Gus and Grandpa Ride the Train

Gus and Grandpa #3

by Claudia Mills, Catherine Stock (Illustrator)

Gus and Grandpa is "a witty, warm offering." -- Publishers Weekly

When the train passes Grandpa's house, Gus is so excited that he runs outside to wave at the cars. He forgets all about Grandpa's dog, and Skipper escapes through the open gate. It takes Grandpa to get him back. Then, when Grandpa decides to look for Daddy's old toy train, Gus leaps into the act, and they are so absorbed that they both forget Skipper. Together, they find him. Later, Gus and Grandpa plan to ride a real train. But when they get on, they realize that they're in trouble-- Grandpa has forgotten where he put the tickets (but not for long). In the third Gus and Grandpa book, Claudia Mills and Catherine Stock evoke all the joy of trains--and of remembering.

Genres: Trains

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Claudia Mills is the author of Nixie Ness, Cooking Star, 7 x 9 = Trouble!, Zero Tolerance, Write This Down, and many other books for children. She was born in New York City in 1954. She received her bachelor's degree from Wellesley College, her master's degree from Princeton University, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton University. She also received an M.L.S. degree from the University of Maryland, with a concentration in children's literature. She had a second career as a professor of philosophy at the Colorado at Boulder, until leaving that career in 2014 to write full time. She now teaches in the graduate program in children's literature at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. All of her books have been written between 5 and 7 in the morning while drinking Swiss Miss hot chocolate.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/claudi...

Reviews

[Becky Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gus and Grandpa Ride the Train

Kindergarten-3rd grade

Catherine Stock illustrated this book using sketched, washed out water colors. The Grandpa looks kind and loving which gives the feel to the whole book. The pictures vary in size from page to page which makes it more interesting. Repetition plays a key role in this story such as using the word train, waved and Skipper. The sentences are cut up into small parts which will make it easier for the new reader to follow. The plot is full of affectionate times spent together between a Grandpa and his grandson. Most children want and have someone in their life that resemble this character and makes them feel loved and warm inside.

Social Emotional Learning and Social Science

Social Emotional Example: Have children talk about family units and how they can be comprised of single parents, guardians or grandparents raising the children. Then have students draw a picture of their families to display in the classroom.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

AR 2.7

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

We've read almost all of the books in the Gus and Grandpa series by Claudia Mills and Catherine Stock. We've really enjoyed the series - the stories are simple and warm and speak volumes about intergenerational relationships. This is an touching story that touches lightly on the issue of old age and forgetfulness, although it certainly shows that Gus's grandpa is able to live independently.

The illustrations are soft watercolors, that have a timeless quality. This story also speaks to the relationship between a grandparent and grandchild. I love the simple story and the fun way the family chooses to spend time together. We will certainly look for Gus and Grandpa and Show-And-Tell (Gus and Grandpa at our local library; it's the one story in the series we haven't yet read.

[Chelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the story book “Gus and Grandpa Ride the Train” Claudia Mills does a wonderful job at presenting a story in a simplistic way that is easily comprehensible by the audience intended. Mills forces the reader to recall parts from the beginning of the story at the end when Gus and Grandpa forget where the tickets are. I also enjoyed the way she had individual stories told with in each chapter that eventually all tied into the overall story at the end of the book. It flowed smoothly and it was an enjoyable read. What drew me to this book however was the Grandpa’s character because it reminded me of my own. The sweetness and playfulness about his character and the shed that “had everything” Gus wanted in it was the biggest reminder. The illustrations done by Catherine Stock were flawlessly done as well. It looked like oil paintings and they were brilliantly cohesive to the story. The pages were separately dedicated to either a picture or words but must of the time the picture bled onto the page with words which gave that oil painting effect. I recommended this book to anyone looking for a good book about a grandfather and grandson and their adventure.

[Nora · Rating 3 out of 5]

MCL. I liked the part where the dog sneezed and sneezed.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to follow soon.