Boo Boo’s Book List: Noisy Train

With a title like Noisy Train, this book basically advertises itself to Boo Boo the same way “full-bodied red” advertises itself to me. Trains and noise are some of Boo Boo’s favorite things. The timing of this book review is apropos because Boo Boo was on a train this weekend. We took Amtrak to DC, and every time he saw a train, which was much of the time, he exclaimed it to the world. 

“CHOO CHOO! CHOO CHOO!” Rang throughout the entire car. 

He was also pretty excited about seeing cars while on the train. Even though he sees cars every day the novelty of them has not worn off. Every time he saw a car on a distant road, or a junkyard, which was almost all the time, he would holler, “BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP!” 

The entire journey through Jersey was a chorus of CHOO CHOO and BEEP BEEP. Some people were amused, and I’m sure others were annoyed.

Anyway, not only does Noisy Train have a train in it, it also has a dog, Rusty. Jer-bear and I sometimes get confused between Rusty the Dog and Dusty the Longhorn, featured in Fred’s Texas Stampede. 

Noisy Train is published by Usborne Publishing Ltd., an independent London-based publishing company. According to their website, all their writers and illustrators are in-house. Noisy Train is illustrated by Stephen Cartwright, with words by Sam Taplin. It has no clever rhyming schemes or unique illustrations, but it does have a lot of noise. We do not use it as a bedtime book. Interestingly, this book is for sale at the New York Transit Museum store, but we did not purchase this book for Boo Boo. Jer-bear’s mom did and if she weren’t such a nice person I’d think the sole purpose of getting a book like this is payback. Jer-bear is one of five siblings, four boys and one girl, and noise-making books and toys are the kindest form of retribution that grandparents have.  

But if I’m honest with myself I have to admit that I appreciate the few minutes of distraction that noisy books provide. Boo Boo likes looking at any kind of book, and he also likes to dance. On occasion he’ll use his noise-making books to DJ his own dance parties. Some of his favorite dance moves he’s been pioneering are the Head Shake, the Steering Wheel and the Bouncy Crouch. 

There is no dancing in Noisy Train. Noisy Train is basically about two kids who go on a field trip where they get to ride a stream train. Interestingly, it is Rusty the dog who accompanies them on their trip, not their mom or dad. Disaster strikes when the train breaks down and Rusty disappears, but all ends well when the train is hitched to a single horse, who drags the train and the children back to the station. 

I’m not sure PETA would approve of this book, but since there are horses and dogs and noises it has become one of Boo Boo’s favorites–second only to Fred’s Texas Stampede. There are different noise buttons that pertain to each page, and of course the first page introduces the kids and Rusty, and the very first button produces a barking sound. Three pages in Boo Boo gets to hear the coveted train whistle. At this point he’s already hooked and along for the ride on board the Noisy Train, dragging me along with him.