The Little Engine That Could - Book Review
The happy little train breaks down and now the elephant and clown are worried about how the toys and good foods will get over the mountain to the children waiting on the other side.
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Poper -- With new art by Loren Long
Every big and glorious engine that passes them by won’t help.
The shiny new engine won’t help because he says he is too important as a Passenger Engine. Next they flag down another big strong engine who says he can’t help because he is a big important Freight Engine.
Next comes a dingy, rusty old engine who would like to help but is too tired and needs to rest. “I cannot, I cannot, I cannot” says the old rusty engine.
The toys are sad, the elephant is sad, the clown is sad and all the good boys and girls on the other side of the mountain will be so sad if they do not get their toys and good foods on time.
They wait and wait for another engine with the hopes that a big engine will come along to help them over the mountain.
Here comes another engine – just a little blue engine. However, this little engine stops when it sees the distress flag down. “What’s the matter, my friends?” she asks kindly.
When the situation is explained about how the food and toys won’t make it over the mountain for the boys and girls she responds “I’m not very big, I’ve never been over the mountain”.
Her kindly heart reacts when he sees the tears in the eyes of the clown and the elephant and says she will try. She felt so bad about the kids not getting their toys and foods so she would give it her best efforts.
She said to them and herself “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can” and hitches herself to the little train. She pulls and tugs slowly as they start off. The toy clown starts to cheer, and all the other toys cheer as they start to move toward the mountain.
She puffs and puffs and continues to chant “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can” while working her way up and over the top of the mountain. She makes it to the top and puffs steadily down the mountain, “I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could.”
Over the years “I think I can” has become a part of the dialog used by parents as they try to encourage their children who are faced with difficult situations.
ISBN 0399246509
This book is from my own library.
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Poper -- With new art by Loren Long
Every big and glorious engine that passes them by won’t help.
The shiny new engine won’t help because he says he is too important as a Passenger Engine. Next they flag down another big strong engine who says he can’t help because he is a big important Freight Engine.
Next comes a dingy, rusty old engine who would like to help but is too tired and needs to rest. “I cannot, I cannot, I cannot” says the old rusty engine.
The toys are sad, the elephant is sad, the clown is sad and all the good boys and girls on the other side of the mountain will be so sad if they do not get their toys and good foods on time.
They wait and wait for another engine with the hopes that a big engine will come along to help them over the mountain.
Here comes another engine – just a little blue engine. However, this little engine stops when it sees the distress flag down. “What’s the matter, my friends?” she asks kindly.
When the situation is explained about how the food and toys won’t make it over the mountain for the boys and girls she responds “I’m not very big, I’ve never been over the mountain”.
Her kindly heart reacts when he sees the tears in the eyes of the clown and the elephant and says she will try. She felt so bad about the kids not getting their toys and foods so she would give it her best efforts.
She said to them and herself “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can” and hitches herself to the little train. She pulls and tugs slowly as they start off. The toy clown starts to cheer, and all the other toys cheer as they start to move toward the mountain.
She puffs and puffs and continues to chant “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can” while working her way up and over the top of the mountain. She makes it to the top and puffs steadily down the mountain, “I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could.”
Over the years “I think I can” has become a part of the dialog used by parents as they try to encourage their children who are faced with difficult situations.
ISBN 0399246509
This book is from my own library.
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