As an Alaskan who has ridden the Alaskan train, known here as the Alaskan Railroad, I found this book a delight. Now, true, I feel the need to remind people that critters really don't join with passengers on trains since, well, as soon as they learn I live here, I've been asked several times by tourists "Can I pet the moose?" or "When do they turn on the Northern Lights?" and such. Which, reminds me, lovely illustration of the Lights in this book. "Aaaah and Oooooh" is definitely the perfect description.
John Joseph's illustrations are a lovely touch, cute and humorous while capturing the essence of that page's focus. They're colorful and relatively realistic, I might note, in a cartoon-style manner. Brooke Hartman's mom was a tour guide on the train according to the info page, so it's obvious she comes by her interest and respect for the train journey naturally. The lyrical text is fun as it introduces the various animals and sights. It flows. (Yes, I read it aloud to the dog.) Each is introduced with the repetitive line "Chugga-chugga, clickety clack," helping children hearing the story mentally switch gears each time. Make sure you take some time to fully look at each illustration, too, as there are some neat little things to be appreciated. Definitely allow time at the end to look at the arrival at the Fairbanks station drawing. The moose on roller skates is just one of the amusing things you'll find.
Obviously, I fully enjoyed the book and may be adding it to my own guest room's Alaska Shelf. That's where I shelve books my non-Alaskan guests may find interesting. They'll appreciate the end material, too, which offers up a bit about the railroad's history and, say, use of blue and gold colors. There's also an illustrated guide to the various parts of a train, a fun add. Thanks #NetGalley and #RedCometPress for giving me this sneak peek. I especially like the use of the train climbing the mountain, seemingly to the sky, on the thank you page. Good use of the theme throughout.
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