Casey Jones

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Heroic train engineer Casey Jones gets star treatment in this spirited picture book. "Listen!/ --Want to hear the story of Casey Jones?" begins Drummond (who adapted Melville's Moby Dick into a picture book). Related by two of Jones's African-American co-workers, engine wiper Wallace Saunders and fireman Sim Webb, the verses whisk readers back in time to when the railroad "was the mightiest thing,/ and the loco engineer/ was the Iron Horse King." They set the stage for the fateful night when Casey couldn't avert a train wreck but stayed faithfully at his post and gave his own life to save his passengers. "He slammed on the air brakes,/ and pulled reverse gear,/ then he hung on to the whistle pull/ till all you could hear.../ ...was the screaming of the hooter.../ the wail of the brakes.../ and a terrible explosion/ that made everything shake." Drummond's vigorous quatrains start slowly, then pick up steam as they chug steadily forward, fueling a first-rate read-aloud. His pen-and-ink images washed with invigorating swathes of color echo the rhythms of the narrative: spot art fills in details not covered by the text (e.g., Wallace and Sim's roles; historical developments brought on by rail travel) while full-bleed spreads portray everything from sprightly vistas to the dark, dramatic chaos of the wreck itself. Hop aboard for an encomium to the railroad and one of its greatest heroes. Ages 5-up. (Mar.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature

Punctuated by the "Wooo...oooh" of the train whistle, the saga of the engineer hero is told in rhythmic verse. Information about the background importance of the railroad leads to the stormy night when Casey, who'd "never been late," sees the warning signal on the tracks and realizes he can't stop in time to save himself. He tells the wiper and fireman to jump, but holds the brakes to save the rest of the train, and dies doing it. Colored drawings with active black lines and thinly applied color tell a sketchy story of railroading with the tale of a hero. The melodrama increases as the small action spots lead to a textless, double-page depiction of the crash in blacks and reds, while the scene of the fireman with head bowed in praying respect for his dead companion is rendered in tints of uplifting blue. A note fills in the facts as we know them. 2001, Frances Foster Books/Farrar Straus Giroux, $16.00. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-This story of Casey Jones and his heroic action in giving his own life to prevent a larger tragedy is told from the perspective of his coworkers, engine-wiper Wallace Saunders and fireman Sim Webb. The text reads like a ballad and the men are pictured near the end of the tale with musical instruments in their hands. Additionally, the narrative and art touch on the importance of railroads in the history of the United States. The illustrations, done in pen and ink with watercolor washes, provide details not given in the text and keep the story flowing. Interspersed throughout is the sound of the train whistle-"Wooo-oooh!" This is a terrific read-aloud, and children will enjoy chiming in on the familiar refrain. An author's note relates factual information about Casey Jones.-Sheilah Kosco, Rapides Parish Library, Alexandria, LA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.