The Little Engine That Could: 90th Anniversary Edition

by Watty Piper, Dan Santat (Illustrator), Dolly Parton (Introduction)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Revisiting one of the most timeless tales of perseverance, now with a new look. This is a story that should be read and loved by all.

Celebrate the 90th anniversary of The Little Engine That Could with this all-time classic reillustrated by Caldecott Award-winning artist Dan Santat! A perfect gift for all the milestones in your life—from graduation to birthdays and more!
 


The kindness and determination of the Little Blue Engine have inspired millions of children around the world since the story was first published in 1930. Cherished by readers for ninety years, The Little Engine That Could is a classic tale of a little engine that, despite her size, triumphantly pulls a train full of wonderful things to the children waiting on the other side of a mountain.

This anniversary edition features the original text, all-new reimagined artwork and an introduction from Caldecott Medal-winner Dan Santat, and a special letter from Dolly Parton, award-winning singer-songwriter and founder of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593094396
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	04/07/2020
Series:	The Little Engine That Could
Edition description:	90th Anniversary Edition
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	540L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Watty Piper was a pen name of Arnold Munk, an owner of the publishing firm Platt & Munk. Arnold Munk was born in Hungary and, as a child, moved with his family to Chicago. He later moved to New York, where he died in 1957. Arnold Munk used the name Watty Piper as both an author of children's books and as the editor of many of the books that Platt & Munk published.

Dan Santat is the author and illustrator of the Caldecott Award-winning The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, as well as the New York Times Best Selling titles, Are We There Yet?, After the Fall, and others. He is also the creator of Disney's animated hit, The Replacements. Dan lives in Southern California with his wife, two kids, and a menagerie of pets. Visit him at dantat.com.

Editorial Reviews

2019-12-22
Thinking it can for its 90th year, an old friend receives a shiny new update.

Fifteen years after Loren Long's 75th-anniversary interpretation, Caldecott winner Santat tries his hand at this work of classic children's literature. Once more a train filled with toys and goodies for all those "good little boys and girls on the other side of the mountain" can only be saved by the smallest, most determined engine of them all. As no part of the text has been changed (the "jackknives" for children remain intact in the train's inventory), Santat's challenge is to bring the engine into the 21st century visually. Now the "funny little clown" is actually small instead of adult-sized, and one of the dolls depicted has brown skin and straight, dark hair (the other is white with Shirley Temple ringlets). In Santat's version, when the Little Blue Engine pulls away from the engine that broke down, one of the toys waves goodbye, and it looks on in relief. Some scenes directly reference the earlier editions, such as a shot of the Little Blue Engine pulling over a bridge as animals run alongside. Kids will enjoy small details, like the toy plane that appears in almost every spread. Adults will enjoy the generous format and Santat's lovingly rendered landscapes. Notes from Dolly Parton and Santat bookend the story.

Can you love another update? We think you will, we think you will, we think you will…. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews