THE TRAIN RIDE

A contemporary looking little girl and her mother climb aboard what looks like a blocky toy train pulled by a steam engine. They pass through landscapes dotted with fluffy animals and an old- fashioned red tractor. Other passengers are glimpsed in the windows of the train, but except for the beaming ticket collector, no one else enters the story until the train arrives at the station, where the girl sees her grandmother welcoming her. Crebbin's prose mimics the building and then waning motion of the train, right to the last ``Welcoming/me.'' The chunky shapes of the impressionistic countryside appear in bright chalk pastels; these and the warmly effective finale do hold appeal, but this is a fairly mild trip. (Picture book. 2-5)