DOWN BY THE STATION

Vetter’s debut adds new verses to the familiar favorite. Children who love things that go will be thrilled with the vehicles included here: school bus, tractor-trailer, excavator, jumbo jet, sailboat, racecar, fire engine and rocket. The ending is a good segue to bedtime, as the train returns to the station and several sleepyheads head to bed. With only one exception, the new verses scan well and fit the rhythm of the traditional tune. Other than starting and finishing with the train in the station, however, there is little to tie this collection of verses together—there is no narrative flow. Reminiscent of television cartoons, Remkiewicz’s watercolors fit the tone and target age group well; his colors are bright, his backgrounds uncluttered and his lines simple. While the size makes this a good choice for group sharing, individual readers will enjoy finding the same two characters (a worm and a chicken) on every spread. For transportation enthusiasts, storytime read-alouds and long car trips, the lack of a story will scarcely be noticed. (Picture book. 2-6)