Tractor and Trains – Sneak Peek Books

The Christmas Tree Who Loved Trains

In a far-off corner of a tree farm, beside a train track, sits a solitary pine. There are no other trees to keep this pine tree company. The noisy rumbling of each passing train scares squirrels from climbing onto the tree’s branches and birds from nesting there. But this tree doesn’t mind.

Having grown up beside the train track, the pine tree loves the trains. They are the only company she needs. One morning, a little boy visits the farm looking for a Christmas tree. To the pine’s surprise, the boy picks her. Before the pine tree knows it, she is dug out from the ground and taken to the boy’s house, where she is placed in a dark and cramped corner of the living room. Will being separated from the trains be too much for the tree? Or will she find something new with the boy and his family?

The Christmas Tree Who Loved Trains is a charming and heartfelt story for readers who celebrate the holiday, as well as for anyone who has to adjust to a big change in their life. With one to eight short sentences per page, younger readers should have little trouble enjoying the book.

Annie Silvestro’s writing manages the near-impossible task of getting readers to empathize with a faceless pine tree. Illustrator Paola Zakimi gives readers a closer understanding of the tree with drawings that visualize the tree’s feelings towards the events of the story. For example, each train emerges from a majestic, mysterious fog. The train and track are drawn with meticulous detail, while the field of trees behind the pine tree fades into a smaller, muted background. Meanwhile, the living room corner is drawn as dark and dull, with faded colors and shadowy backgrounds. As the tree warms up to the family and their house, the drawings of the room become increasingly brighter and colorful.

In The Christmas Tree Who Loved Trains, readers of all ages will find a sweet and sincere story about adjusting to change and embracing your unique traits and interests. Readers who celebrate Christmas are sure to relate to the tree’s growing admiration for the holiday, and all readers are likely to find comfort in the tree’s story. If you are looking for a warm read this winter, The Christmas Tree Who Loved Trains may be the book for you.

 Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

None

Drugs and Alcohol 

None

Language 

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

Although the book is a celebration of Christmas, it does not define the holiday as a strictly spiritual one. Instead, Christmas is portrayed as a day for being together with the ones you love.

Otis

Otis is a special tractor. He loves his farm and he loves his farmer. He particularly loves the little calf in the next stall, who he purrs to sleep with his soft motor. The two become great friends, romping in the fields, leaping bales of hay, and playing ring-around-the-rosy by Mud Pond.

But when the big yellow tractor comes to the farm and replaces Otis, he is cast away to rust behind the barn—until the little calf gets stuck in Mud Pond. Then, there is only one tractor (and it’s not the big or yellow one) that saves the day. It’s little Otis!

Young readers will enjoy seeing Otis and the calf romp around the farm. The two friends clearly care for each other, and Otis’ facial expressions are packed with emotion and easy to read. When the calf gets stuck in the mud, a lot of people show up to help the calf—and some people just show up to watch the events unfold. Several people, the big yellow tractor, and the firetruck all try to help the calf, but in the end, Otis becomes the hero.

The background of each illustration is done in soft grays, which allows Otis’s and the animal’s colors to pop on the page. Even though Otis is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. The onomatopoeias make the story fun to read aloud. Each page has 2 to 5 sentences; however, some of the sentences are complex.

Young readers who are fascinated by tractors will love being introduced to Otis, who looks after the farm animals. While the story focuses on Otis, many of the pages also have a gaggle of geese that like to play with Otis and the little calf. The cute story is easy to understand and highlights the importance of friendship. Readers interested in more farm-related stories should check out I’ll Love You Till the Cows Come Home by Kathryn Cristaldi.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Arthur’s Tractor: A Fairy Tale with Mechanical Parts

One day, Arthur is out plowing the green fields into brown with a mighty tractor. Does he notice that a fair maiden is running for her life right behind him? Not a chance. Does he notice the dragon? Or the knight?

The only thing he does notice is his “broken” tractor! Little does Arthur realize that he is heading for a fairy tale ending himself. With action and details to discover on every page, this picture book will captivate every knight and princess in your kingdom . . . or backyard!

Arthur’s Tractor is the perfect book to read aloud because it’s full of funny dialogue and onomatopoeia. For example, while the princess is under attack, she makes many different sounds such as “EEEK!” Arthur thinks that his tractor is to blame for the odd sounds, and he’s determined to make his tractor as good as new. At one point, Arthur wonders, “Well, bless my blisters, whatever can that THUD THUD THUD be?”

While Arthur inspects his tractor, a battle is going on right behind him. Behind the green and brown fields that Arthur is plowing, there is a princess in pink, a brave knight, and a huge dragon. Plus, several animals, including a frog and a squirrel, are fighting over a golden egg. Readers will love looking at the detailed illustrations that are packed full of action.

In the end, the princess proves that girls can love tractors as much as anyone. After helping Arthur fix the tractor, the princess says, “Now pass me that can, and I’ll oil that coil bolt brandisher before the dang things bangles free.” Each page of the picture book has 1 to 6 sentences. Because of the colloquial language, and complex sentences, young readers will need an adult to read the story to them.

Arthur’s Tractor will appeal to anyone who loves tractors and fairytales. Young readers will laugh at the silly antics of the fairytale characters and enjoy the unique conclusion that shows the princess driving the tractor as “they all lived happily ever after.”

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

“Dang” is used once.

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Ty’s Travels: All Aboard

Ty is ready to play, but everyone is busy. Daddy is cooking. Mommy is folding clothes and brother is doing homework. Even though no one can play with him, Ty decides to use his imagination and take a trip on a train. Soon, everyone is jumping into the fun.

Ty’s Travels is part of the My First I Can Read Series, which uses basic language, word repetition, and illustrations that are ideal for emergent readers. Each page has 1 to 4 simple sentences with large, brightly colored illustrations. Ty’s imagination comes to life in illustrations that look like crayon drawings. Plus, the cute illustrations will help young readers understand the plot.

Ty’s Travels is perfect for young readers who are learning a new skill. Readers will enjoy the repeating onomatopoeias such as chugga-chugga-chugga and clickety-clack. The repetition, onomatopoeia, and short sentences make the story fun to read out loud. Another positive aspect is that Ty’s two-parent family is shown in a positive light. The simple plot and relatable conflict will capture young readers’ attention as they learn to read on their own. Best of all, the story will encourage readers to use their imagination.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

The Apple Orchard Riddle

Mr. Tiffin’s class is going on another field trip. The class is excited to go to an apple orchard and learn all about apples. The kids will see how apples are harvested, how apples are turned into cider, and how apples are turned into pies and cakes. Mr. Tiffin even shows the class all the different varieties of apples. During the field trip, the class is challenged to find the answer to a riddle: “Show me a little red house with no windows and no door, but with a star inside.”

Each book in Mr. Tiffin’s Classroom Series focuses on a different student. This story focuses on Tara, who likes to daydream and isn’t “good at tests.” Even though Tara is the focus of the story, she doesn’t have a conflict. Without a conflict, the story is flat and lacks suspense. In addition, one of the students is a little snarky.

Each page has large illustrations that show a diverse group of children. Each page has 1 to 6 sentences and almost every page shows an illustration of a different aspect of an apple farm. Even though The Apple Orchard Riddle is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. The end of the story contains a list of apple orchard facts.

As students work to discover the answer to the riddle, they look at a tractor, a barn, and an apple peeler. However, the answer to the riddle is obvious from the start. Throughout the field trip, Tara spends a lot of time thinking instead of participating in the other activities. In the end, she discovers the riddle’s answer. Unfortunately, Tara’s situation doesn’t correspond with apples and the story doesn’t have a life lesson.

The Apple Orchard Riddle isn’t as interesting as other books in Mr. Tiffin’s Classroom Series. However, readers will enjoy seeing the different parts of an apple farm. In addition, Tara’s tendency to spend time thinking and daydreaming is showed in a positive light. Mr. Tiffin’s Classroom Series allows readers to explore and learn about different places from the comfort of their homes.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Otis and the Puppy

Otis and his farm friends love to play hide-and-seek. Otis especially loves to be “it,” finding his friends as they hide in funny places. But one day, when the newest addition to the farm—a bounding puppy who can’t sit still—goes hiding, his attention wanders along with his legs, and soon he is lost in the forest.

Daylight fades quickly, and Otis begins to worry. He knows that his new friend is afraid of the dark and must be terrified to be all alone in the woods. Yet Otis has a secret that makes his tires tremble at the thought of searching in the dark. How can he conquer his fear to save the day?

Any child who loves hide-and-seek will love seeing the funny places Otis finds the farm animals hiding. Otis works and plays hard on the farm. The tractor loves to help plow and plant fields. Otis’s personality shines because of his expressive facial expressions. Readers will fall in love with the cute, curious puppy who loves to sleep curled up next to Otis.

When the little puppy wanders away from the farm, Otis worries about his new friends. Otis understands the puppy’s fear of the dark because Otis has the same fear. However, Otis doesn’t let his fear keep him from going into the dark woods to seek his friend. When the two friends find each other, “somehow the night sounds no longer felt so frightening to them.”

The background of each illustration is done in soft grays, which allows Otis’s and the animal’s colors to pop on the page. When night comes, the animals are just shadows, but even the silhouettes convey the animal’s feelings. As Otis goes into the dark woods, readers will have fun finding the animals in the shadows. The story has the perfect ending. Otis and the puppy reunited, and they are no longer afraid of the dark.

Even though Otis and the Puppy is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. The onomatopoeias make the story fun to read aloud. Each page has 1-5 sentences; however, some of the sentences are complex. Younger readers will love seeing that tractor and puppy become friends.

Sexual Content