Underground Train

A read-aloud ride on the underground train brings a little girl to the side of her Nana after she passes beneath a plethora of city sights and sounds, including traffic, zoo animals, and playing children.

PreSchool-K. A little girl and her mother take a trip on the Washington, DC, metro to meet Nana in the park. Sporting a jaunty red beret, this eager preschooler picks an orange seat and settles down to watch "the tunnel blurring by like a long, black night." As the train rushes underground ("Rrrruuuummm. Whoooosshh"), readers get to see what's "above the train, above my head." The White House, the Capitol, various familiar monuments, and the zoo are a few of the sights along the way. Before long, the conductor announces the awaited stop and Nana is there to greet mother and daughter. Although the rhythmic language isn't consistently successful?be prepared to wonder if you've missed a beat?the appeal of the journey never falters. Lighthearted watercolor illustrations capture the little traveler's infectious curiosity as well as the hustle and bustle of the crowded urban streets. While the often busy layout makes this book difficult to share with groups, individual children and adults will no doubt enjoy taking this bright and cheery train ride together.?Alicia Eames, New York City Public Schools
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Quattlebaum (The Magic Squad and the Dog of Great Potential, 1997, etc.) makes the subway a fairly exciting, thought-provoking place in a story about a girl and her mother traveling via the train to Nana's neighborhood: ``Down, down, down to the underground train, which rushes past like fast water.'' Once aboard, the girl scopes out the other passengers and watches ``the tunnel blurring by like a long, black night.'' The energy of the train is reflected in the bustle above-ground, where Smith shows swarms of tourists visiting the sights while locals go about their business--the elders rush around, youngsters jump rope and barrel down sidewalks on in-line skates. Quattlebaum and Smith convey both the strange magic of the subway--drop into the ground in one place, pop up in another--and the sense of urgency that informs the entire underground experience. (Picture book. 5-8) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.