What do you think?
Rate this book
Wild Zoo Train
This zany Wild Zoo Train is off on a mysterious adventure!
Choo-choo-choo goes the Wild Zoo Train.
Ding-ding-ding goes the bell on the roof.
Clickerty-clack go the wheels on the track.
TOOT-TOOOT goes the whistle on top and the train STOPS!
Hold on to your seats as this Wild Zoo Train takes you on an up close journey to animal habitats you've only dreamed about.
A zoo train full of children takes a mysterious turn into the wilds. As each train trip becomes more and more wild, curious children observe the whimsical world around them!
Written by Carmela LaVigna Coyle, the bestselling author of the Do Princesses... series, and illustrated by Steve Gray, of There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed A Flea fame, Wild Zoo Train takes readers on a wild, animal-filled adventure through canyons, jungles, the arctic poles, and more!
Choo-choo-choo goes the Wild Zoo Train.
Ding-ding-ding goes the bell on the roof.
Clickerty-clack go the wheels on the track.
TOOT-TOOOT goes the whistle on top and the train STOPS!
Hold on to your seats as this Wild Zoo Train takes you on an up close journey to animal habitats you've only dreamed about.
A zoo train full of children takes a mysterious turn into the wilds. As each train trip becomes more and more wild, curious children observe the whimsical world around them!
Written by Carmela LaVigna Coyle, the bestselling author of the Do Princesses... series, and illustrated by Steve Gray, of There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed A Flea fame, Wild Zoo Train takes readers on a wild, animal-filled adventure through canyons, jungles, the arctic poles, and more!
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2017
570 people want to read
About the author
Carmela LaVigna Coyle
36 books63 followersCarmela LaVigna Coyle's first book, Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots? is enjoyed by little princesses everywhere. And now there are several Do Princess titles to choose from. She writes from her studio in Colorado with a puppy on her lap, and beside a wall of glass "to better see the seasons."
Carmela wrote her first story, "Forget-Me-Not," when she was ten-years-old. She hasn't forgotten it... she just can't find it.
She's married, and has two fabulous college age children.
Carmela has a degree in Elementary Education.
Carmela wrote her first story, "Forget-Me-Not," when she was ten-years-old. She hasn't forgotten it... she just can't find it.
She's married, and has two fabulous college age children.
Carmela has a degree in Elementary Education.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
July 6, 2017
I received this ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.
A charming and fun book with great rhyming, repetition and vocabulary words. The Strong illustration will have kids flipping the pages and wanting to read it again and again.
A charming and fun book with great rhyming, repetition and vocabulary words. The Strong illustration will have kids flipping the pages and wanting to read it again and again.
July 2, 2017
Two things that my grandson loves are animals and trains. This book combines them in a humorous way that he loved. The illustrations are comical and the repeating noises of the train had him "reading" along with me. It was a simple story with rhyme that will have kids asking over and over to read it again. A great story for kids, especially a good read before a visit to the zoo. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via netgalley.
October 12, 2017
The Wild Zoo Train is leaving the station, and the conductor calls out, "All Aboard", while the children pile into the cars. One little girl is very concerned that their stops are not on the Zoo Map, but the conductor safely shepherds the children through the jungle, the desert, savanna, and
Antarctic, with a surprise destination at the end that is definitely NOT on any Zoo Maps.
When the children disembark at each place, the conductor tells them to look out for various indigenous animals, and the cartoon illustrations of the animals are colorful and they each have funny expressions on their little faces.
One of the best things about this book is that each time the train leaves the station for a new journey, the writing describes the sounds of the train speeding up, whistling and tooting, clackety-clacking along the tracks, and finally slowing down with a long whoosh at the new destination. Reading this book out loud and making all the train sounds would be the most fun part!
I recommend this book for ages 3-6, and I insist that readers make the train sounds out loud while they read!! haha! Adorable and fun!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publishers in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.
Antarctic, with a surprise destination at the end that is definitely NOT on any Zoo Maps.
When the children disembark at each place, the conductor tells them to look out for various indigenous animals, and the cartoon illustrations of the animals are colorful and they each have funny expressions on their little faces.
One of the best things about this book is that each time the train leaves the station for a new journey, the writing describes the sounds of the train speeding up, whistling and tooting, clackety-clacking along the tracks, and finally slowing down with a long whoosh at the new destination. Reading this book out loud and making all the train sounds would be the most fun part!
I recommend this book for ages 3-6, and I insist that readers make the train sounds out loud while they read!! haha! Adorable and fun!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publishers in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.
August 8, 2017
I received an ARC copy from Netgalley for my honest opinion of the book. I loved this book! It is so very colorful, crazy train conductor, the kids see all kinds of animal that you would find in a zoo. It could also be easily use as a search and find.. Names of the animals and a small child could point out what that animal is on the page. The book is all about children visiting the zoo and hoping on a train to see different parts of the zoo and the conductor making sure they have what ever they need to do that .. one is water, sun glasses, one is a rain poncho etc. Just a great all around book for memorize and practing words.
September 18, 2017
Very busy little train! My Kindle doesn't do it justice, but I think young kids will wish this train was real! Heck I wish it was real! Illustrations were busy and fun to look at!
September 14, 2017
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A cute, colorful illustrated book about a train traveling around seeing different animals. Great rhyming and variety of animals. Perfect for the little ones.
A cute, colorful illustrated book about a train traveling around seeing different animals. Great rhyming and variety of animals. Perfect for the little ones.
July 30, 2017
The next time I go to the zoo, I am going to be looking for the Wild zoo train. It's a ride I want! It's amazing all the different places and animals you'll see. It's a delightful picture book that is delightfully written. I enjoyed the rhythms of the telling in this story. The illustrations are fantastic!
I recommend this book for anyone of any age as it made me smile and laugh with joy. I used to do story hour at the public library and know that this would be the perfect book to read and show! All kids, regardless of age would enjoy this book!
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
I recommend this book for anyone of any age as it made me smile and laugh with joy. I used to do story hour at the public library and know that this would be the perfect book to read and show! All kids, regardless of age would enjoy this book!
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
September 2, 2017
What a delightfully, fun, crazy and engaging picture book, this is sure to become a favourite of many many children and i can see this becoming a favourite of mine to read at story time sessions.
The illustrations are perfectly done for this book, their a little out there with all the animals and people having crazy two sized eyes and a good balance between bold and more subtle colours throughout.
The pages that have Choo-Choo-Choo on them are going to make for fun pages to read with your child or group. There will be children shouting those words out on the tops of their lungs. I see a whole lot of fun with and in this book.
The book is sure to be a big hit with those that like train books, and the occasional odd looking animal. The repetition of words makes it a good book for early readers to read and will become familiar to them more easily.
I highly recommend this book.
The illustrations are perfectly done for this book, their a little out there with all the animals and people having crazy two sized eyes and a good balance between bold and more subtle colours throughout.
The pages that have Choo-Choo-Choo on them are going to make for fun pages to read with your child or group. There will be children shouting those words out on the tops of their lungs. I see a whole lot of fun with and in this book.
The book is sure to be a big hit with those that like train books, and the occasional odd looking animal. The repetition of words makes it a good book for early readers to read and will become familiar to them more easily.
I highly recommend this book.
September 25, 2017
I think this will be a hit with young readers. Fun rhyming, comical illustrations, and, of course, what kid doesn't love trains AND animals? The repetition makes this a great choice for little ones and it would do well as a storytime book (not too long, but not too basic either). Educational and fun - a win in my book. Perfect for boarding the imagination train.
December 12, 2017
I want to thank Carmela LaVigna Coyle, author and Steve Gray, illustrator and Goodreads First Reads Giveaway for the copy of Wild Zoo Train that I won in the Giveaway.
Wild Zoo Train is a beautifully illustrated book with lots of wild animals, a funny train and children. It takes an imaginary trip through the zoo to different environments. They repeating of words, the rhymes and pace of the book are great for preschool children. It ends with giving the reader an opportunity to ask open ended questions to the children listening to the story and give them a chance to use their imaginations to make up more to the story. This is a perfect book for preschool children to give them exposure to a variety of per-reading skills.
Wild Zoo Train is a beautifully illustrated book with lots of wild animals, a funny train and children. It takes an imaginary trip through the zoo to different environments. They repeating of words, the rhymes and pace of the book are great for preschool children. It ends with giving the reader an opportunity to ask open ended questions to the children listening to the story and give them a chance to use their imaginations to make up more to the story. This is a perfect book for preschool children to give them exposure to a variety of per-reading skills.
June 24, 2017
Googly-Eyed Fun
You know how they always say "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"? Well, that always strikes me as good advice when it comes to picture books for little readers. There are some well-regarded books that just don't appeal to me. Don't know why, since I, like most two year olds, am open to just about any style.Then again, there are some books that are just delightful. Again, no way to explain it.
But I can say, at least for this reader, this book was a hoot. We find ourselves on one of those big-circuit zoo trains. But this train is different. Instead of chugging around the lions and past the reptile house and through the aviary we somehow ride through Canyonlands, the Amazon Jungle!, the African Savanna, and Antarctica.
On the way we encounter silly, highly stylized, googly eyed animals common to those landscapes. They all look cheerful and friendly and, if truth be told, a bit demented. The kids on the train and the conductor look a bit nutsy too, and the whole project is crisp, bright and colorful. The rhyming captions are brisk and energetic, ("clickety-clack go the wheels on the track"), and are just right for reading aloud with lots of gusto.
So, the setup is fun, the animals are interesting, the route is novel, and the overall effect is bright and fun. A very happy find.
(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
You know how they always say "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"? Well, that always strikes me as good advice when it comes to picture books for little readers. There are some well-regarded books that just don't appeal to me. Don't know why, since I, like most two year olds, am open to just about any style.Then again, there are some books that are just delightful. Again, no way to explain it.
But I can say, at least for this reader, this book was a hoot. We find ourselves on one of those big-circuit zoo trains. But this train is different. Instead of chugging around the lions and past the reptile house and through the aviary we somehow ride through Canyonlands, the Amazon Jungle!, the African Savanna, and Antarctica.
On the way we encounter silly, highly stylized, googly eyed animals common to those landscapes. They all look cheerful and friendly and, if truth be told, a bit demented. The kids on the train and the conductor look a bit nutsy too, and the whole project is crisp, bright and colorful. The rhyming captions are brisk and energetic, ("clickety-clack go the wheels on the track"), and are just right for reading aloud with lots of gusto.
So, the setup is fun, the animals are interesting, the route is novel, and the overall effect is bright and fun. A very happy find.
(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
October 26, 2017
Wild Zoo Train by Carmela LaVigna Coyle and Illustrated by Steve Gray is slapstick silly which was a little too much for me as an adult. However, my grandchildren loved it. I liked the, rhyming and repetition, along with the different habitat that the zoo train visited. The younger ones loved the sounds words, such as “clickety-clack” and “Chooooooooo”.
My grandchildren, ages3, 5 and 7, loved the illustrations especially the comical interpretation of the animals. This is a book that the kids enjoyed the first time as we read through it but then revisited, giving each page a closer look. For me it is a 4 Star book but the children overwhelming voted it a 5 Star book. Their vote carried the day especially since it is a book for children.
The publisher through Net Galley provided a copy.
My grandchildren, ages3, 5 and 7, loved the illustrations especially the comical interpretation of the animals. This is a book that the kids enjoyed the first time as we read through it but then revisited, giving each page a closer look. For me it is a 4 Star book but the children overwhelming voted it a 5 Star book. Their vote carried the day especially since it is a book for children.
The publisher through Net Galley provided a copy.
July 5, 2017
~Disclaimer~
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wild Zoo Train is a fun book filed with trains and animals. This book will definitely keep a childs' attentions. The repetitive train sounds will be fun for them to sound out themselves. It also teaches where in the world different animals can be found. The one thing that was a little distracting to me was that the eyes in the illustrations weren't the same size. Making the characters look a little kooky. But that's just me.
All in all a good fun and interactive read.
5/5 ⭐
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wild Zoo Train is a fun book filed with trains and animals. This book will definitely keep a childs' attentions. The repetitive train sounds will be fun for them to sound out themselves. It also teaches where in the world different animals can be found. The one thing that was a little distracting to me was that the eyes in the illustrations weren't the same size. Making the characters look a little kooky. But that's just me.
All in all a good fun and interactive read.
5/5 ⭐
June 28, 2017
My youngest absolutely LOVED this book. She’s a big fan of animals so this was right up her alley. I found her later playing with one of her old Fisher Price trains and having the animals sit on it to mimic the book which is always a mark of a good story that it encourages a child to create new fun ways to play.
One of the best things about this is that it’s not your prototypical ‘train’ book as you’re not going to see it just stick to the tracks. Instead this train travels all over including to the moon!
The repetition and rhyming made it easy for her to catch on and she enjoyed saying the “Choo-choo-choo” with me so we had this fun mother-daughter time.
The illustrations are so colorful and humorous you can’t help but fall in love with how fun this book is and all the different settings so you can teach your young child about the differences between the desert, jungle and the moon.
One of the best things about this is that it’s not your prototypical ‘train’ book as you’re not going to see it just stick to the tracks. Instead this train travels all over including to the moon!
The repetition and rhyming made it easy for her to catch on and she enjoyed saying the “Choo-choo-choo” with me so we had this fun mother-daughter time.
The illustrations are so colorful and humorous you can’t help but fall in love with how fun this book is and all the different settings so you can teach your young child about the differences between the desert, jungle and the moon.
October 8, 2017
Wild Zoo Train by Carmela LaVigna Coyle & Illustrated by Steve Gray a charming is a fun book filed with trains and animals. It is full of great rhyming, repetition and vocabulary words. The strong illustration will have kids flipping the pages and wanting to read it again.
It is so very colorful, crazy train conductor, the kids see all kinds of animal that you would find in a zoo. It could also be easily use as a search and find. The book is all about children visiting the zoo and hoping on a train to see different parts of the zoo and the conductor making sure they have what ever they need to do that. Just a great all around book for memorize and practing words.
I received this ARC from Rowman & Littlefield and Muddy Boots via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It is so very colorful, crazy train conductor, the kids see all kinds of animal that you would find in a zoo. It could also be easily use as a search and find. The book is all about children visiting the zoo and hoping on a train to see different parts of the zoo and the conductor making sure they have what ever they need to do that. Just a great all around book for memorize and practing words.
I received this ARC from Rowman & Littlefield and Muddy Boots via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 22, 2017
Love, love, love this book! Both our boys adore trains and this was the perfect story to help their imaginations run wild. Ride along on the Wild Zoo Train and travel all over the globe and beyond Earth... The repetition and rhyme in the book help early readers join in the storytelling. The illustrations are bright and wonderful. There is always something new to see if you just take the time look again. This book truly knocked it out of the park for us. It will be enjoyed for years!
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 23, 2017
How do I even explain to you how excited I was to open this book. You get on board the Wild Zoo Train and the conductor will take you on a journey throughout the zoo.
There are so many fun sayings that children can happily chime in on as they ride along and see their favorite native plants and animals.
This book is fun...fun..fun and will leave everyone laughing while teaching about the different habitat requirements ( space, food, water and shelter) too. The content is brilliant and the illustrations are just ...Cho...Cho..Cho..WILD.
There are so many fun sayings that children can happily chime in on as they ride along and see their favorite native plants and animals.
This book is fun...fun..fun and will leave everyone laughing while teaching about the different habitat requirements ( space, food, water and shelter) too. The content is brilliant and the illustrations are just ...Cho...Cho..Cho..WILD.
November 21, 2019
This was a really fun, cute book! My 4 year old son who loves trains really enjoyed it! I loved all of the different climatic regions the train visited and the animals in those regions. It also had a repetitive little song in between each region that made it even more fun! Overall a good children's book!
August 22, 2017
Very repetitive (which kids love but it makes me a little crazy). Good teaching of different animal names and where they are in the world. The ending was cute, but my 6 yo was stuck on a plot gap ...why you would go to a zoo to get on a train to go there?! The artwork is nice. The repetitive part of the story makes this one not a good candidate for a wind-down bedtime story, as my boys kept repeating the train noises more and more.
October 17, 2017
Once the Wild Zoo Train loads up its riders, it pulls out of the station with some choos and some dings and a clickety-clack and a toot-toot and it embarks on an off-the-zoo-map adventure. The train ventures through a canyon to a jungle to a savanna to the Antarctic and beyond!
Filled with train sounds and animals, The Wild Zoo Train will be a hit with toddlers and preschool age kids!
*A copy of this book was provided free of charge for an honest review.
Filled with train sounds and animals, The Wild Zoo Train will be a hit with toddlers and preschool age kids!
*A copy of this book was provided free of charge for an honest review.
June 28, 2017
This book was so fun, my three year old wanted me to read it over and over again. The story was entertaining, with a mix of rhyme and verse. My favorite part was the art. Loved the penguins and the sloth. This book was really well done and I'm sure my son will be begging me to read it all summer.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Read
June 29, 2023Wild Zoo Train by Carmela Lavigna Coyle, illustrated by Steve Gray (Muddy Books, 2017), does not attempt to be a serious nonfiction text about biomes. However, for young students’ introduction to the concept, it would work well to engage the young reader to understand that there are unique biomes in the world, including the North American desert (Canyonlands), the rainforest (Amazon Jungle), African savanna, and the polar desert (Antarctica).
Young children will love the repetitive choo-choo-choo and ding-ding-ding, the animals to find on the page, and the silliness of considering the last destination (the moon) as a similar wild location. To use as a part of a lesson about terrestrial biomes, consider returning to the text to compare and contrast the places visited and give the biome names in preparation for further study.
Young children will love the repetitive choo-choo-choo and ding-ding-ding, the animals to find on the page, and the silliness of considering the last destination (the moon) as a similar wild location. To use as a part of a lesson about terrestrial biomes, consider returning to the text to compare and contrast the places visited and give the biome names in preparation for further study.
August 7, 2017
This book was a goofy look at the different animals that live in the different habitats of the world. I wanted to like it more than I did. The illustrations were a little too cartoonish for me and the text was so-so. The concept of a magic train that transports the kids across the globe, and eventually to the moon, is a cute one but it could have been executed better.
I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for my review.
I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for my review.
June 22, 2017
This would be a fun book to do at story time. I can see the kids getting into the sounds the train makes between stops, plus describing the animals in rhyming pattern is fun. However, the “all aboard” sections do not have the same flow and it breaks up the stories. The illustrations are fun and I can see it getting lots of use, but I also think it could have been done better.
October 16, 2017
This is a cute book that would make a great introduction to animals and their habitats. The illustration style is fun and exaggerated. With repetitive, rhythmic text Wild Zoo Train is a great read-aloud and the end has a surprise in store that is sure to get a reaction from young readers.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 16, 2018
I won this book from Goodreads and absolutely loved it. As a 3rd generation railroader who road trains a lot as a child it brings back lovely memories that I will pass on to my grandchildren and greatgranchildren. The rhyming and the wonderful pictures will make this such a pleasure for the young ones to read and listen to.
October 10, 2017
I loved it. Adorable pictures. Not a lot of words. Lots of noises to make when you read to your child - Clangs and Toots etc. And I loved the little comments of the passengers "That isn't on the map either!" as they confusedly take a zoo train that goes way beyond the zoo.
October 29, 2017
I thought this book was cute. The pictures were colorful and held my 2 year old's interest. I thought the story was just OK but my daughter didn't care; she loved it- animals and trains!! I was given a preview copy of this book from Netgalley.
August 17, 2017
I received a free ecopy of this book from Netgalley.
A review will be posted on Lazy Day Literature closer to the release date.
A review will be posted on Lazy Day Literature closer to the release date.
December 7, 2017
Didn't like the ending too much. Just kinda ended. Other than that though it was good. My niece liked looking at all the different animals and where they live.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews