Make Way for a WONDER: BIG BOY 4014!

Readers:

Here's a preliminary note about this book before my review. Arnold opens the account with this information, and it  says so much about what readers can expect from her level of research, insight, and accuracy:

“The trains are called Big Boys, but traditionally locomotives are referred

to as “she” by their engineers and crews. I have followed that tradition in

my story, referring to this iconic locomotive as “she.”

—Marsha Diane Arnold”

When author Marsha Diane Arnold takes on a subject, whether purely fiction (LOST. FOUND., or informational fiction (Armando’s Island and LIGHTS OUT), her writing is marked by deep understanding and accuracy in specificity and in the depth and  heart of the narrative. That’s true for the authenticity of emotional relationships as well as the factual frameworks that scaffold her heartfelt stories. The introductory note in this book reveals to readers that Arnold not only researched the  specific content, (the past, the process, and the present of these uniquely powerful behemoth locomotives), but also the formal and informal cultures surrounding trains and railroad enthusiasts. The use of she to reference engines conveys the affection and care they were given, while Arnold's opening note clarifies that the perspective and language of this new picture book should not be confused with conjecture or anthropomorphizing the engines based on that female pronoun. Arnold makes figurative language choices, creating lyricism and tone that invigorates inanimate hunks of steel and machinery to make readers care deeply while fully embracing the wonder of inanimate mechanics.

Now, on to the book!

SLEEPING BEAR PRESS, MAY 1, 2025

BIG BOY 4014 AND THE STEAM TEAM: THE WORLD’S LARGEST STEAM ENGINE ROARS BACK TO LIFE!  is written by Marsha Diane Arnold and illustrated by Adam Gustavson.Their combined talent allows BIG BOY 4014 to rumble off the page directly into readers’ hearts.

A description of this well-researched and expansively illustrated nonfiction book can’t be brief. Spanning more than a century of continental and engineering history, the contemporary opening provides a view of the massive locomotive engine, BIG BOY 4014, at her outdoor historical display. Arnold’s text masterfully blends the power and heart of BIG BOY 4014’s past with recent transformations that restored her status as a living legend. 

Details are intriguing, involving breathtakingly large measurements, functions, and accomplishments. Visual scales cleverly flip size relationships we typically experience when viewing scale model train displays. When BIG BOY 4014 hits the rails (originally or in restored condition) it's our human scale, correctly depicted, that appears as if miniaturized.

The narrative utilizes language laced with effective onomatopoeia, rhythmic repetitions that resonate, with language traveling over tracks and lyrical constructions that recur and link expanses of time. Not once is the massive engine personified, yet literary choices connect readers with the heart of the engine itself, across time and locations. Using “if steam locomotives could dream…” launches our imaginations, deepening our awareness of the original need for and impressive accomplishments of the original twenty-five oversized steam engines that made American expansion and development possible. 

The grand ambition of that original BIG BOY project would have been impressive enough, but this account, focusing on a single engine's return to work, BIG BOY 4014, lifts history to the realm of a journey/quest story while remaining firmly rooted in fact. It truly suggests a HERO'S JOURNEY, but with various heroes across more than a century. The heroes who first imaged such behemoth locomotives might be considered heroes for their grand imaginations and execution to open this continent from east to west. This is also about one survivor of that bygone era, one of eight BIG BOYS that avoided the scrap heap. BIG BOY 4014 benefited from its lengthy display and attentive care in an arid location, tended to by another set of heroes. Despite their care, heart-tugging descriptions ("cold ashes in the firebox", "cobwebs", "creeping rust"), and an empathetic narrative voice invite concern for the engine and underscore the magnitude of the STEAM TEAM heroes who dared to consider bringing BIG BOY 4014 back into operation. The heroes abound, including those with appreciation for its history.

The balance of factual information and inspiring “imagine if” tones are enhanced by the sprawling double spreads and ranging perspectives, billowing steam clouds, color choices, landscape backgrounds, and workspace views. As a reader I felt deeply invested in the ultimate success of their project. Readers will cheer alongside the illustrated crowds when BIG BOY 4014 takes part in an historic reenactment of the transcontinental railroad link with the GOLDEN SPIKE. 

Back matter takes those who are already interested (and I have no doubt most will be) into further stories surrounding this complex and continent-spanning endeavor. With a photo of BIG BOY 4014 in its restored glory and another with author Arnold hugging its grill, the empathetic responses of readers are fully satisfied. 

The author dedicated the book to the STEAM TEAM who did the remarkable work to plan and execute this transformation, and to railroad lovers. I have no doubt those folks will find and savor this account, but I suspect anyone who comes to the story for any other reason will leave it as railway fans, and that means they, too, are included in the dedication. 

I'm certainly not alone in praise for this new offering. How does an author capture such an enormous subject within the pages of a picture book, especially a subject with more than a century of history? Marsha Diane Arnold shared her thoughts about finding the heart of such an enormous story on a recent guest post with author Beth Anderson, whose books deal with similar challenges. I urge you to read it, HERE.

This post is scheduled for APRIL 30, 2025, the eve of the BOOK BIRTHDAY for BIG BOY 4014.

Join me in wishing a happy birthday to the book, sending congratulations to the author (who will answer a few interview question for us next week!) and the joyful journey of LOCOMOTIVE BIG BOY 4014.

The One With the Scraggly Beard- Worthy of Our Attention

 

ORCA Book Publishers, 2020

THE ONE WITH THE SCRAGGLY BEARD is written by Elizabeth Withey and illustrated by Lynn Scurfield.

It's recent, but not brand new, and the issue that it explores is centuries old. This is a lovely and lyrical book with everything to offer on its own, but reading the back matter elevates it to one that is unforgettable. 

A young boy notices (don't all children notice what adults often overlook?) a man with a scraggly beard who lives under the turquoise bridge. "Notice" naturally leads to questions, and the mother in this story answers them realistically and gently. The boy sees himself in that man- forgetting to brush his teeth or comb his hair, wearing cool things, loving hamburgers, being afraid of the dark. His questions lead to the most challenging one: 

Will I live under a bridge when I grow up?

Does anyone list what they want to be when they group as "Unhoused"? Certainly not. Again, that author note in back reveals how the author came to such a tender awareness of the human being under the soiled clothing or unconventional life patterns. 

This is not in the least preachy or didactic or intrusive. The end pages of pastel swirling turquoise indicate the tone to come. Ambiguity. Calmness. Openness to reality without judgment. The mother's ongoing engagement (with her son's questions and with the scraggly-bearded man) and the matter-of-fact but heartwarming illustrations offer up a very personal perspective on folks without homes as real individuals- someone's relative, friend, teacher, humans, who love others and are loved by them.

When I first read this book a few years ago, there was an item in the news about a younger man who recognized, once he looked, that the older man sleeping in his car  on the street he passed each morning was a former (beloved) teacher. The "feel good" news story that resulted is a wonderful anecdote. This book provides a more universal, even more personal insight into those who are unhoused. Not all issues resolve the way others intend, on either side of the meeting.

No-one grows up wanting or planning to live such a life, and yet it happens. Each unhoused person matters. To those in their lives, and to all of us. People find themselves in such circumstances for many reasons, some of which include mental illness but MOST of which involve financial struggles. Pope Francis will be prayed for and honored today at his funeral. When he was first selected as Pope, a family mansion in the Vatican, had been donated the Church many years before. It was scheduled to be developed as a luxury hotel, providing a source of great income to the Church. Pope Francis declared that those plans should end, that it was an ideal location to serve the homeless and hungry right in their midst. His plan proceeded and now:

"It can accommodate up to 50 men and women, housed in 16 rooms with two or three beds each. There are 13 new bathrooms, each equipped with a shower. Hot meals are served twice a day. The shelter also provides medical assistance and psychological counseling for alcoholism. Guests are not given a deadline to leave." (Excerpted from NPR program linked here- it is only 3 minutes long)

Poverty and isolation are not issues limited to any one country or language or national condition. It is a human state that could, under the right circumstances, affect any one of us. Until we can all see ourselves under that bridge or pushing that cart or otherwise struggling for dignity, it will remain a problem. With open hearts and open eyes we might all see these folks as young children do, and as Pope Francis did. 

A Pair of Poets: Mary Oliver and William Carlos Williams Biographies

 Mary Oliver is among the most beloved of poets in America, and throughout the English-speaking world. 

Countless lines from Oliver's poems are recognizable, quotable, remembered without being actively memorized. 

Example:

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?”

― Mary Oliver

BEACHLANE BOOK, 2025

Yes, THAT Mary Oliver is the subject of an appealing new picture book biography. WOODS & WORDS: The Story of Mary Oliver is written by Sara Holly Ackerman and illustrated by Naoko Stoop.  Her troubled early life is stated as fact without elaboration, providing an effective connection to many readers who will, on their own terms, imagine their troubles as hers and find her example offers paths to  solace. 

Mary escaped her pain in the woods, in the wild, from early on. Childhood patterns continued throughout her life- carrying a small notebook in a back pocket, stashing a bundle of pencils in small tree cavities along her regular paths. Always noticing, always identifying with and learning from the natural world.

The ensuing years as an adult reflect her ongoing bond with nature, with quiet, with reflection and observation. This is  a well-paced non-fiction account of her life, yet it offers readers of any age a roadmap to inner pursuits and validation, of taking ourselves to our own places of peace. 

The narrative provides specific details of her locations, of her natural observations, of her personal and professional pursuits. it also offers side text, strings of words related to the things she notices, the kinds of thoughts and words she inserted in her notebooks that later became building blocks for poems. Her writing, despite winning international awards, was not always seen as "good enough" by traditional editors. But Mary persisted, following her inner compass. She insisted that poetry and the natural world were necessary partners. She found fans who soon tucked her poems into pockets and squirreled away favorite lines. 

A brief author note provides added details of her life and awards, but the treasure in this book is the main text and illustrations. Natural tones, fluid statements, combining as naturally as ocean and beach, without artifice. Readers will not only learn information about Mary Oliver but will sense a kindred spirit in a poet whose life and words fit like a familiar glove. 

Schwartz & Wade, 2019

Another biography of a poet is a favorite picturebook of mine, although not a recent release. It sprang to mind as soon as I read WOODS & WORDS. 

16 WORDS: William Carlos Williams & "The Red Wheelbarrow" is written by Lisa Rogers and illustrated by Chuck Groenink. 

This award-winning book profiles William Carlos Williams, another poet who noticed the world. But his was the everyday world of his home and community that captured his vision, corralled his thoughts. Williams was the local doctor, serving a small community of people who were his neighbors in the best sense of the word. Through the window of his home0-based practice or during walks to and from home visits, details called to him. Things like the red wheelbarrow, the plums in a dish in the fridge, cats, trees, people. Williams chose his words as carefully as he chose prescriptions or treatments, making sure each was the perfect fit. Like Mary, he often scratched down words and ideas as they occurred, returning to them later to develop a poem of even a few lines, one that captured everything he had seen and felt in the moment. 

Both books use soft-edged illustration styles, in natural tones and media, with views from varied perspectives, any of which a reader might have similarly experienced. Each engages with brief narrative that is not so much poetic as it is lyrical and direct. Both made me want to go back to the bodies of work and reread, reconsider every poem, every line.

Both are books i highly recommend, as well as the works of the poets.

A Holiday for Hats... and Fashion!

 Am I alone in recalling all the words to this old song... 

IN YOUR EASTER BONNET, 

WITH ALL THER FRILLS UPON IT, 

YOU'LL BE THE GRANDEST LADY

AT THE EASTER PARADE...

Easter parade? What's that all about? Click to see, if it sounds bewildering to you!

CUENTO de LUZ, 2016
Translation from original Spanish

This not-new fiction picture book felt like an ideal one to review on Easter Sunday. THE MAGIC HAT SHOP is written and illustrated by Sonja Wimmer. The cover suggests the MAGIC in its magical realism. Opening end papers focus on the REAL in this genre. Designs for various head coverings for men and women, rendered in graphics, sketches, and advertising styles, parade neatly across those opening pages. These appear to be the very fashionable offerings of a hat shop, nothing magic about them.

Since this is an author/illustrator creation, I need to emphasize the illustrations first. They, too, extend vividly recognizable objects and characters with exaggerated features or details. The small village seems like many other in picture books, and yet the landscape for this town, the nearby hillsides,  train tracks, and even the observant reader and cat are positioned on domes and rims of hats. Colors are sherbet-toned, both luminous and shadowed, with delicate features  and fingers in contrast with billowing bodies. It takes one look to realize that here we are going to confront lively fun and fantasy alongside seriously intense reality. 

And we are not wrong.

A rolling hat shop sets the stage for change, with a sort of "seer" sales person who can provide exactly the hat needed to bring out the best in the citizens. To avoid a spoiler, I'll just say that another sudden change disrupts the transformed townspeople, who are faced with resuming their former scowling approach to life. The closing end papers take just enough liberty with reality and hats to remind readers that both realism and intentional imagining can work together to generate everyday magic. Please read it, then don your own best-choice hat, figurative or real, and take yourselves out into the world. On Easter and every day.

PHAIDON BOOKS, 2025

Easter (and Spring!) also set the stage for fashionistas among us. That's why GET DRESSED! A HISTORICAL GUESSING GASME FOR FASHION LOVERS deserves our attention. It is nonfiction, utterly real, and undoubtedly new! In this case the magic is in the appeal of century-spanning spreads, challenging guessing games, and appealing nuggets of information about cultures, climates, changes, and communities across the globe. Written by KATY CANALES and illustrated  by ERIN VANESSA, this book is as beautiful as its subjects.

The quality of the physical book holds even more appeal, oversized and sturdy. It allows casual readers to share it on laps, while intense fashion fans can sprawl on elbows to examine details and even trace or copy or modify aspects of clothing (including hats!) from across time and space. 

Young fashion fans among my family and friends love to examine latest styles, to experiment, to express themselves in unique ways. But this picture book also challenges them to see patterns of purpose and progress, to consider production and materials (and waste), and imagine ways in which designs of the future can be both creative and constructive. Adults will find as much to discover in this as younger readers will, and it could easily find return readers in homes, classrooms, and libraries.

Enjoy your Sunday pursuits in whatever clothing and/or hats that you choose. Then begin your week with a peek at these two titles. And let me know what you think in the comments!