On the Train

Shine-a-Light Books

by Carron Brown

What can we spot on the train today?

Shine a light behind the page and see...

From the driver in his cab and engineers on the track, to stop-and-go signals and all kinds of trains, each page-turn will take you behind the scenes of a busy rail journey.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Nonfiction, Trains, Transport

36 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[Kathryn]

Such a cool idea! This book is perfect for those reading-under-the-covers-with-a-flashlight moments :-)

[Sara]

I highly recommend the Secrets of Animal Camouflage and The Human Body Shine-a-Light books, but this one doesn't do it for me. All of the information seems very surface level, which is a weird complaint for a children's picture book, I know, but it just...didn't work for me. Or for the preschool kids I read it to. They lost interest in it and only wanted to keep reading because of the gimmick of the flashlight. It was like...the educational content (alongside the vague pictures) is not tangible enough for the kids to really grasp it or connect it to anything else. They needed to be older to understand it, but if they were older this would be too simple for them. And it would still be poorly explained. The facts kept jumping from one thing to the next and didn't seem connected.

A young train enthusiast might appreciate this simply because of the topic, but there are much better educational train books out there and, again, much better Shine-a-Light books.

[Hanna Hibbs]

This book was about how a train works and the different parts of the train. First it started by explaining the railroad station and how it is bustling with activity. It then asks about how the train is checked and tested by maintenance workers. Next it talks about the conductor and why he blows his whistle on the platform and how to board the train. The train moves out of the station and tickets are checked. The train goes really fast and then makes a stop and passes a freight train. After continuing along, the train is burning coal the entire way in the engine and passes a different kind of train, an electric train. The train can change directions and then stops to roll a food cart on board. The train passes through towns and on its way to its last stop, the conductor announces that it is almost time to leave. The train has arrived in the city and it is time to get off for this trip. The major theme of this book is to allow kids to be familiar with the ins and outs of trains and how they work. It also allows kids to understand more about traveling by train.
I liked this book because it was interactive and one fun thing that it had was, if you shined a flashlight through the back of the page you were reading, there would be other images revealed. For example, in the beginning it would show the insides of the train like the engine. And then towards the end of the book it would show what was in the luggage and crates that were coming off the train. On each of these interactive pages it would ask a question to prompt the reader to use a flashlight to look at the hidden images. I thought this was a cool way to add interactive reading into the book and allow readers to be engaged. I thought it was interesting if you liked learning more about how trains worked but it was more informational than a story with characters. Because of the lack of narrative aspect, I only gave the book a 3/5 stars but it was very informational and I did enjoy the interactive part of the book. I would recommend this book for older elementary aged kids who were interested in learning about trains or traveling on a train and had never been.

[Katherine]

My son is definitely too young but did enjoy the onomatopoeia. Even small babies might enjoy this as there are pages in black and white as well as ones that are in colour. Definitely older kids will enjoy being able to hold up the pages to see through. As a parent, I enjoy the fact that it has the correct terms (viaduct and pantograph for example) and is educational.

[Matthew]

What a fun concept! I've been reading this with my train-loving son and it's such a gentle narrative way to present nonfiction. The shine-a-light concept was fun for my son and it worked with the brightness of the flashlight feature on my cellphone. My guy loved it and learned some basics about trains along the way.

[Jason Prodoehl]

This was a fun read, and our nephew, just about to turn 5, loved it. He asked for it several days in a row. The using of a flashlight to see what's inside or behind certain pages, makes it interactive and fun for children that are usually not into books. Looking forward to exploring the series.

[Emerson and Theodore]

Gift from miss melodye.

[Anthony]

This book covers interesting facts about all different types of trains, and how they work, and are used in everyday life.

[Sarah Newman]

Fun concept and interesting facts. Very popular with the smol human.

[Sarah]

An engaging book that teaches about different trains and jobs related to the railroad. Shine a light on the backside of the page to see what images are inside buildings and rail cars.

[Carrie]

I love all the Usbourne Shine-a-Light books. They are very educational and reveal hidden secrets when using light behind the pages!

[Lindsay Lodge]

This book gets an extra star from me for having a picture of a cat.

[Chrisanne]

It isn't anyone's favorite but the was an interest thing more than a book thing.

[Katy]

Too many words for a book that requires a flashlight

[Barbara]

Readers can use a flashlight or hold the book up to a reading lamp in order to see more elements of the train that is passing through the book's pages. They can note the conductor, maintenance workers, and what goes on inside the engine. The book's pages are colorful, and on the reverse side of each page is a black and white drawing of some of what has been described on the previous page. Originally published in the United Kingdom, even the book's endpapers feature railroad tracks.

[Angela Meas]

I received this book for hosting an Usborne party. These books are very involved, the shine a light books don't seem to have much of a story, they're more informative and explanatory and seriously take effort to read while holding a child and a flashlight and a book...

It may be awhile before my son can sit still enough to really enjoy and understand this book. It's just too involved for his attention span right now.

[Jim Erekson]

This was an engaging graphic design concept. The 'shine a light' is accomplished by having black background on every page back, with the illustration in unprinted white (negative space). When holding the page up to the light, the image shows through! A lot of fun for a visual gimmick.

The text was very basic, and just set up the visual trick.

[Anne]

This is an informative book for all those little people who love trains. And it has the fun novelty of needing a flashlight, which is a tool every kid I've ever known has enjoyed playing with.