Locomotive (book) facts for kids
Cover image
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| Author | Brian Floca |
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| Illustrator | Brian Floca |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Picture book |
| Publisher | An imprint of Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing |
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Publication date
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September 3, 2013 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 64 pp |
| ISBN | 978-1-4169-9415-2 |
Locomotive is an exciting children's book from 2013. It was written and illustrated by Brian Floca. This non-fiction book tells the story of a family's journey. They ride a huge steam engine train in the summer of 1869. The book shares many details about the workers and passengers. It also describes the amazing landscapes they pass through. You will learn about the building and running of the first transcontinental railroad.
The book also includes interesting facts about trains from earlier and later times. Brian Floca spent four years creating this book. He even changed his mind about the main characters. At first, he thought about following the train crew. But he decided to follow a family instead. Floca did a lot of research to make sure every detail was correct. He even took a train ride himself! He also talked to many experts.
Locomotive was loved by many critics. It won the Randolph Caldecott Medal. This award is for the "most distinguished American picture book for children." It also received a Robert F. Sibert Honor for its great non-fiction writing. People praised both the writing and the pictures. Many liked how Floca designed the book. The way he wrote it, using "you" (second person), makes readers feel like they are really on the train journey too!
How the Book Was Made
Brian Floca found it easy to get his book published. He said his editor, who he worked with for 20 years, helped make the book excellent. But creating the book was much harder. It took him four years to write and draw all the pictures.
When he started, Floca was drawn to trains because of the feeling of "traveling through a landscape." He loved the sense of movement and place. At first, he wasn't sure which kind of train to write about. He finally decided on the steam engine and the transcontinental railroad. This decision helped him "fall in love" with that time period. To understand the journey better, Floca rode a train on the same route.
Once he picked the time and place, Floca worked hard to learn how steam engines worked. His biggest challenge was changing the story's viewpoint. He switched from following the train's crew to following a family. Floca knew early on that he wanted a picture of a locomotive on the cover. He also wanted a bison on the inside cover. He talked to many experts to make sure his book was historically accurate. Other artists in his studio, like John Bemelmans Marciano and Sophie Blackall, also gave him helpful ideas.
The book was released on September 3, 2013. It was published by Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing. An audiobook version was also made, narrated by Eric G. Dove.
What the Book is About
The non-fiction book Locomotive starts with some history. It explains how the transcontinental railroad was built in the 1800s. Two companies worked together on this huge project. The Central Pacific Rail Road Company started from Sacramento, California. The Union Pacific Rail Road Company built from Omaha, Nebraska. They met at Promontory Summit, Utah. This meeting point was chosen by the companies themselves.
The railroad was built to make travel faster. Before it, traveling across the country took up to six months. It was hard and dangerous, often done by wagons or ships.
After the title page, Locomotive tells the story of riding the railroad. It describes a journey from Omaha to Sacramento in the summer of 1869. The story follows a mother, her daughter, and her son. The book uses "you" (second person) to make you feel like you are there. It explains the jobs of the many people who worked on the train. It also shows how others supported the railroad.
You will read about the changing scenery along the way. This includes famous landmarks. The book also shows how the railroad changed the landscape. It explains how the train actually worked. You learn what life was like for passengers. And you discover the joys and dangers of train travel back then.
At the end of the book, Floca adds more information. He explains more about the history of trains. He mentions other big transcontinental projects. He also talks about how train travel changed the country. It gave people more freedom to travel and move. But he also notes the negative impact the railroad had on Native Americans and bison. The book also discusses the rise of the Pullman Company in the 1870s. It shows how train technology kept getting better. The back cover of Locomotive even explains how a steam power engine works!
Pictures and Words
Brian Floca called Locomotive a picture book. But he also wanted to make sure all the information was as accurate as possible. Critics noticed his use of free verse in the writing. They pointed out how he used techniques like alliteration (words starting with the same sound) and onomatopoeia (words that sound like what they mean, like "chug"). These techniques helped create the feeling of the train journey.
Floca did a great job blending descriptions of passengers, workers, and the landscape. His ability to explain information clearly is sometimes overlooked. The Wall Street Journal praised the book. They said it had "possibly the most lucid explanation of how steam power works." Locomotive also joined a trend in children's non-fiction. These books use "second person" writing (using "you"). This makes the reader feel like they are part of the story's time.
The large size of the book also made reading it better. Floca used different font types and sizes. This helped show meaning and create the right mood. The carefully designed endpapers (the pages inside the front and back covers) also got praise. Reviewers loved how Floca could draw both huge landscapes and detailed cutaways of the steam engine. Yet, the book remained easy to understand. This was thanks to its pictures and the fictional train journey. Floca's drawings also use both horizontal and vertical space. This is different from some train books that only focus on horizontal views. The book shows how Floca tries to "inspire awe" in his readers. It proves that a non-fiction book for kids can be just as amazing as a fiction one. The illustrations in the book were made using watercolors.
