From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7--This painstakingly detailed picture book provides an account of how the John Bull, a British locomotive, was built, brought to America in 1831, and used to run the first successful railroad line in New Jersey. While the descriptions of historical circumstances flow smoothly, the text becomes bogged down when Weitzman goes into mechanical or technical details, often using specialized vocabulary without explaining it. The black-and-white, pen-and-ink illustrations have been carefully researched for accuracy, but they have a stiff quality that will have little child appeal. Like the author's Locomotive (Houghton, 1999; o.p.), this title is for die-hard train lovers with some previous knowledge of the subject.--Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
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Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Booklist
Gr. 4-7. Weitzman tells the story of the John Bull, an early steam locomotive in America. Illustrated with large, black-and-white pictures that look like ink drawings, this handsome book describes how the John Bull was designed and built in England. In 1831, it was shipped in pieces to America, where a mechanic reassembled it without the benefit of drawings, instructions, or previous experience with steam locomotives. After running for several decades, it found a home at the Smithsonian, whose curators ran the engine again in 1981. Engineering-minded readers will enjoy the craftsmanlike drawings, including a cut-away view of the locomotive with clearly written captions to explain the functions of the engine's parts. Figure drawings are less successful, though not without a certain charm. Railroad buffs will also enjoy the story, which is unusual in that it deals with a particular locomotive. A nice addition to larger collections. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
