I Drive a Freight Train

Children's Literature

Marcia and Lou introduce the reader to the workings of a freight train. The inclusion of Marcia as the engineer presents women in a non-traditional role. Marcia introduces her conductor who is "in charge of the whole train." This seems to be a bow to old stereotypes but is still preferable to not showing a woman in this career at all. Marcia goes through the safety issues with the train and what kinds of things a freight train carries. Small inset boxes reinforce and expand the knowledge presented in previous pages. One such box explains the types of cars in a freight train based on what kinds of things they can carry. The primary lettering typestyle and the use of color to highlight the machine and the driver against the grays and browns of the surrounding environment draws the child's eyes to the important details of the story. The inclusion of different genders in non-traditional roles adds to the quality of this series. Helpful pages at the back of the book include a diagram of a freight train, a glossary, fun facts, web resources, a brief bibliography, and an index. The front and end flaps have tire tracks running top to bottom to add to the attraction of this "working" title. This is part of the "Working Wheels" series, which currently includes 30 titles. Series titles are included in the help pages. This is an excellent early career book for elementary collections. 2006, Picture Window Books, Ages 6 to 8.
—Joyce Rice