Locomotive by Brian Floca is a stunning narrative nonfiction about the building of the transcontinental railroad. Mr. Floca illustrates and describes the mechanics of the steam engine, the people who built the rails and who rode the trains, and the countryside the locomotive conquered. The pictures capture a variety of perspectives. The language is lovely and reads like poetry. Strategically placed super-sized fonts bring the story to life. Backmatter includes historical context, a lengthy list of sources, and a visual description of how a steam engine operates. There’s so much content in this masterpiece that it required a large size (nearly 9 x 6 inches in the hardcover) and 64-pages. Be sure to watch Brian Floca talk about Locomotive at the 2013 National Book Festival.
A must-see are photographs at the Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum cprr.org/Museum/Exhibits.html.
This
book is read aloud by Madison Tully.
My Picture Book Talk lesson for this story is here.
