Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Trainstop
Wordless Picture Book
For ages 2 and up
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 1997 ISBN: 978-0618756407
A little girl and her parents are waiting for a train at the train station. They get on the train and the journey is quite an ordinary one. The little girl looks out of the window as the city flies by, and then she is in the country. She sees grass, trees, and wide blue skies.
Then something really strange happens. A small man flags the train down. No one else in the train car notices what is happening because everyone, including the little girl's parents, is asleep. The little girl climbs out of the train and she follows a whole collection of little people. They clearly need her help to solve a problem.
In this delightful wordless picture book, Barbara Lehman turns what begins as an ordinary day into a special adventure. Not only does the little girl get to do something unique, but also she (and everyone else in her city world) get a very special gift, one that makes their cityscape a more beautiful (and happier) place.
Barbara Lehman manages to tell a meaningful story that is enjoyable on many levels. It is the kind of story that readers of all ages can appreciate.
