Crossing

I was so sad to see someone describe this book as "boring"! The incredible illustrations spark the imagination. My son loves the boys who can suddenly see each other over the short gondola car, the page where the children bend down and wave to each other under the train, the woman who makes the "ohmygoodness" face at the cow leaning out of the cattle car...we love this book because there is something to talk about on every page. It's our favorite bedtime story.

My son first got this book from the library when he was 4 years old and he is now 7. He loves trains, crossings in particular, and the illustrations in this book are phenomenal. A good book for anyone who loves trains.

My two year old son is nuts for trains. This book is beautifully illustrated and the poem is a wonderful change from the usual toddler book prose. My son and I like this book so much that I have taken the time to write a review! You will be glad you added this one to your child's library.

My two year old daughter and my four and five year old boys love this book. It reads like poetry, and the pictures are lovely. There is just enough text per page to make story move along at a gentle pace. A wonderful bedtime story indeed.

The cover illustrations of crossings is a realistic watercolor of a huge engine in black against a dark night sky. A red and white crossings bar around the cover makes you feel like your waiting for the train to pass the whistle beckoning you to jump aboard.The issustrations inside are beautifully orchestrated watercolors. Some pages bleed, some pages have a white frame around them, all are authentic looking old fashioned trains. Even the passenger cars waiting for the train to cross are reminiscent of a small twon a long time ago.Each page is devoted to a different car; box car, gondola, "tank", and a freight car with a caboose bringing up the rear. Children can practice counting the cars as they pass and the rhyming words take on the rhytmic chugging of a train. Each car has a different product inside. While reading the book aloud,the reader feels himself catching the rhythm of the train.Anyone who loves trains will find this book inviting. My class loved it at story time and I plan to leave it in the book area when we do transportation.