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Author Biography: Donald Crews is the renowned creator of two Caldecott Honor books, Freight Train and Truck. Among his other enormously popular books are such favorites as Night at the Fair, Sail Away, Bigmama's, Shortcut, and School Bus. He and his wife, Ann Jonas, live in New York's Hudson River Valley.
Donald Crews grew up in Newark, New Jersey, and says that all through his childhood the members of his family were always doing something with their hands. He was always drawing pictures. Now, in the old farmhouse where he lives with his wife, the noted author and illustrator Ann Jonas, Donald Crews is still drawing pictures.
After graduating from New York City's Cooper Union, Mr. Crews spent three years working as a designer. He was assistant art director of Dance magazine, on the staff of a small design studio, and did freelance work as a book-jacket designer. But in 1962 he was inducted into the Army, and for a time his artistic pursuits were set aside. As the end of his eighteen-month military stint in Germany approached, he assigned himself to the task of writing and illustrating a children's book to add to his portfolio. The result was the brilliant concept book We Read: A to Z (Harper & Row, 1967), which, nearly twenty years later, was reissued by Greenwillow Books. Ten Black Dots, a counting book, came next, and then several books for which he did illustrations only. But the turning point came in 1978, when Greenwillow published FreightTrain, a picture book inspired by Mr. Crews's childhood train trips from Newark to visit his grandmother in Florida. It was named a Caldecott Honor Book. Since then, Mr. Crews has created several other highly acclaimed picture books (including Truck, a 1981 Calclecott Honor Book), all painted in the flat, clean colors and bright, unambiguous shapes that are the hallmarks of his striking graphics.
Donald Crews grew up in Newark, New Jersey, spent his summers in Cottondale, Florida, and was graduated from Cooper Union in New York City. He and his wife, Ann Jonas, live in Brooklyn, New York.
When Donald Crews is asked why he focuses on picture books, he frequently answers, "Why not?" All the tools necessary for the creation of any piece of art are also elements in a successful picture book. Mr. Crews chooses a subject, explores ways to develop the subject visually, writes a story, then produces his finished illustrations. And the final audience, the children, tell him that they like what he does. Why not, indeed!Donald Crews grew up in Newark, New Jersey, spent his summers in Cottondale, Florida, and was graduated from Cooper Union in New York City. He and his wife, Ann Jonas, live in Brooklyn, New York.
Brief text and illustrations trace the journey of a colorful train as it goes through tunnels, by cities, and over trestles.
Beautiful book, and a must have in any 2 year olds library. My son has a mini freak out when he sees me going for this book. After the deafening shrill of delighted screams subsides we read the book. After every page he makes his train noise and eagerly helps me flip the page to see where the trains is heading next.
This book has excellent illustrations and simple words, it is perfect for young children.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 14, 2012
My kids loved this book from the library so I decided to buy it on my Nook for them and was delighted to hear the songs added to it. My kids love singing the songs and this is one of their favorite books!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 3, 2013
Each car and its color is named. Beautiful drawings show the freight train going through a tunnel, over a trestle, by a city, etc. Whoosh! A board book for the toddler set.
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Posted July 30, 2012
Not worth it my sons were not interested in the music and well the narrator didnt hold their attention.
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Posted April 18, 2012
Why don't you have any big kids train books.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 4, 2012
I used to use this book to teach colors and to teach kids to read. It is a classic! Now I see this has the added delight of some classic American songs that all of us used to sing. What a treat. I can't wait to read it with my grandchildren!
peakbagger06
Posted December 18, 2011
Allows for making up your own story.
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Posted December 8, 2011
My 3.5 yr old grandson was not interested in the music include and there just too little else in it -- turned out an expensicpve dud for my trained obsessed g/s
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 24, 2011
few words, great illustrations, good rhythm. my grandsons love this!
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Posted July 28, 2011
I was immediately disappointed in this book - there's nothing to it! The illustrations are pretty basic and repetitious and there's little reading. But my 2 1/2 yr old grandson loves it, so that's good enough for me. I ad-lib as I read it to him though... just doesn't have enough substance for reading.
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Posted November 18, 2010
Like another review... Our 2 year old just loves this book. Although I wish it was grammatically correct... It is an easy read. Our 2 year old has memorized it. He reads it to us and he often sits down to read it to himself.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 6, 2010
The last visit to Barnes and Noble I allowed my two year old to pick out a book on his own to sit and look at. He found this book and he sat and looked at the pictures by himself over and over. After finding what I needed I looked and found him still sitting loooking at this book, I so I sat down to read it to him. It has very few words but the pictures are outstanding. I even enjoy looking at it more than once. It teaching some basic railroad words and he can pretty much read it aloud with me now. It allows for interaction and he loves that. He sleeps with this book when we read it at bedtime. This book is a hidden treasure and one of our favorites.
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Posted April 9, 2010
My 2 &1/2 year old carried this book around Barnes and Noble from the moment he first picked up the book and then for a couple weeks after we bought it. If we read it at bedtime he insists on sleeping with it. It's his favorite. For a child who likes trains it will be great.
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Posted October 26, 2009
My sons are in middle school and high school, but I continue to give this great little book as a gift to friends with small children. I truly think that my children learned their colors from this book. If you have or know a train-obsessed toddler or preschooler, this book is a must.
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Posted August 8, 2009
My son had this book and loved it. I recently bought the board book as a gift for a nephew who is two. He was glued to it immediately. The illustrations are simple, yet perfect, and they demonstrate the text exactly. The book is great for teaching colors. The illustrations show the movement of the train. As soon as you read to the end, your little one may want you to start over again! I highly recommend this book.
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Posted June 20, 2009
Very short but my kids love naming all the train cars each night before going to bed. Helps with colors and actions.
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Posted April 20, 2009
Children love this book! I have given it as gifts and delight watching them read it. The story is simple, but the illustrations are detailed. It can be used to teach colors, shapes and more.
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Posted January 15, 2008
My two-year-old loves trains, so we gave him this book for Christmas. After reading through it just a few times, he now knows it by heart and will 'read' it to me!
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Posted September 14, 2007
My child loves this book! How the train goes from here to there and the sights it passes all along the way. I love the illustrations as well.
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Posted April 22, 2007
This books is wonderful for preschool. It helps children learn about colors while entertaining them the thought of a train. It also tells where the train is going. 'Going through tunnels. Going by cities.' This book is really enjoyable but i didn't think that it was great enough to recieve the caldecott honor award, but it did. Crews, Donald. FREIGHT TRAIN. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1978.
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Overview
Author Biography: Donald Crews is the renowned creator of two Caldecott Honor books, Freight Train and Truck. Among his other enormously popular books are such favorites as Night at the Fair, Sail Away, Bigmama's, Shortcut, and School Bus. He and his wife, Ann Jonas, live in New York's Hudson River Valley.
Donald Crews grew ...