The Little Engine That Could

Starred review from August 22, 2005
Long (I Dream of Trains
) pays respectful homage to George and Doris Hauman's compositions in his visual interpretation of the classic tale of determination and perseverance, first published in 1930. Yet the artist adds a lushness to the spreads and injects even more personality into the characters; he uses the larger format to play up the vistas of mountain and valley that pose such a challenge to the engines on this route, and gives "the funniest little toy clown you ever saw" a starring role. A cheerful purple elephant whose eyes droop as one engine after another declines to pull their load, a pair of pull-toys containing curious giraffes (their necks bow in disappointment) and a cuddly, expressive stuffed monkey are among the supporting cast. The spacious spreads also allow for a more dramatic flow of the text (the original often broke a paragraph in the middle of a climactic moment). Long adorns the different engines with wry human characteristics. The cowcatcher of the haughty Shiny New Engine resembles teeth exposed by a snarl, while the Rusty Old Engine (who says, "I can not. I can not") sports a smokestack in the shape of a dilapidated top hat, a mop of gray hair and a monocle. The pièce de résistance is the brave Little Blue Engine that could, with bright blue eyes in place of windows, a wide smile and—while chugging up that daunting mountain—a pink tongue protruding from her mouth. Both faithful fans and newcomers will enjoy this triumphant ride and eagerly climb aboard for repeat excursions. Ages 3-up.

December 23, 2019
This tale of the little engine who cheers herself on in order to rescue a heavy train remains a bestseller almost a century after publication. For its 90th anniversary, Caldecott Medalist Santat pays homage to the story’s original artwork while giving it his own distinctive polish. His usual sizzling energy is gentled here with warm sunlight and big skies. The train cars have a blocky, streamlined look, and he illuminates the scenes with genuine drama, as when the clown pleads with the Big Freight Engine to pull the train, and the huge train, in inky shadow, bellows “I won’t pull the likes of you!” Though the text is dated (“The good little boys and girls in the city will be happy because you helped us, Little Blue Engine”), Santat’s figures are more inclusive, and the clown and bear and the rest of the animals wear expressions that are more warmly animated and engaging than the stiff toys of the original. The Little Engine has the same cheerful light blue smokestack and cow tender, and a diminutive toy airplane shadows the travelers, soaring through the sky as the stalwart rescuer pulls the train over the mountain and down to the city. Her trainlike “I think I can, I think I can” is as compelling a chant as ever. Ages 3–7.