Subway Story

by Julia Sarcone-Roach

Never was there a subway car who loved her job more than Jessie. From morning to night she carried all sorts of people all sorts of places—to work and school and World's Fairs, over bridges and through tunnels—sometimes she even took a pigeon along for the ride! But as time passed, sleek new silver cars began to take over the tracks, banishing Jessie to an abandoned lot. What will she do with no passengers to carry? And where will she go now that she's no longer welcome on the tracks?

Based on the true story of 1960's-era subway cars that are now being used to create artificial reefs in the Atlantic, this stunningly illustrated second book from Julia Sarcone-Roach is sure to delight scuba diving historians and kids alike.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Historical Fiction, Transport, Trains, Kids, New York

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Julia Sarcone-Roach's animated short Call of the Wild has shown at numerous film festivals around the world. She attended the Rhode Island School of Design. This is her first book. Julia Sarcone-Roach lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

[Adam Kesner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly engrossing, completely beautiful, a children's book that doesn't pander to kids (or their parents). This is a rare find, a book with a message so skillfully woven into the (true) story that you don't feel like you're being hammered with it, while still having a strong enough voice to never feel wishy-washy. A TOTALLY unbiased review, this book is a 5 out of 5.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Viisi tähteä vaikutuksesta lapseen ja antoisasta yhteisestä lukukokemuksesta. Yritin etsiä suomenkielisiä metroaiheisia lastenkirjoja laihoin tuloksin. Tämä tuli vastaan englanninkielisiä vastaavia tutkiessa ja tulin tilanneeksi. Lievästi hankalaa kääntää sujuvasti ääneen lukiessa, mutta siihen tottuu ja puheesta tulee vähemmän tökkivää.

Kirja kertoo tositapahtumiin perustuvan tarinan Jessie-nimisestä metrovaunusta, joka tekniikan ikääntyessä siirretään ensin kuumien kesien ajaksi ja lopulta pysyvästi varikolle. Varikolla Jessien osia puretaan ja hänet kuljetetaan proomulla merelle ja pudotetaan pohjaan keinotekoiseksi koralliriutaksi.

Tarinan haikeaniloinen tunnelma näytti vaikuttavan lapseenkin, jota Jessien kohtalo aluksi itketti. Merenpohjan pimeys alkaa onneksi tuntua metrotunneleihin tottuneesta Jessiestä tutulta ja hän on onnellinen saadessaan olla osa merenpohjalla vilisevää elämää.

Kaipaisin suomeksikin enemmän lastenkirjoja, joissa kukaan ei ole tuhma tai jotka ovat jotenkin kokonaisvaltaisesti lempeitä ilman kamalia pahiksia. Vaikka on tässäkin pahis, ihminen, joka poistaa Jessien uudempien vaunujen tieltä (ja ehkä osin myös uudet hopeiset ja tehokkaat vaunut). Tosin Jessien elämänkaarta kuvataan jotenkin luonnollisen lempeästi ja niin, että eläköitymisen ajattelee olevan väistämätöntä. Lapsen kanssa lukiessa voi vaikka pohtia tätäkin teemaa ja sitä, mihin kaikki vanhat koneet yleensä päätyvät.

Kirjassa on kaunis kuvitus ja ulkoasu.

[Jessica Sheaffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Subway Story, received a “starred review” in The Horn Book Magazine in 2011. This charming picture book marries real events from historic New York with a sweet narrative about an animated train car that wants nothing more than to serve her urban community. In, Subway Story, Jessie, the train car makes her debut on the subway in New York City in the 1960’s. She goes through some transformations and repairs over the decades and finally, is put in retirement where she wonders what her fate will be. To Jessie’s surprise, she is loaded up on a barge with other retired train cars and pulled far from shore. Jessie is dropped to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean where she becomes the home for many ocean plants and animals. This book was based on the true story of subway cars from the 1960’s that were reused in their retirement as artificial reefs in the ocean.

Julia Sarcone-Roach, created beautiful illustrations using what appears to be water colors and acrylic paints. The images show depth and movement that pairs nicely with the text that describes how Jessie, the train loves to speed around curves and dive into tunnels. Sarcone-Roach uses onomatopoeia (Skreeet, baaaoom, splash, whooosh) to create a soundtrack for the text. She also uses a clever visual technique of giving the letters in the text an uneven appearance as if they’re jumping up and down on the train tracks and sloshing back and forth in the ocean.

Sharing this book with elementary readers would be a great way to teach them a little history while capturing their natural imagination.

[Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me this is a 3.5. This story is based on the true life fate of some old subway cars that have been stripped to their "skeleton" and plunged to the bottom of the ocean to be a base for artificial reefs. Such a cool starting point for a story, I was a bit disappointed that this wasn't a little more exciting. The story itself actually has potential: a subway car who loves the city and carrying people from place to place, ends up finding happiness at the bottom of the ocean with an entire "city" living inside her. I felt like certain parts of this story were too drawn out, while others weren't given enough time. At the same time, I love the concept, the illustrations are beautiful, and it's fantastic for a kid to imagine a subway car having a second life underwater.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Are you kidding me? A sweet subway is born and happily carries people all over her beloved city. Times change, she changes, and then one day she is retired. Then she is mostly taken apart and put on a barge. Will she ever see her beloved city again? Then a crane pushes her off the barge and she sinks to the bottom of the ocean and forms a coral reef. As my six year old said at the end, "I don't like that book." I think the author must think that it is somehow sweet to become a coral reef. My kid and I don't see it. Inspired by a true story doesn't help, either.

[Nadine in NY Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars


A charming and surprisingly melancholy story based on the real life subway cars built in the early 60s for the 1964 World's Fair in Queens and then decommissioned and "reefed" off the coast of Delaware in 2001.

Most of the book is about how proud the subway car, Jessie, is to be a subway car, and you feel surprisingly engaged.

When Jessie was born in St Louis, Missouri,
she weighed 75,122 pounds and was 51-1/2 feet long.
... She was a beautiful, shiny new subway car!

Jessie arrive at her new home in New York City and got to work right away.

Then suddenly there are a few pages where Jessie is confused and even a little scared when she is left alone in the train yard, no longer in service, and it's a bit melancholy. Sensitive children may feel REALLY bad for Jessie.

She thought about the people she had carried.
Did they notice that she was gone?

Jessie is loaded on a tug boat along with other decommissioned cars and dumped into the ocean, and I had to remind myself that this is just a subway car and it does not need to breathe and it will be just fine under the ocean.

It's a happy ending of sorts, since Jessie gets a new life as an artificial reef, home to thousands of sea creatures. But I couldn't help feeling sad for her. And I was kind of amazed that I was so invested in a picture book story about a subway car!


Also of note: the book describes a "crane" that lifts Jessie off the tug boat and drops her in the ocean. Tugboats DO often have cranes on them, that part is accurate, but the equipment pictures is NOT a "crane," it is a backhoe. So far as I know - and I am not an expert - but I know some little kids become "experts" on construction equipment, so some may notice - tugboats are used to transport backhoes, but backhoes are never used ON tugboats as shown in this book. I really love Sarcone-Roach's books and her art, and I'm disappointed that she got this detail wrong in a book that is so clearly well-researched and based on real life events.

If I had a reliable place to store photos online to share here, I would.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story based on history. Jessie was a real subway car was built in Missouri and activated in New York City conveying passengers and used during the New York World's Fair in the 60's. The subway car was used hard and performed well, was updated and repainted through 1978. But eventually the stress on her systems for heat and air conditioning put her out of service. Eventually she was taken apart and towed out to the ocean to be used as a place for fish and other aquatic life to settle on and grow.

The Art work is beautiful and vibrant. I did feel emotionally akin to Jessie as she worked hard and long only to be set aside and then dumped into the ocean. She had a much better outlook on her new life then most humans. May we all make peace with the life we live and the outcomes we encounter.

[Brandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m trying to take my personal beliefs about dumping subway cars into the ocean out of this but my bias may be coming into play. I didn’t like the tone of the book after reading the authors note at the end, giving the context and background for why subway cars have been used as rehabilitation reefs. This whole story left me with a confused face and spirit. I’m not sure it’s perfect for the intended audience. I really think had it been raised a few levels to middle grade then it would have been able to translate better but a picture book with wording for a 5-year-old just... I don’t know.

On a positive note, I had no idea this was a common practice and I really liked the information in the authors note regarding the international ideas for repurposing old subway cars.

[Elizabeth Cusick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story, it is about a subway car that was born in a city and then got to travel the world. She loved being near people and seeing all the places she got to go to. One day she went on a barge and set sail on the ocean but something happened and she fell off and landed at the bottom of the ocean floor. I think its kind of sad but now she is a home for fish

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A subway car lives her life from bright shiny and new until retired and eventually repurposed as a coral reef base. This would be an interesting one for a Train Day or a STEM storytime. We don't have subways in our town and we aren't right by the coast, but our storytime kids are definitely familiar with trains, and the big cities nearby do have subways too.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is inspired by a real subway car in New York City.
Fascinating how it was once pulled by a train carrying passengers and then was dumped off the coast of Delaware. It’s being used as an artificial reef for sea creatures!

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of a subway car and his eventual retirment. preschool and up for length and completxity. I liked that this book showed life after serving.

[Mills College Library]

Picture S2439u 2011

[Phobean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the personified subway, though I admit I'm a bit haunted by the idea of throwing old cars in the ocean as a "home for animals." Seems like something we'll look back on like: ???!!!

[kelly]

Cute book about sustainability and nyc based on a true story.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of those picture books that I found myself smiling throughout. It was so sweet.

[skcocnaH · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t know this happened to old subway cars!

[Liz Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never knew.. ! Sweet story and I learned something new!

[Madelyn Melton · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has a good "flow" to it and the themes presented could be taught in a classroom.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not knowing the backstory of the plot before reading, I was wholly surprised by the events that occurred at the end....and then to find out that it's based on a true story?? Crazy! A very interesting book, and a fun read for the kids. The subway car is portrayed quite relatably and I love her underlying desire to help others.

[wildct2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story of the life (and afterlife?) of a subway car. Includes resources at the back of the book.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jessie loves her job as a New York City subway car. She travels all across the city, carrying passengers and their possessions. But while Jessie is refurbished over the years, she eventually is considered obsolete and replaced by more modern cars. When she and some other cars are taken apart and put on a barge and towed out to sea, she knows it's the end. Instead, Jessie becames a haven for marine life. An Author's Note explains the story behind subway cars such as Jessie who provided transportation to the 1964 World's Fair and then were reefed years later, giving them a second lease on life. The acrylic paint illustrations are particularly beautiful on the pages that show the coral and fish that decide to use Jessie as their new home. The subway car is personified in a heart-rending style, and I found it hard to look at the page in which a crane pushes her off the barge into the water. It seems as though there could have been a gentler way to move Jessie to her new home. I want to know more about this practice, and I'm sure many young readers will be curious about it as well.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jessie is a subway car placed into service for the New York World’s Fair in the sixties. She loved her work carrying people back and forth across the city. She worked for many years, but, eventually, her lack of air conditioning and her worn seats resulted in her being decommissioned. Finally, Jessie was put to a new use, serving as the basis for rebuilding the reef in the ocean.

A gentle story of repurposing, of finding new uses for old things, for young children, told with lovely pictures. Reminiscent of one of my favorite children’s picture books, The Little House.

“The cars were loaded onto a barge in the river, and a tugboat pulled the barge out of the city harbor. As the waves got bigger, Jessie felt the breezes whistle through her empty windows. Curious fish peered up at them as the barge moved into the open ocean.

‘Will I ever get to see my city again?’ Jessie nervously thought.”

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on a true story, this picture book follows Jessie, a subway car, from her “birth” until her unusual ending. Jessie was a New York City subway car that carried people and things around the city. At first, she was new and shiny, but eventually she was covered in graffiti and then painted red. She kept on working, running on tracks around the city. Then she was used only in the winter because her fans could not keep up with the heat, and finally she wasn’t used any more. But Jessie’s travels and adventures were far from over! Whatever will happen to her when she is shipped by barge and taken far from land!

Read the rest of my review at Waking Brain Cells

[Shanshad Whelan · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this one isn't as lively a text as I might hope for . . . it's close to being a nonfiction history of a subway car, which was actually pretty fascinating in and of itself. Though I live in the city, I didn't know a lot of the details presented here. It's interesting to see how the trains changed over the years and to find out what's been happening to older model subway cars since. Reminds me of Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel in part, and nicely falls into the ranks of anthropomorphic vehicles.

Probably too complicated for a very young audience, but slightly older children may be intrigued to find out the history of this subway car, especially if they use the subway themselves.

[Lora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love picture books that are based in fact and like to walk that line between nonfiction and fiction. I like them because they are a great way to teach children in an interesting and not so preachy way. That is exactly what this book does. We learn about subway cars from the 1960s, this story gives a name and personality to one car making it that much more meaningful to the reader. These subway cars were used until they were too old to repair. Then they were dropped into the ocean off the coast of Delaware in 2001 and created an artificial reef.

This is a great book to use to each environmental issues and it captures children attention, even very young children. If I were a teacher I'd snatch this book up and start using it in my science curriculum every year!

[Scot Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

By Julia Sarcone-Roach
A story about a subway car named Jessie. The story begins at Jessie's creation and how the subway car changed over the years as well as the evolution of other cars. Jessie works hard carrying all kinds of people and items until his time is up. What happens to Jessie after he is replaced?

This book shows some characteristics of historical fiction by chronicling the evolution of subway cars and the city around them. The situations, other than a living subway car, are plausible. The book shows how different upgrades came along on subways from new doors and paint to new lights. The story shows relevancy to modern times and understandable by children because subways are still in use today and continue to undergo changes.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pros:
-love the endpapers-subway routes in front, underwater scene in back
-blue tones and light variation is nice, esp. when conveying mood
-people are plesantly indistinct
-pigeon scene: expression and lighting
-loved the sweep of repair scene, the arc across the page, depiction of time passing
-seasons and weather well done, too
-color and light again important in underwater scenes (one fish...)
-smudginess of reef is beautiful
-expressive "face" on subway car
-nice handling of "death"
-mosaics

Cons:
-underground scene confused me
-white words on pale colors doesn't work well

[Sandybear76 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book and immediately gave it to the first grade teacher. Her class is doing community service by learning about recycling. The book tells the story of a subway car who carried tourists to the World Fair and then through the city of lots of years. As she gets older, she is stored till one day she finds people taking her doors off. She is dropped in the ocean to become a new reef for the fish. The first grade teacher was happy to hear about the book but it also fit into her curriculum for long ago.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gorgeously illustrated picture book inspired by the true story of a real subway car. Sensitive children (and grown-ups) may wipe away a tear as Jessie goes from transporting the people of New York to becoming part of a reef in the Atlantic Ocean. But Jessie makes the best of her adventures and, even under-water, becomes an integral part of her new community.