict, and, therefore, both resolutions.

The artwork is stunning, which is what I remembered about my copy. It is absolutely perfect for young train-lovers.

[Squishy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books because I like it's name so I really like it lots. I like the pictures of the kids and animals. I like all of the nature in the pictures. I liked that the caboose stopped the train so it wouldn't fall down the hill. So I like it so much!

[Katie]

this book is so cute! some of my children really really like this book not all but some. I think that it can be good for heloing children find some understnanding of others emotions and make some connections to their own lives.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the books I purchased for our plane trip to Atlanta, I had a childhood flashback when I saw the illustration of boats at the park. I realized I had this book as a child - very odd sensation. Tommy didn't want to read this book, at first,, but he loved it once we got around to it.

[Tommy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the books I purchased for our plane trip to Atlanta, I had a childhood flashback when I saw the illustration of boats at the park. I realized I had this book as a child - very odd sensation. Tommy didn't want to read this book, at first,, but he loved it once we got around to it.

[Aik Kielch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another of our 19 month olds favorite books. There is so much to point out in the pictures. She points out the train signals and gates and we talk about up and down. It is just a great story with super illustrations.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations

[Valerie]

I recently lighted on a trove of Little Golden Books.

I'd entirely forgotten The Little Red Caboose, and expect to be pleasantly surprised. I remember it as a book to take in a car, for when you're stopped at a railroad crossing.

The background scenes are really the star of the story. I can understand the objections to the stereotypical presentations of Native Americans in the story. In fact, it's worse than it seems. At the time the book came out, people were being beaten in schools for speaking their own languages or practicing their hereditary arts. There were doubtless people who would have LIKED to be living the kind of lifestyle that is depicted in this book, but who were forbidden to do so.

I've encountered people who knew the 'code talkers' of WWII, for example, who have commented on how ironic the code talkers thought it was that they were paid to speak languages they were punished for speaking in school. And in the making of Dances with Wolves, Kevin Costner was not the only cast member to break a leg. Probably it's lucky that none of the extras broke their necks. They were trying to reproduce the famous equestrian exploits of their ancestors: but they no longer knew any of the methods of training that had made those exploits possible.

There may have been an evil sort of logic in denying the various tribes the right to teach and learn traditional arts (though in many cases the 'tradition' was only a few generations old when the tribes were forced onto reservations). If your goal is to destroy people (or to force them to assimilate to the invaders' ways), destroying the skills and techniques which made them ascendant in their own land (or the lands they'd been driven to by earlier 'colonization') would be an effective means of destroying their ability to resist.

Anyway, the foreground subject of the book ('do the best you can in your assigned role in life'), is more than a little condescending: and yet there's a good argument for it. The caboose is NOT less important than all the more glamorous cars, and proves its worth, at least in the efficacy of its brakes. And those who decry the usefulness of brakes will get an important reminder in this book.

It's a pity there are no more cabooses.

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 3 out of 5]

The railway equals progress and the 1950s world of The Little Red Caboose is optimistic progress at its very Eisenhowerian best. Everyone is smiling and happy and going some place. It's an American trip. Although there are several scenes with castles tucked away in the distance, which is obviously more European. Ignore those castles, it's definitely still 1953 America. There's a pesky lack of diversity though, which reflects 1953 as well (except for the Native Americans, but that's a whole other issue).

The Little Red Caboose is probably not as iconic as The Little Engine That Could, but the story is still sweet. The illustrations (even without the diversity) are gentle and happy.

What this world really needs is the return of the caboose. Kids need cabooses to wave at, to remind them about going places,and to take their love out into the world. The little red caboose is no more, and that's a sad thing.

[Shawna Sachs · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Little Red Caboose is a cute book about a caboose that wants the children to notice and wave at him like they do to the coal, flat, oil, box cars, and the engine. When the train is going up a really tall hill the train starts to slip backwards and it is up the the little red caboose to save the train from going backwards which it does. Then a couple more engines come along to help the train up the hill. All of the towns people were grateful that the caboose was there to save the train now all the children save their biggest waves for the caboose. This book is short but it keeps the attention of young children. The pictures really help to keep the child's interest.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 18 month old loves this book. Some of the pages can be a little wordy for modern attention spans, but he sits still through the whole thing. Probably because there are lots of other things going on in the background of the pictures that he loves to look at and point out; airplanes, elephants, boats, etc.

I remember this book from when I was a child and I am delighted that my son enjoys it so much.

[Audrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

My 2-year old son sort of likes this book. He likes trains right now. The pictures are pretty good (but dated) and have enough familiar objects in them for him to recognize. The text on a few pages is a little too long for his attention span, but many other pages have very brief text. The story is inane. I really don't like to read it over and over.

[Roxanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story here is all right but it just feels a little dated in some of the dialogue and plot points. The art overall is great - love Tibor Gergely - but it's similarly dated, especially when the train goes up the mountain past the encampment of Native Americans. Overall still better than a lot of children's books written today, though, and if you have a train lover it's a must-have.

[The Celtic Rebel (Richard) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book when I was a kid. My children did too esp. my son who would read it over and over. The book is simple and the words are easy for kids to follow and even remember. The illustrations are great and the message of the book is a wonderful one for all children to learn: everyone is important, and sometimes you just have to try harder.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suppose this book is a classic, but neither I nor my nieces are very interested in it. We've read other books about trains, and other books about being helpful, but this one falls flat. I don't know why.

Like the use of repetition, though.

[Christa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another winner from Little Golden Books. My son actually quotes "a box car, a coal car, an oil car..." too cute! Keep in mind this story and pictures were written in a different time, try not to be offended by the stereotypical portrayal of the American Indians.

[Marissa Elera · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Little Golden Book classic from 1953, just 25 cents when it first was published, shows us the power of perseverance, and that we all have something to add to the world, even if we are a little red caboose. And that lesson is priceless!

[Dee-Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

An oldie but a goodie. My autistic son followed this story from beginnning to end, with "Life is a Highway' blaring away at the same time. You cant go wrong with trains, especially cute little red trains and he even tolerated the word 'caboose' instead of 'train'.

[jacky · Rating 3 out of 5]

William actually walked up to me with this book, and I got it because we were doing the letter R. When it was time to read it, William wasn't too interested, but Natalie enjoyed it once or twice. It was similar to The Little Engine that Could, but not just the same story with a new look.