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Time Train
On a class trip to Dinosaur National Monument in Utah, Miss Pym and her class are whisked back to prehistoric times by a mysterious train. "This you-are-there fantasy is a dream come true."--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. School Liibrary Journal Best Book of 1991. Full color.
32 pages, Library Binding
First published September 1, 1991
84 people want to read
About the author
Paul Fleischman
66 books195 followers Paul Fleischman grew up in Santa Monica, California. The son of well-known children's novelist Sid Fleischman, Paul was in the unique position of having his famous father's books read out loud to him by the author as they were being written. This experience continued throughout his childhood.
Paul followed in his father's footsteps as an author of books for young readers, and in 1982 he released the book "Graven Images", which was awarded a Newbery Honor citation.
In 1988, Paul Fleischman came out with "Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices", an unusually unique collection of poetry from the perspective of insects. This book was awarded the 1989 John Newbery Medal. Factoring in Sid Fleischman's win of the John Newbery Medal in 1987 for his book "The Whipping Boy", Paul and Sid Fleischman became to this day the only father and son authors to both win the John Newbery Medal.
Paul followed in his father's footsteps as an author of books for young readers, and in 1982 he released the book "Graven Images", which was awarded a Newbery Honor citation.
In 1988, Paul Fleischman came out with "Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices", an unusually unique collection of poetry from the perspective of insects. This book was awarded the 1989 John Newbery Medal. Factoring in Sid Fleischman's win of the John Newbery Medal in 1987 for his book "The Whipping Boy", Paul and Sid Fleischman became to this day the only father and son authors to both win the John Newbery Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
December 7, 2016
Like a mash-up of Magic Schoolbus and Chris Van Allsburg (I'm thinking Jumanji). I can absolutely see why some kids would love it and read it over and over. Unfortunately it didn't do much for me.
But it could well be used in school to introduce a unit on geological history. As a class exercise, students could make the timeline and route for the train more in proportion to accurate reality.
But it could well be used in school to introduce a unit on geological history. As a class exercise, students could make the timeline and route for the train more in proportion to accurate reality.
May 17, 2016
It's about a train. That travels through time. And meets dinosaurs. In other words, it's basically crack for 4-year-old boys. Would be 5 stars if it was longer and a little more meaty. As it is, I've been roped into about eleventy billion games of "time train" over the past couple weeks that this precipitated.
May 17, 2017
Science fiction
time train by paul Fleischman
Time train is a science fiction book about Miss Pym who takes her students on field trip to Utah. They are on a train to learn about dinosaurs. This story is imaginary and the students are able to see dinosaurs in person and interact with them. The illustrations are a huge part of the story and could tell a story by themselves. This is a very fun and beautifully colored book.
This book is a short story about Miss Pym about taking her students on a field trip to Utah.They are on a train The Rocky Mountain Limited to learn about dinosaurs. The train trip was unusual from the start and with the passenger's getting on, their food, environment and weather. They then get to there stop and are able to see dinosaurs and interact with them. 4/5 stars for me!
time train by paul Fleischman
Time train is a science fiction book about Miss Pym who takes her students on field trip to Utah. They are on a train to learn about dinosaurs. This story is imaginary and the students are able to see dinosaurs in person and interact with them. The illustrations are a huge part of the story and could tell a story by themselves. This is a very fun and beautifully colored book.
This book is a short story about Miss Pym about taking her students on a field trip to Utah.They are on a train The Rocky Mountain Limited to learn about dinosaurs. The train trip was unusual from the start and with the passenger's getting on, their food, environment and weather. They then get to there stop and are able to see dinosaurs and interact with them. 4/5 stars for me!
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May 9, 2021In this historical fiction picture book, a class takes a field trip back in time to observe living dinosaurs in their natural habitat. Riding a mysterious strain, the Rocky Mountain Unlimited the class ventures into prehistoric time. A comic adventure where Miss Pym and her class scramble dinosaur eggs for breakfast, go stegosaurus-back riding, paradactyl gliding, and play soccer with their giant reptilian friends. I enjoyed this book. It was fun to read and the pictures were very well done and added to the story. I would recommend this book to children ages 5 to 8 years old who enjoy adventure and dinosaurs. Diversity included children of different ethnicities.
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June 25, 2019Summary: In this book, the students are on a class trip to Dinosaur National Monument in Utah. Miss Pym and her class are time traveling back to prehistoric times by a mysterious train. What do they find as they go through the museum?
Review: Students are interested in what happened back then with dinosaurs, this would be the book for them. If students are curious and how to see and be apart of prehistoric times, this is the book for them. This allows students to be curious and aspire to the world around them.
Review: Students are interested in what happened back then with dinosaurs, this would be the book for them. If students are curious and how to see and be apart of prehistoric times, this is the book for them. This allows students to be curious and aspire to the world around them.
March 17, 2021
"Time Train" is a story written by Paul Fleischman and illustrated by Claire Ewart. The genre of this story is fantasy as the children travel west to prehistoric times to study dinosaurs. There was no back story and a very short introduction to the story. The setting of the story takes place first at the train station, which then the characters are on a train, to then being dropped off at their destination with the dinosaurs in Utah. The illustrations in the story are very enticing. The illustrator did a nice job at creating emotion within the characters and using vibrant colors to make the pictures come off the page. The book is set up with a formal arrangement with the text off to the side of the illustrations. This book was published in 1991 so it is an older book. I thought it was a cute story, but I just wish there was more. Many of the pages only had a small amount of text, I wish there would have been more detail or description. Overall I loved the illustrations and would maybe recommend this to a lower elementary student.
December 2, 2017
Genre:Traditional Literature
Grade:3-5
Liked how they went to see actual dinosaurs on their field trip. The story was very cute and the pictures definitely backed up the story. Without the pictures I would have been lost.This was a nice upper elementary level picture book.
Grade:3-5
Liked how they went to see actual dinosaurs on their field trip. The story was very cute and the pictures definitely backed up the story. Without the pictures I would have been lost.This was a nice upper elementary level picture book.
January 23, 2018
A field trip on a train takes a dramatic turn. See the adventures that area had when the train goes through time as well as across the country.
March 8, 2018
Great book to use for a picture walk to make inferences.
April 25, 2019
A comical and adventurous book about a Spring Break class field trip to the heart of prehistoric times thanks to the Rocky Mountain Unlimited train.
May 5, 2019
I’m using this for a grade 2 PYP unit “Where we are in place and time”. The kids responded positively to the story. It’s ok...pairs well with Magic Tree House.
December 2, 2021
I enjoyed this book , It reminded me about the book Where the Wild Things Are because of the illustrations.
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June 22, 2022BookTree
Both really liked
Both really liked
August 19, 2023
What a fun and creative book, going back in time to see dinosaurs. Love it!
February 15, 2013
I chose this book, first of all, because I am exploring the work of Paul Fleischman. I am most familiar with Fleischman's Seedfolks and Whirligig. He tells fascinating stories and seems to like to tell the same story from several viewpoints. I wondered whether this patterns would carry over into his picture books.
This books begins as a realistic but fictional account of a field trip for Ms. Pym's class. It jumps right into the action through dialogue (which is another pattern in Fleischman's work). The students and teacher are directed to a train (the UNLIMITED -- hint, hint) that will take them to Utah--to the Dinosaur National Monument. We soon realize that this is not so much realistic fiction as fantasy because as the train moves west, it is also moving back in time. But the reader has to make that inference as Fleischman (and Ewart, the illustrator) show us what is happening at various stops along the way. At their destination, the class has a very realistic experience with the dinosaurs, and we see how each child (depending on their interests and talents) takes a different perspective on what they are seeing -- and makes a unique contribution to this field trip/inquiry about dinosaurs (another Fleischman pattern). When they return home, they have quite a bit to report to their parents.
So What? I love this mixture of reality and fantasy, and the illustrations are just the right combination of whimsy and realism to support the story. I enjoyed watching the illustrations of the teacher throughout.... Although there is some info about dinosaurs, there's not much detail. This is mostly an engaging story about possibilities. It does suggest how these kids were "scientists/inquirers," and I think that is worth helping kids notice.
Now what? I see this book as a fun read, especially for kids who are already interested in dinosaurs (that means all kids, I think). Great read aloud! Great book for inferences because the illustrations sometimes complete the idea in the text, and that gives us opportunities to say, "What do you think is happening?" "How do you know that?" "What is your textual evidence?" But don't let the efferent stance overpower the pure aesthetic fun the kids can have with this book!
This books begins as a realistic but fictional account of a field trip for Ms. Pym's class. It jumps right into the action through dialogue (which is another pattern in Fleischman's work). The students and teacher are directed to a train (the UNLIMITED -- hint, hint) that will take them to Utah--to the Dinosaur National Monument. We soon realize that this is not so much realistic fiction as fantasy because as the train moves west, it is also moving back in time. But the reader has to make that inference as Fleischman (and Ewart, the illustrator) show us what is happening at various stops along the way. At their destination, the class has a very realistic experience with the dinosaurs, and we see how each child (depending on their interests and talents) takes a different perspective on what they are seeing -- and makes a unique contribution to this field trip/inquiry about dinosaurs (another Fleischman pattern). When they return home, they have quite a bit to report to their parents.
So What? I love this mixture of reality and fantasy, and the illustrations are just the right combination of whimsy and realism to support the story. I enjoyed watching the illustrations of the teacher throughout.... Although there is some info about dinosaurs, there's not much detail. This is mostly an engaging story about possibilities. It does suggest how these kids were "scientists/inquirers," and I think that is worth helping kids notice.
Now what? I see this book as a fun read, especially for kids who are already interested in dinosaurs (that means all kids, I think). Great read aloud! Great book for inferences because the illustrations sometimes complete the idea in the text, and that gives us opportunities to say, "What do you think is happening?" "How do you know that?" "What is your textual evidence?" But don't let the efferent stance overpower the pure aesthetic fun the kids can have with this book!
December 16, 2012
Miss Pym’s class is going on a field trip to Dinosaur National Monument in Utah for spring vacation. At the train station in New York City Miss Pym buys 8 tickets from the ticket seller, who tells them if they really want to learn about dinosaurs, they should take the Rocky Mountain Unlimited at gate 44A. By the time the train passes through Pittsburgh the class knows they are in for an unusual field trip. Instead of skyscrapers and cars, the streets of the city are full of horse-drawn carts, men in top hats, and women in long dresses! As the train chugs west it also travels back in time. That evening they see mammoths on the snowy plains and in the morning the hot weather brings in bugs bigger than Miss Pym! The train drops the class off in Utah and soon they see their first dinosaur! After several wonderful days playing with the dinosaurs the Rocky Mountain Unlimited returns to take the frazzled Miss Pym and her class back to New York.
Fleischman’s dead pan delivery makes for a magical and humorous time adventure. The text briefly describes the scenes that the train passes or that the children encounter in their play with the dinosaurs, but it is the illustrations that deliver the punch line to each carefully crafted joke. Ewart’s painted illustrations are colorful and lush with lots of funny details. The mostly unnamed students represent a variety of skin and hair colors and all of them approach this unexpected journey with curiosity and enthusiasm. Poor Miss Pym never quite relaxes on the field trip and her distraught actions are deliciously funny.
Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
Fleischman’s dead pan delivery makes for a magical and humorous time adventure. The text briefly describes the scenes that the train passes or that the children encounter in their play with the dinosaurs, but it is the illustrations that deliver the punch line to each carefully crafted joke. Ewart’s painted illustrations are colorful and lush with lots of funny details. The mostly unnamed students represent a variety of skin and hair colors and all of them approach this unexpected journey with curiosity and enthusiasm. Poor Miss Pym never quite relaxes on the field trip and her distraught actions are deliciously funny.
Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
April 28, 2016
This book is a short story about Miss Pym about taking her students on a field trip to Utah.They are on a train The Rocky Mountain Limited to learn about dinosaurs. The train trip was unusual from the start and with the passanger's getting on, their food, environment and weather. They then get to there stop and are able to see dinosaurs and interact with them.
This is a short story and is about an imaginary trip to see dinosaurs. The illustrations tells the story rather then the text. It goes through time travel. The text says one thing but the picture shows a science fiction taking place. There's a grey line from fanaticy and science fiction and this book is a good example of it. Illustrations are bright and colorful and allows the kids to expand their own imaginations. Fun and exciting book for young readers and keeps them intrested.
This is a short story and is about an imaginary trip to see dinosaurs. The illustrations tells the story rather then the text. It goes through time travel. The text says one thing but the picture shows a science fiction taking place. There's a grey line from fanaticy and science fiction and this book is a good example of it. Illustrations are bright and colorful and allows the kids to expand their own imaginations. Fun and exciting book for young readers and keeps them intrested.
December 1, 2016
Paul Fleischman
Time Train is science fiction story of a class taking a trip from New York to a dinosaur monument in Utah. The students enjoy the trip and learn from their experience as their teacher stresses over their safety. A fun and imaginative book.
Time Train is a classic time travel sub genre of science fiction. The illustrations clearly show the time travel theme. As time travel is not possible, at least with current technology, the book is clearly taking place in a science fiction environment. As the train gets closer to its destination, illustrations depict older historic events, until the travelers end up in the time of dinosaurs. This is a great book for children to help spark imagination.
Time Train is science fiction story of a class taking a trip from New York to a dinosaur monument in Utah. The students enjoy the trip and learn from their experience as their teacher stresses over their safety. A fun and imaginative book.
Time Train is a classic time travel sub genre of science fiction. The illustrations clearly show the time travel theme. As time travel is not possible, at least with current technology, the book is clearly taking place in a science fiction environment. As the train gets closer to its destination, illustrations depict older historic events, until the travelers end up in the time of dinosaurs. This is a great book for children to help spark imagination.
December 2, 2016
Time Train is science fiction story of a class taking a trip from New York to a dinosaur monument in Utah. The students enjoy the trip and learn from their experience as their teacher stresses over their safety. A fun and imaginative book.
Time Train is a classic time travel sub genre of science fiction. The illustrations clearly show the time travel theme. As time travel is not possible, at least with current technology, the book is clearly taking place in a science fiction environment. As the train gets closer to its destination, illustrations depict older historic events, until the travelers end up in the time of dinosaurs. This is a great book for children to help spark imagination.
Time Train is a classic time travel sub genre of science fiction. The illustrations clearly show the time travel theme. As time travel is not possible, at least with current technology, the book is clearly taking place in a science fiction environment. As the train gets closer to its destination, illustrations depict older historic events, until the travelers end up in the time of dinosaurs. This is a great book for children to help spark imagination.
April 19, 2012
This book is good to use in Kindergarten. In kindergarten, terms such as "morning, evening, afternoon, next, after" should be taught. This book is perfect to teach such terms. This book is also great to integrate geography of the states (this would be done in older grades).
Personally, I did not find this book too amusing. I do think it is a good book to use with the purpose of teaching the terms above. It does have a cool idea to it, because the children travel back in time on a train to see dinosaurs.
Personally, I did not find this book too amusing. I do think it is a good book to use with the purpose of teaching the terms above. It does have a cool idea to it, because the children travel back in time on a train to see dinosaurs.
March 22, 2013
"Time Train," by Paul Fleischman and Claire Ewart, capitalizes on two big interests of little kids: dinosaurs and trains. In this book, some kids and their teacher take a train that travels back in time to the era of THE DINOSAURS. They ride around on a stegosaurus studying its eating habits, make scrambled egg (yes, egg), and ride on the back of a pteranodon to take photos.
The art is incredible, lush and luminous paintings, and the text is clear and easy to read... and re-read. This is a book that has entered heavy rotation in our household, and it holds up well to many re-reads.
The art is incredible, lush and luminous paintings, and the text is clear and easy to read... and re-read. This is a book that has entered heavy rotation in our household, and it holds up well to many re-reads.
January 16, 2017
This is a fun picture book about a spring break field trip back in time to study dinosaurs. When Miss Pym and her students buy their train tickets, they are planning to visit a dinosaur monument in Utah. But as the train trip gets under way, they realize they are getting more than they bargained for. Beautiful illustrations of children getting up close and personal with prehistoric creatures really bring this story alive.
June 13, 2011
This book will work for the "Imagine! Way back when..." theme of storytelling during Mammoths and Mastadons. It would be a little difficult to relate to the theme because the text doesn't directly explain that the subjects are going back in time. There would have to be additional explanation from the storyteller. The pictures would work well to help facilitate this explanation.
April 20, 2012
This book has a great story line where the characters travel back in time to see the dinosaurs. This book could also be used in a Kindergarten setting to teach the concept of the morning, afternoon, night. The book also teaches the students to sequence by giving examples of the terms next, before, and after.
November 1, 2015
I am a huge fan of "Back to the Future" so I had to do a Time Travel story time theme the week we entered "The Future". This was a great picture book that inspired many of the kids with the idea of time travel. Getting to physically visit the time of the dinosaurs - what kid would not want that to be real?
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December 2, 2016Summary: Time Train by Paul Fleischman
1. What sub-genre of science fiction is this book
2. How does this book highlight science fiction elements (I.e. color, line, layout, word bubbles and anything learned in previous lessons)?
3. In what ways does the setting function in this book to help show science fiction?
4. Would you recommend this book for children? Why or why not? Ages 5-9
1. What sub-genre of science fiction is this book
2. How does this book highlight science fiction elements (I.e. color, line, layout, word bubbles and anything learned in previous lessons)?
3. In what ways does the setting function in this book to help show science fiction?
4. Would you recommend this book for children? Why or why not? Ages 5-9
April 16, 2009
Spring break on a train that can go back in time. The Students planned on learning about dinosaurs but not quite like this. Stuart rode a pterodactyl to get aerial photos. A good time was had by almost everyone…
February 16, 2011
My two year old LOVES this book nad requested it numerous times this week. Fun story about a school field trip to see dinosaurs but they end up traveling back in time and see real dinosaurs along with other fun things. ANd adults don't get tired of reading it too many times :)
December 6, 2016
This was a cute book! It told the story of a group of tourists that went to see what the dinosaurs were like! Filled with adventure, this book will leave you inspired to travel, and study the history of the Earth. This would be a good book to read to your classroom.
October 24, 2008
train, students on a field trip, adventure, traveling back in time, dinosaurs & wooly mammoth
pictures are much more descriptive than words
pictures are much more descriptive than words
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews