Rosalyn Albert (text) and Natalia Moore (illustrator), Let’s Go! On a Train!, New Frontier Publishing, February 2020, 16 pp., $12.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781925594980
Rosalyn Albert (text) and Natalia Moore (illustrator), Let’s Go! On a Tractor!, New Frontier Publishing, June 2020, 16 pp., $12.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781922326089
This series of board books includes four titles which each focus on a different mode of transport including a Tractor, Train, Rocket and Ferry.
Rosalyn Albert’s rhyming text takes children on an imaginative journey of discovery. While travelling through each book the reader is introduced to new and familiar experiences, people, sounds, feelings and senses which enable connect and engagement with the story.
In Let’s Go! On a Train these connections include the driver, the whistle and steam of the train and its click clack rhythm, the inspector collecting tickets, and the countryside out the window. All these experiences would suit a varied audience. In Let’s Go! On a Tractor the reader is introduced to many animals and their habitats, the work of the farmer and the machinery used, and different elements such as mud and water.
While reading these books to my children I noticed that the tractor story highlighted workmanship, dedication, and a sense of teamwork, while the train book focused on adventure, excitement, and safety.
These books are the perfect size for little hands and are brought to life by Natalia Moore’s illustrations which are bright, colourful and engaging; inviting children to explore and connect with the story.
The simple, bouncy rhythm of the text paired with the fun illustrations encourages children to reflect on their life experiences while also being introduced to new ones.
Reviewed by Raquel Mayman
