Trains......once again!

Like most kids, Abhay too was fascinated with different modes of transport and his penchant has progressed from trains to buses to cars to ships to planes and now to outer space travel by space-crafts! Depending on what his current transport interest was, his maternal grandmother would weave stories around them. So the boy who’d eagerly listen to the story of race between Udyan express and Rajdhani (Two of the prominent train routes starting from Bangalore) would continue to be baffled by the supposed row between Rajahamsa (Karnataka State Transport Service bus) and its private counterpart, Durgamba (a private bus operator). In fact, at one point of time the grandma- grandson duo would also discuss the day’s railway time-table that his maternal grandma would regularly listen to on the radio, whether or not anyone we knew would be travelling on the trains mentioned…..and this goes on to explain just why her grandson would love to randomly blurt out to a bunch of visiting guests that the Rani Chennamma express was late that day,  leaving them totally perplexed and leaving us in search of a reasonable explanation!:-)

In fact, my very first post on Onestoryaday was on trains! So as a throwback to those days, we read  “When Titus took the train” by Anne Cottringer and illustrated by Sarah Mclyntyre, an ideal book for train and dinosaur lovers! I had come across this book a number of times, but it is only today I picked this up, thanks to Bubble Ink's reading prompt - Transport. This book features a regular train journey ....yet made  extraordinary by  a child's imagination, and well complemented by striking imagery.  Titus is all set to make a train journey to a far away place where uncle Henry lives. Titus has travelled by train before but this time around, it's special as he'll be travelling all by  himself! On ensuring Titus has all the things he needs to avoid getting bored- his lunch, books and games, his father requests the train guard to keep an eye on him.  As the train pulls out of the station, chugging along the railway track, rolling deeper into country, Titus seated with a pen and paper, is up to something. All he needs is to look out of the window for inspiration and  he imagines all kinds of spine chilling adventures along the train ride. Titus pictures the train attacked by bandits and masked men who are after the gold bullion in the guard's coach, bumping into a roaring  T-rex in the tunnel,   having a break-down on top of highest and the longest rail bridge and losing control as it speeds down the mountain - all of which Titus manages to thwart and fix in a true Super-hero style, after which he calmly settles down back in his seat (or so he jots down in his notebook!).  As the train finally reaches its destination, Titus is received by his uncle who along with the guard asks him if he was bored during the journey....Titus cannot but suppress a smile! Well, imagination knows no boredom...isn't it??

Chugging off to a vacation...

With Abhay’s school closed for the summer and Bangalore’s Civil Courts following suit, there can be no better time than this to take a vacation from our routine lives. So we are off to Kerala for a week to relax and rejuvenate on the banks of the Vembanad lake along its backwaters. As we prepare to leave tonight on the train, I suddenly realized that it is Abhay’s first time on the Indian railways. He has been on the train before, but it was in the US and we all know that there is a huge difference between travelling from New York to Boston on Amtrack  and travelling from Bangalore to Kottayam on the Kuzhivelil Express! I, for one believe the latter is much more exciting than the former and am sure my curious little one would agree! Anyway, considering how much he is fascinated by trains and how obsessed he has been with the Thomas series, today's event deserves a mention on Onestoryaday but what a shame that  I don’t have any book lined up to celebrate the same! So making a last minute entry in our last minute packing checklist ......is my last minute pick for the day!

Since I didnt have the time to make the trip to the library, I had to fall back on my  home collection....and Voila! What did I find......one of our old favorites!  Although I did make a mention of this book in one of my earlier posts on trains, I guess I didnt do complete justice to this timeless classic....now made into an animated movie. "The Little Engine that Could" by Watty Piper, a book that needs no introduction puffed its way into our bedtime routine last night.  This is a story of determination and perseverence on the part of a little blue engine who took upon a challenge with a simple mantra "I think I can'! A little train rumbled over the tracks carrying a jolly load of toys, dolls, teddybears, picture puzzles,  fresh fruits and vegetables, candies, and other wonderful things for little boys and girls on the other side of the mountain. Then all of a sudden, she stopped with jerk and could not move any further. So all the toys decide to seek assistance from other engines to help them get to the other side of the mountain. First comes a shiny new engine, an important passenger engine, then a freight engine and then a rusty old engine - but no one obliges. Then  comes a little blue engine who has never pulled a train over the mountain. She is not sure if she is up to it, but is moved by the tears swelling down the dolls' faces and decides to help them. She puffs and chugs along saying  "I think I can...I think I can...I think I can" as she climbs up faster and faster until she reaches the top of the mountain when all the toys and dolls cheer. Down in the valley lay the city where good little boys and girls were waiting for the toys and treats carried by the little blue engine.....who now says "I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could"!! Thats the same mantra Im now chanting as I write this post last minute.........just before we are about head to the railway station! :-)

Day out with Thomas

Today was a very special day for Abhay, his friend Suhas and other little boys living in the Portland area– they got to ride with Thomas, the tank engine! Of course, the day out with Thomas was planned in advance with tickets booked almost a month before lest they get sold out. Ever since Abhay got to know that his favorite engine’s coming to town, not a single day went by without him asking if it was time to meet  Thomas! So as we woke up this morning, we felt relieved that our answer was not going to be disappoint him again! So we got on the road and drove for almost two hours to a place called Hood River to board the Mount Hood Railway pulled by the world’s most famous blue engine! Though the weather was not at its best, the turnout was quite significant with mostly young boys between the ages of 1-5 frenzy with excitement to  ride No.1 engine of Island of Sodor, shake hands with Sir Topham Hat, get their favorite Thomas tattoo and of course make a station stop at a place that is every parent’s nightmare - the Thomas toy store ! 

A day out with Thomas mandates reading a Thomas book. So today, I had Abhay read a couple of mini-early reader books from “On Track with Phonics”. These books are similar to the Bob books meant for emergent Readers and are in fact much better as they are based on stories from Thomas and friends. This early reader set comes with twelve mini books and a parent guide to help your pre-schooler step into reading. These books initially begin with simple stories and short vowel sounds and gradually progress into long vowel sounds and slightly complex plots. Well, simply put, if you have a who son eats, breathes, sleeps and dreams Thomas and you want him to start reading – get him on track with Phonics!

Thomas and his enemies!

I don’t know what to do about Abhay's fixation with Thomas and Friends! The talking engines are everywhere! I cannot stand them any longer!!! They have taken over my son’s life, who now calls himself Edward (a blue engine numbered two from “Thomas and Friends”). His best friend in school calls himself Gordon (another character from the same animated series)! If you had a daughter, you are expected to know the names of all the Disney princesses by heart. Similarly, my son's general knowledge quiz for me is on the names of various engines from the Thomas & Friends series. Abhay’s obsession is such that now my parents also rattle off the names of the engines, their colors and respective numbers! Edward, the blue engine is Abhay's signature sketch on each of his drawings. He not only wants to watch Thomas and Friends while having lunch, but is so influenced by the train series that every morsel of food that goes into his mouth represents a certain engine number and its capacity. Not making sense? Every day during lunch, I watch helplessly as my son says – “1^st bite is for Thomas the tank engine and so a small bite, 2^nd bite is for Edward which is a medium size bite….No. 4 being Gordon, the big engine and so a big bite!!!” All I can say is… HELP!!!!

So in an attempt to enlighten my son about other trains besides Thomas, I read two books regarded as some of the best children’s books of 2010. The first book was “My Little Train” by Satomi Ichikawa, a nice little book on a train that takes its heterogeneous passengers to their respective destinations. The little train chugs along the tunnel, over the bridge and across the hill helping the duck get off at the pond, monkey at the forest, bear at the mountain and lastly a baby kangaroo into its mother’s pouch. An ideal book for toddlers and perpetual wannabe toddlers in love with trains!

“Subway” by Christoph Niemann is a book on the lifeline of New York city – its subway system. Abhay enjoyed this book as it reminded him of our trip to NYC last summer when the subway was our main form of commute around the Big Apple. If you’ve been to NYC or live near any big city, you’d know how kids are fascinated by the trains running underneath the city through their dark tunnels. In the book, a father takes his children for a ride on the A line and then F line, then No. 1, 2, 7 , J and Q lines as you see the different lines merge and separate and then merge again just as in a New York metro map. As the day long expedition beneath the city of lights ends, the kids are in no mood get back on top. Just like Abhay for whom the best part of New York city was what lay underground and not above ground.

12/03/2010 - Trains

My son Abhay is four and as any preschooler who is a boy, he is obsessed with trains. Of course there is the all American fixation on Thomas & Friends!!! I wonder when he’ll grow out of it…..at any given point of time, we have over 2-3 Thomas books and 1-2 Thomas DVDs checked out from the library. Personally I don’t quite enjoy reading Thomas books but Im left with no choice but to read them to my son. So I have struck a deal with him , first I get to read to him a book of my choice and then he can have me read his favorite Thomas book.

Anyway, on the subject of trains, there are numerous books on trains that toddlers and preschoolers love.

I found one book particularly nice which is simply titled “I love Trains” by Philemon Sturges and illustrated by Shari Halpern. With bright illustrations, it is bound to hold the attention of toddlers and preschoolers alike. The verses are simple one liners that rhyme thereby encouraging phonological awareness and print motivation. The pictures shown are real imaginative and my son Abhay even incorporated some ideas into his toy train play.

A similar book that I found appropriate for ages 2-4 is “ Hey Mr Choo Choo, where are you going” by Susan Wickberg.

One more book “ Chugga Chugga Choo Choo” by Kevin Lewis is a rhyming story about what trains are meant for. Sometimes…I feel my son should have grown out of these kind of one liner picture books….but I guess when it comes to trains….no boy is too old for them!!!:-)

Another classic is of course “The Little Engine that could” by Watty Piper. It is a great tale about determination and perseverance that kids can learn from. It is about a little engine who is initially nervous about taking on what she perceives to be a formidable task of pulling the train over the mountain but later she braves all odds and succeeds with her mantra “ I think I can I think I can”. I remember reading in Time (May 10 2010 ) that the Leader of Opposition, Nancy Pelosi used to read this book to her children and she also felt that the same mentality has come in handy in Congress.

Anyway, I don’t believe every story has to have a message or a moral to it……..but when my son gets frustrated with some activity….it does help when I say….”what did the little engine say?” ….:-))!!