Farmyard Tales: The Old Steam Train

Usborne Farmyard Tales (Numbered) #17

by Heather Amery, Lara Bryan (Adapted By), Stephen Cartwright (Illustrator)

Poppy and Sam have a surprise in store for them at the old train station. Find out what what it is in this exciting story from the popular Farmyard Tales series, and solve the puzzles at the end.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Transport

32 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1999

About the author

Heather Amery was born and brought up in Bath, Somerset. Heather has written over a hundred books for children, including alphabet books, science and history books, craft books, classical fairy tales, a series for beginner readers called Farmyard Tales, Usborne Bible Tales, and Greek Myths.

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have a train track that we can see out the preschool windows and the children never get tired of watching a train go by everyday. They love books about trains and The Old Steam Train is one of their favorites.

[Sarah A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great usborne phonics book. This one is about an adventure at a train station and with an old steam train. Again hunt for the duck adds an extra fun component for each page.

[Gerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This delightfully told and illustrated (by Stephen Cartwright) 'Farmyard Tales' series continues with'The Old Steam Train' in which Poppy and Sam have a surprise in store when, after enjoying their breakfast one morning, they were playing with their dog Rusty when their mother Mrs Boot tells them they are going somewhere to take a trip.

In typical children fashion they set off walking and after only a few hundred yards Sam asks 'Are we there yet?' 'Nearly' says Mrs Boot and before too long they arrive at a crowded old train station. The children ask, What's everyone doing here?' The painter informs them that there is lots to do so Poppy and Sam give him a hand.

Then a train approaches at which point everyone on the platform cheers, especially when it is discovered that Mr Boot is helping the driver and particularly when he shouts, 'All aboard'. At this point Mrs Boot dons a conductor's outfit as she is acting as the conductor for the trip.

And off they go with Poppy and Sam exclaiming, 'What a lovely surprise.' And Mrs Boot cheered them up no end when she announced, 'Now the train is running again, we can ride on it every weekend!.'

The puzzles at the end complete the delightful experience ,,, and those of a certain age will undoubtedly get all the answers correct!

[Laura Gallagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

My two-year-old daughter absolutely loves this book. She's obsessed with trains, so the steam train story immediately caught her attention, but what keeps her engaged are the hidden yellow ducks on every page.

One of her favorite things to do while we read is search for the little duck, and she gets so excited every time she finds it. The hidden-object element adds an extra layer of fun and makes the story much more interactive than a typical picture book.

The illustrations are charming and full of details to explore, which means we always end up spending more time on each page than the actual text requires. The story itself is sweet and simple, making it perfect for younger children.

The best endorsement I can give is that when we finished reading it tonight, my daughter immediately asked to start over and read it again. For a train-loving toddler who enjoys searching for hidden treasures, this book has been a big hit.

[Bud and Mama · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet little story where everyone pitches in to restore an old station. Lovely and heartwarming. Not much plot, but a sweet east read especially if little one is into trains.

Bud loved the illustrations and as always with Usborne books it was fun to locate duck on each page.

Sweet story and would probably buy more from this collection.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usborne First Reading Level 2. Hardcover reader with colour illustrations and a large font. One to two short sentences per page.

This book is part of the Victorian Premiers' Reading Challenge for Prep, Year 1 and Year 2.

[Alireza Emami · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Krisz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a story, as although it has a beginning and a middle, it has no end :(
The pictures and the family save it, though, so we keep it for a while before I sell it.

[Selin · Rating 3 out of 5]

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[Lizzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, enjoyed the 'why isn't mrs boot getting on with us!' moment. Surprised to meet Mr Boot, I wasn't sure there was one from the other stories we have. Always love finding the duck.