“Here is a road made for crossing the country, a new road of rails made for people to ride.” With this grand opening, Brian Floca shows Locomotive as the life-changing technology it 
was from the 1830s onward. This new mobility connected the country and allowed people to travel more easily over the mountains and through the plains.
Floca illlustrates all aspects of locomotives, from the laying of the rails to the travelers (both paid and hobo) and the rail workers. Locomotive is comprehensive in its history and experience, interesting for both train enthusiasts and those more inclined toward stories. This nonfiction picture book won the 2014 Caldecott medal.
Don’t forget to read the end pages and pore over the diagram about steam power in the very back.
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