{"id":451518473,"title":"Alphabet Trains","handle":"alphabet-trains","description":"\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca title=\"Author Samantha R. Vamos\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/samantha-r-vamos\"\u003eSamantha R. Vamos\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca title=\"Illustrator Ryan O'Rourke\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/ryan-orourke\"\u003eRyan O'Rourke\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eKids love trains and this book's got them from A to Z!\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClimb aboard and ride the rails with twenty-six letters, on twenty-six different types of trains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach train in this exciting book is adorned with a letter of the alphabet. Young readers can spot the letter “C” on the side of the coal train, the “G” on the front of the Glacier Express, the letter “M” on the monorail, and more. Short rhyming text accompanies each train to introduce the name of the train and a bit of information about it\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRyan O’Rourke’s colorful illustrations will entice young learners. Both train enthusiasts and those just learning about trains will find lots to learn here. Backmatter includes additional information on each of the twenty-six train types depicted in the text.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/alphabet-trucks\" title=\"Alphabet Trucks\"\u003eAlphabet Trucks\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca title=\"Jerry Pallotta's Alphabet Book series\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/collections\/jerry-pallotta-alphabet-books\"\u003eJerry Pallotta's Alphabet Book series\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/steam-smoke-and-steel\" title=\"Steam, Smoke, and Steel\"\u003eSteam, Smoke, and Steel\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/alphabet-trains-spread.jpg?4535604852965863496\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" async=\"\" defer data-pin-shape=\"round\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSamantha R. Vamos, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSamantha R. Vamos is the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred\u003c\/i\u003e, a Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Book, \u003ci\u003eAlphabet Trucks\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eBefore You Were Here, Mi Amor\u003c\/i\u003e (Viking Juvenile). Samantha lives near Seattle, Washington.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Author Samantha R. Vamos\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/samantha-r-vamos\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Samantha.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRyan O'Rourke, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor many years Ryan O'Rourke's illustrations have appeared in galleries, newspapers, and magazines, including a weekly illustration for the \u003ci\u003eBoston Globe Sunday Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003ci\u003eOne Big Rain\u003c\/i\u003e marks Ryan's foray into children's picture books. He makes his home in Connecticut.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Illustrator Ryan O'Rourke\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/ryan-orourke\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Ryan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCCBC Choices\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA cheerful rhyming text and painterly illustrations created in Adobe Photoshop offer young readers a different train for each letter of the alphabet. The simple text is straightforward without letting the rhyme become cloying: “G is for Glacier Express,\/a scenic, alpine glide.\/H is for Hurricane Turn.\/Wave a flag to catch a ride.” Each train is featured on its own page, allowing the page turns to reveal the next type of train. A spread ends the book by giving factual information for each of the trains depicted, further enhancing the book’s appeal to train enthusiasts. VERDICT Pair this with Donald Crews’s \u003cem\u003eFreight Train\u003c\/em\u003e (Greenwillow,1978) and Margaret Wise Brown’s \u003cem\u003eTwo Little Trains\u003c\/em\u003e (HarperCollins, 2001) illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, for a high-speed storytime.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn a companion to 2013's \u003ci\u003eAlphabet Trucks\u003c\/i\u003e, Vamos and O'Rourke introduce 26 trains as they proceed from \u003ci\u003eA\u003c\/i\u003e to \u003ci\u003eZ\u003c\/i\u003e. They make room for general categories like bullet trains and coal trains, as well as location-specific conveyances—like the Xplorer of New South Wales, Australia, and the Q train of New York City's subway system, taking care of a couple tricky letters in the process. Vamos's rhymes are as sturdy as the trains she discusses (\"\u003ci\u003eI\u003c\/i\u003e is for incline train,\/ a steep, uphill track.\/ \u003ci\u003eJ\u003c\/i\u003e is for Jupiter,\/ with a wide balloon stack\"), while O'Rourke sneaks numerous upper-and lower-case letters into his cheerful digital illustrations, which all but beg to be pointed out by kids as the pages turn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Alphabet Trains book cover\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/alphabet-trains-cvr.jpg?4535604852965863496\" style=\"display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/alphabet-trains-hires.zip?14386821105742796807\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardcover\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-58089-592-7\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE-book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-857-3 EPUB \u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-858-0 PDF\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 3-7\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 32\u003cbr\u003e10 x 7\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCorrelated to Common Core State Standards:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEnglish Language Arts-Literacy. Reading Informational. Kindergarten. Standards 1-10\u003cbr\u003eEnglish Language Arts-Literacy. Reading Informational. Grade 1. Standards 1-4, 6, 7, 8, 10\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]","published_at":"2015-04-08T20:37:00-04:00","created_at":"2015-04-08T19:53:14-04:00","vendor":"Charlesbridge","type":"Children's Book","tags":["Browse by Age_Ages 3-6","Browse by Age_Ages 6-10","Browse by Fiction\/Nonfiction_Nonfiction","Browse by Format_Picture Book","Browse by Language_English","Browse by Subject_Alphabet Books","Browse by Subject_Early Childhood","Browse by Subject_Story Time \u0026 Play","Browse by Subject_Travel \u0026 Transportation"],"price":799,"price_min":799,"price_max":1599,"available":true,"price_varies":true,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":1182452361,"title":"Hardcover","option1":"Hardcover","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"95927","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Alphabet Trains - Hardcover","public_title":"Hardcover","options":["Hardcover"],"price":1599,"weight":386,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":100,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"continue","barcode":"978-1-58089-592-7","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":32584872656975,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"95934","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Alphabet Trains - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":799,"weight":386,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":100,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"continue","barcode":"9781580895934","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/alphabet-trains-cover.jpg?v=1570205074"],"featured_image":"\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/alphabet-trains-cover.jpg?v=1570205074","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":"Alphabet Trains book cover image","id":2448083681359,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.415,"height":424,"width":600,"src":"\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/alphabet-trains-cover.jpg?v=1570205074"},"aspect_ratio":1.415,"height":424,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/alphabet-trains-cover.jpg?v=1570205074","width":600}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca title=\"Author Samantha R. Vamos\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/samantha-r-vamos\"\u003eSamantha R. Vamos\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca title=\"Illustrator Ryan O'Rourke\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/ryan-orourke\"\u003eRyan O'Rourke\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eKids love trains and this book's got them from A to Z!\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClimb aboard and ride the rails with twenty-six letters, on twenty-six different types of trains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach train in this exciting book is adorned with a letter of the alphabet. Young readers can spot the letter “C” on the side of the coal train, the “G” on the front of the Glacier Express, the letter “M” on the monorail, and more. Short rhyming text accompanies each train to introduce the name of the train and a bit of information about it\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRyan O’Rourke’s colorful illustrations will entice young learners. Both train enthusiasts and those just learning about trains will find lots to learn here. Backmatter includes additional information on each of the twenty-six train types depicted in the text.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/alphabet-trucks\" title=\"Alphabet Trucks\"\u003eAlphabet Trucks\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca title=\"Jerry Pallotta's Alphabet Book series\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/collections\/jerry-pallotta-alphabet-books\"\u003eJerry Pallotta's Alphabet Book series\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/steam-smoke-and-steel\" title=\"Steam, Smoke, and Steel\"\u003eSteam, Smoke, and Steel\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/alphabet-trains-spread.jpg?4535604852965863496\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" async=\"\" defer data-pin-shape=\"round\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSamantha R. Vamos, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSamantha R. Vamos is the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred\u003c\/i\u003e, a Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Book, \u003ci\u003eAlphabet Trucks\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eBefore You Were Here, Mi Amor\u003c\/i\u003e (Viking Juvenile). Samantha lives near Seattle, Washington.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Author Samantha R. Vamos\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/samantha-r-vamos\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Samantha.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRyan O'Rourke, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor many years Ryan O'Rourke's illustrations have appeared in galleries, newspapers, and magazines, including a weekly illustration for the \u003ci\u003eBoston Globe Sunday Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003ci\u003eOne Big Rain\u003c\/i\u003e marks Ryan's foray into children's picture books. He makes his home in Connecticut.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Illustrator Ryan O'Rourke\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/ryan-orourke\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Ryan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCCBC Choices\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA cheerful rhyming text and painterly illustrations created in Adobe Photoshop offer young readers a different train for each letter of the alphabet. The simple text is straightforward without letting the rhyme become cloying: “G is for Glacier Express,\/a scenic, alpine glide.\/H is for Hurricane Turn.\/Wave a flag to catch a ride.” Each train is featured on its own page, allowing the page turns to reveal the next type of train. A spread ends the book by giving factual information for each of the trains depicted, further enhancing the book’s appeal to train enthusiasts. VERDICT Pair this with Donald Crews’s \u003cem\u003eFreight Train\u003c\/em\u003e (Greenwillow,1978) and Margaret Wise Brown’s \u003cem\u003eTwo Little Trains\u003c\/em\u003e (HarperCollins, 2001) illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, for a high-speed storytime.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn a companion to 2013's \u003ci\u003eAlphabet Trucks\u003c\/i\u003e, Vamos and O'Rourke introduce 26 trains as they proceed from \u003ci\u003eA\u003c\/i\u003e to \u003ci\u003eZ\u003c\/i\u003e. They make room for general categories like bullet trains and coal trains, as well as location-specific conveyances—like the Xplorer of New South Wales, Australia, and the Q train of New York City's subway system, taking care of a couple tricky letters in the process. Vamos's rhymes are as sturdy as the trains she discusses (\"\u003ci\u003eI\u003c\/i\u003e is for incline train,\/ a steep, uphill track.\/ \u003ci\u003eJ\u003c\/i\u003e is for Jupiter,\/ with a wide balloon stack\"), while O'Rourke sneaks numerous upper-and lower-case letters into his cheerful digital illustrations, which all but beg to be pointed out by kids as the pages turn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Alphabet Trains book cover\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/alphabet-trains-cvr.jpg?4535604852965863496\" style=\"display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/alphabet-trains-hires.zip?14386821105742796807\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardcover\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-58089-592-7\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE-book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-857-3 EPUB \u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-858-0 PDF\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 3-7\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 32\u003cbr\u003e10 x 7\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCorrelated to Common Core State Standards:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEnglish Language Arts-Literacy. Reading Informational. Kindergarten. Standards 1-10\u003cbr\u003eEnglish Language Arts-Literacy. Reading Informational. Grade 1. Standards 1-4, 6, 7, 8, 10\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]"}

Alphabet Trains

By: Samantha R. Vamos / Illustrated by: Ryan O'Rourke

Kids love trains and this book's got them from A to Z!

Climb aboard and ride the rails with twenty-six letters, on twenty-six different types of trains.

Each train in this exciting book is adorned with a letter of the alphabet. Young readers can spot the letter “C” on the side of the coal train, the “G” on the front of the Glacier Express, the letter “M” on the monorail, and more. Short rhyming text accompanies each train to introduce the name of the train and a bit of information about it

Ryan O’Rourke’s colorful illustrations will entice young learners. Both train enthusiasts and those just learning about trains will find lots to learn here. Backmatter includes additional information on each of the twenty-six train types depicted in the text.

Maximum quantity available reached.

Samantha R. Vamos, author

Samantha R. Vamos is the author of The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred, a Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Book, Alphabet Trucks, and Before You Were Here, Mi Amor (Viking Juvenile). Samantha lives near Seattle, Washington.

Read more about Samantha.


Ryan O'Rourke, illustrator

For many years Ryan O'Rourke's illustrations have appeared in galleries, newspapers, and magazines, including a weekly illustration for the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. One Big Rain marks Ryan's foray into children's picture books. He makes his home in Connecticut.

Read more about Ryan.

  • CCBC Choices

School Library Journal

A cheerful rhyming text and painterly illustrations created in Adobe Photoshop offer young readers a different train for each letter of the alphabet. The simple text is straightforward without letting the rhyme become cloying: “G is for Glacier Express,/a scenic, alpine glide./H is for Hurricane Turn./Wave a flag to catch a ride.” Each train is featured on its own page, allowing the page turns to reveal the next type of train. A spread ends the book by giving factual information for each of the trains depicted, further enhancing the book’s appeal to train enthusiasts. VERDICT Pair this with Donald Crews’s Freight Train (Greenwillow,1978) and Margaret Wise Brown’s Two Little Trains (HarperCollins, 2001) illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, for a high-speed storytime.

Publishers Weekly

In a companion to 2013's Alphabet Trucks, Vamos and O'Rourke introduce 26 trains as they proceed from A to Z. They make room for general categories like bullet trains and coal trains, as well as location-specific conveyances—like the Xplorer of New South Wales, Australia, and the Q train of New York City's subway system, taking care of a couple tricky letters in the process. Vamos's rhymes are as sturdy as the trains she discusses ("I is for incline train,/ a steep, uphill track./ J is for Jupiter,/ with a wide balloon stack"), while O'Rourke sneaks numerous upper-and lower-case letters into his cheerful digital illustrations, which all but beg to be pointed out by kids as the pages turn.

Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-58089-592-7

E-book
ISBN: 978-1-60734-857-3 EPUB
ISBN: 978-1-60734-858-0 PDF

Ages: 3-7
Page count: 32
10 x 7

Correlated to Common Core State Standards:
English Language Arts-Literacy. Reading Informational. Kindergarten. Standards 1-10
English Language Arts-Literacy. Reading Informational. Grade 1. Standards 1-4, 6, 7, 8, 10