HEY! GET OFF OUR TRAIN

A fine British author-illustrator blends several of his hallmarks in an effective plea for the environment. Sent brusquely to bed, a boy imagines a journey on his toy train, acquiring along the way a series of threatened animals who plead to be included (the seal says, ". . .people are making the water very dirty and they are catching too many fish, and soon there will be none of us left"). Meanwhile, the growing crew has fun—picnicking, playing ghosts, swimming, flying kites—each activity linked to the animals' plight. A neat surprise provides a chuckle at the end; mixed-media illustrations have Burningham's usual inimitable wit, beauty, and splendor.