Railroad Hank by Lisa Moser and illustrated by Benji Davies (Random House, 2012) is a story of a train engineer who wants to help his granny feel better. Hank is rather slow, however: when Missy May suggests making a yummy plate of scramble eggs, Hank takes the chickens with him, and so forth. By the time Hank arrives at Granny’s house, he has a train full of silly things: chickens, cows, apple trees, and even the fishing pond. Yes, the pond, instead of the fish! Granny can’t be blue with such a ridiculous friend bringing him things!
My son (age 5) and I loved the really silly pictures, and the familiar refrain of the train chugging along of course made this book a winner for my train-loving son. Reminiscent of Simple Simon, Epaminandos, or Lazy Jack, Railroad Hank gives us another story of a silly person who misunderstands how to help. In Hank’s case, he succeeds in helping Granny, much to our delight.
This book is a 2012 Cybils nominated book.
