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I Dream of Trains
Papa says
it's the sound of leaving
that speaks to my soul...
The poignant words of two-time Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Angela Johnson and striking images from fine artist Loren Long join forces in this heartbreaking yet uplifting picture book about a boy, his love for trains, and his adulation of one legendary engineer.
It's the story of a hero lost and a hero discovered, of a dream crushed then reawakened, but mostly it is a story of the force that sustains the human spirit -- hope.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2003
1 person is currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Angela Johnson
130 books269 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Angela Johnson is the author of the Coretta Scott King Honor picture book When I Am Old with You; as well as A Sweet Smell of Roses, illustrated by Eric Velasquez; Just Like Josh Gibson, illustrated by Beth Peck; and I Dream of Trains, which was also illustrated by Loren Long. She has won three Coretta Scott King Awards, one each for her novels Heaven, Toning the Sweep, and The First Part Last. In recognition of her outstanding talent, Angela was named a 2003 MacArthur Fellow. She lives in Kent, Ohio.
Angela Johnson is the author of the Coretta Scott King Honor picture book When I Am Old with You; as well as A Sweet Smell of Roses, illustrated by Eric Velasquez; Just Like Josh Gibson, illustrated by Beth Peck; and I Dream of Trains, which was also illustrated by Loren Long. She has won three Coretta Scott King Awards, one each for her novels Heaven, Toning the Sweep, and The First Part Last. In recognition of her outstanding talent, Angela was named a 2003 MacArthur Fellow. She lives in Kent, Ohio.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
September 1, 2022
A young boy dreams away his days of hard work by thinking of Casey Jones and his racing locomotives.
Read to supplement our LA unit on Tall Tales about Casey Jones.
Read to supplement our LA unit on Tall Tales about Casey Jones.
October 18, 2016
Golden Kite Award Winner for Illustration 2003
The first thing that pulled me into reading this book was the cover. The cover of this book is so dark and ominous, I was curious to see what perspective rested inside of its pages. The book follows the hopes of a little boy admiring a hero, a train engineer named Casey Jones. His wishing and hoping to one day be free to ride the train far, far, away leaves the reading sighing and wishing to take action. I dream of Trains holds an interesting perspective from a time period where this little boy would be viewed as nothing but a “sharecropper”. However, even though he is enduring long hours in the cotton field, he is so optimistic about his life because of Casey Jones and the train. At first I wasn’t sure why a little boy would love this train so much apart from obvious reasons (it’s big and it moves fast). As I kept reading I started to feel so much hope in my chest because this was the train that could take him far far away from the fields.
“Papa says it’s the sound of leaving that speaks to my soul, on through the daytime that lingers on through the night…. ‘Casey Jones knows,’ Papa says. ‘Casey Jones must know.’” For everyone in this town, this train shows what the future could hold. This train means so much to people because inside of the train, there is a black man, Sim Webb, and a white man, Casey Jones, working together to achieve one goal. Another powerful portion is the fact that Casey Jones saved Simm Webb’s life. There is love and acceptance in this world, even during such a segregated time period.
There is a melancholy feel to the whole book, supported by the illustrations. The warm oranges and yellows resemble some glimmer of hope while the dark blues and purples show the sadness of being stuck in Mississippi for an indefinite period of time.
Teaching Connection
This book made me spend over an hour researching what Mississippi was like during this time period, and Casey Jones. This being a true story made it that much more inspiring yet heartbreaking. This could be a great introduction book to studying America in the 1900’s.
You can look at some of the images here:
http://kinderbooks.net/shop/2nd-grade...
The first thing that pulled me into reading this book was the cover. The cover of this book is so dark and ominous, I was curious to see what perspective rested inside of its pages. The book follows the hopes of a little boy admiring a hero, a train engineer named Casey Jones. His wishing and hoping to one day be free to ride the train far, far, away leaves the reading sighing and wishing to take action. I dream of Trains holds an interesting perspective from a time period where this little boy would be viewed as nothing but a “sharecropper”. However, even though he is enduring long hours in the cotton field, he is so optimistic about his life because of Casey Jones and the train. At first I wasn’t sure why a little boy would love this train so much apart from obvious reasons (it’s big and it moves fast). As I kept reading I started to feel so much hope in my chest because this was the train that could take him far far away from the fields.
“Papa says it’s the sound of leaving that speaks to my soul, on through the daytime that lingers on through the night…. ‘Casey Jones knows,’ Papa says. ‘Casey Jones must know.’” For everyone in this town, this train shows what the future could hold. This train means so much to people because inside of the train, there is a black man, Sim Webb, and a white man, Casey Jones, working together to achieve one goal. Another powerful portion is the fact that Casey Jones saved Simm Webb’s life. There is love and acceptance in this world, even during such a segregated time period.
There is a melancholy feel to the whole book, supported by the illustrations. The warm oranges and yellows resemble some glimmer of hope while the dark blues and purples show the sadness of being stuck in Mississippi for an indefinite period of time.
Teaching Connection
This book made me spend over an hour researching what Mississippi was like during this time period, and Casey Jones. This being a true story made it that much more inspiring yet heartbreaking. This could be a great introduction book to studying America in the 1900’s.
You can look at some of the images here:
http://kinderbooks.net/shop/2nd-grade...
January 21, 2013
Touches on the story of Casey Jones, but doesn't portray a really coherent story. Nice illustrations though.
February 21, 2019
I would recommend this book to children from ages 5-7. This story is about a boy and his family who are slaves in Mississippi. This boy has a love for trains and a famous engineer named John Luther "Casey" Jones. This boy's grandfather tells him the story of Casey's crash in 1900 and how there are other trains out in this big beautiful world, a world that the boy will get to see one day. This story is about the loss and a discovery of a hero, it also displays the theme of hope to be able to see the world one day.
February 24, 2019
Picked this up in the school library. An easy read, but deep symbolism.
Boy works as a sharecropper (later 1800s/early 1900s). He sees the train conducted by Casey Jones motor through regularly. Casey and Sim Webb are symbols of hope for the boy. He wants to ride the rails with them . . . unstated, but to escape the life of Mississippi.
The boy dreams of the iron horse, Casey, and his whistle. Despite Casey's crash and death, the boy longs to ride a train north.
The illustrations are lovely.
Boy works as a sharecropper (later 1800s/early 1900s). He sees the train conducted by Casey Jones motor through regularly. Casey and Sim Webb are symbols of hope for the boy. He wants to ride the rails with them . . . unstated, but to escape the life of Mississippi.
The boy dreams of the iron horse, Casey, and his whistle. Despite Casey's crash and death, the boy longs to ride a train north.
The illustrations are lovely.
February 21, 2021
3.5 Stars. So much hope in such a short story. Hope to be carried away to a freer and better place. Hope to find a purpose and a place in the world. Hope that one day things will be better. It’s bittersweet, because just as his symbol of hope crashes so may his dream of a happily-ever-after somewhere else.
March 17, 2017
This is a historical, realistic fiction and fantasy story. The reason I state that this book is a fiction book is that the little boy, which is the main character is dreaming of driving a train with Casey. He dreams of freedom and hope. I think will be a great book for kids because it will help children know that if they dream one day it may come true. In there story it will be a difficult story to tell in class because it's hard to recognize if there is a solution for the main character. The only thing the main character did was dream. I get the books point, that there is always hope. But, I'm not sure if children will actually get that idea. Great book, but just felt there was something missing. Although, the story lacked, the illustrations were clear and took the readers to the setting. The illustrations made the story come alive.
January 29, 2019
I have long enjoyed the magic of trains and this book satisfies my imagination. The illustrations are lush and powerful, and the story of the famous engineer, Casey Jones. and his last run is thrilling.
February 12, 2022
The illustrations are beautiful. I loved the story, he was ambivalent, but, as he gets older and with repetition will come to appreciate it too. Some of the pages were more like an oil painting. Sometimes dark and contemplative.
January 18, 2018
Beautiful story of dreaming and heroes that has a very poetic rhythm. Recommended grades 1-5.
March 15, 2019
Great read aloud that inspires dream.
February 24, 2020
Older content than I expected for the picture book format. A good story and valuable POV, but definitely for older kids than my preschooler.
December 12, 2020
Beautiful imagery.
December 3, 2022
What a BEAUTIFUL book! I had head of Casey Jones but I did not know the story. The book’s story is heartwarming and the Loren Long illustrations are marvelous.
October 19, 2025
This book is about a young boy learning about his uncle and his love for riding and trains.
January 13, 2026
No one should ever outgrow picture books; while their words teach you, their illustrations fill your soul.
January 2, 2023
4-5 stars
Read
December 11, 2014Subject:
Railroad stories
Cotton picking -- Juvenile fiction.
Fathers and sons -- Juvenile fiction
Summary
Papa says it's the sound of leaving that speaks to my soul... The poignant words of two-time Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Angela Johnson and striking images from fine artist Loren Long join forces in this heartbreaking yet uplifting picture book about a boy, his love for trains, and his adulation of one legendary engineer. It's the story of a hero lost and a hero discovered, of a dream crushed then reawakened, but mostly it is a story of the force that sustains the human spirit -- hope.
Author Notes
Angela Johnson was born on June 18, 1961 in Tuskegee, Alabama. She attended Kent State University and worked with Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) as a child development worker. She has written numerous children's books including Tell Me a Story, Mama, Shoes like Miss Alice, Looking for Red, A Cool Moonlight and Lily Brown's Paintings. She won the Coretta Scott King Author's Award three times for Toning the Sweep in 1994, for Heaven in 1999, and for The First Part Last in 2004, which also won the Michael L. Printz Award. In 2003, she was named a MacArthur fellow. (Bowker Author Biography)
Railroad stories
Cotton picking -- Juvenile fiction.
Fathers and sons -- Juvenile fiction
Summary
Papa says it's the sound of leaving that speaks to my soul... The poignant words of two-time Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Angela Johnson and striking images from fine artist Loren Long join forces in this heartbreaking yet uplifting picture book about a boy, his love for trains, and his adulation of one legendary engineer. It's the story of a hero lost and a hero discovered, of a dream crushed then reawakened, but mostly it is a story of the force that sustains the human spirit -- hope.
Author Notes
Angela Johnson was born on June 18, 1961 in Tuskegee, Alabama. She attended Kent State University and worked with Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) as a child development worker. She has written numerous children's books including Tell Me a Story, Mama, Shoes like Miss Alice, Looking for Red, A Cool Moonlight and Lily Brown's Paintings. She won the Coretta Scott King Author's Award three times for Toning the Sweep in 1994, for Heaven in 1999, and for The First Part Last in 2004, which also won the Michael L. Printz Award. In 2003, she was named a MacArthur fellow. (Bowker Author Biography)
August 3, 2016
This is one of my favorite picture books for elementary school. Not only are the themes strong and moving, the illustrations beautiful, and the story important, the word choice and structure of the authors prose takes my breath away. As a percussionist the rhythm of this writing that matches the movement and sounds of the train is so powerful. The author crafts the theme of hope from many different angles and through the metaphor of movement. Like the sound of a train that keeps chug-chug-chug faster and faster, the adventures of Casey Jones build, the time on the farm speeds up, and the boy's excitement grows in tandem. Then he is free, there is power in the train, the adventure is at it's peak and suddenly there is the crash. Casey Jones has crashed, winter has stopped movement on the farm, and the boy's escalating drams have paused as he wonders, "does this mean it's over?" In the end the boy finds that, with his father's help, he can keep walking down the tracks and start dreaming and hoping again. That in life he can keep the hope alive.
This moving book is something I would definitely read in my classroom someday.
This moving book is something I would definitely read in my classroom someday.
January 4, 2010
This is a heavy story for young children. I loved the lyrical prose and rich imagery. I recommend reading the historical notes at the back of the book first. The book itself focuses on a young sharecropper who's dreams rise and fall and ultimately rise again as he works the fields and dreams of what it would be like to ride Cannonball, a train driven by the legendary Casey Jones.
This would be a good book for covering a bit of African American history and the Great Migration. Parents should read the book first and be prepared for questions as there is a significant tragedy. If you are looking for a fun, lighthearted book about trains. This is not it.
This would be a good book for covering a bit of African American history and the Great Migration. Parents should read the book first and be prepared for questions as there is a significant tragedy. If you are looking for a fun, lighthearted book about trains. This is not it.
November 24, 2009
This breathtakingly illustrated picture book taught me a new reading strategy; read the "About this book" on the last page FIRST. I had no idea what this book was about, NO IDEA. But I loved its poetic imagery anyway. Now that I know (having read the last page), I liked it even more the second time.
This is about the Great Migration & John Luther "Casey" Jones's possible impact on it.
I'd recommend this to:
African American children and/or students studying the Great Migration period of US history or sharecropping.
This is about the Great Migration & John Luther "Casey" Jones's possible impact on it.
I'd recommend this to:
African American children and/or students studying the Great Migration period of US history or sharecropping.
Read
March 7, 2011This is a very heavy book that I would only use with older students. Also, unless you read the "About the Book" note at the end you will be very lost, as I was! It's a good story to study sharecroppers and the way they were oppressed even after they were granted freedom from slavery. This could lend itself to a study of the Great Migration and why a train may have been meaningful for African Americans attempting to escape the oppression of the South.
January 23, 2009
If you child is afraid of storms, lightning, and horrific, twisted metal train crashes that KILL PEOPLE, well, maybe you should leave this book out of heavy rotation for the kids, even if you do want to teach your kids about the backbreaking labor inherent in cotton-picking. There must be a better way.
October 7, 2012
In this historical fiction book, the child of a slave or a sharecropper, is envisioning being whisked away from reality by Casey Jones' train. It combines his desires with the learning about Casey Jones and his death. It teaches reaching for a goal even though the current circumstances seem hopeless. The illustrations are beautiful (pastel) and makes the story come alive.
June 21, 2015
There's something about a train whistle. "Papa says it's the sound of leaving that speaks to my soul." While picking cotton, taking a walk or simply daydreaming, this young boy is always thinking of his hero - Casey Jones and his engine. The sound of the train takes him away, even for a moment. The sound of the train offers him hope.
October 17, 2016
A striking cover with a giant black train shadow. In poetic text, a boy working in cotton fields imagines what it would be like to drive the passing train and visit far-away places. When the legendary engineer Casey Jones (based on a true story) dies in a wreck, the boy strives to keep his dream alive--that he can still "go places."
October 24, 2008
train, imagining, story of John Luther "Casey" Jones who was born in Missouri and became a train engineer - story of his engine crash on April 30, 1900 outside of Vaughan, MIssissippi
not good for young kids
not good for young kids
April 15, 2014
I Dream of Trains is beautifully written and illustrated. It tells the story of a sharecropper stuck on a farm who dreams of one day traveling on a train. This book would be good as part of a history lesson on sharecropping or the great migration.
August 19, 2008
He seems to like it more than I did. He enjoys listening to it on tape before his nap.
December 28, 2009
Not so much a book about trains, but a book about sharecroppers and the dreams they attached to Casey Jones and his fireman.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews