Baby’s First Train Robbery

 Baby’s First Train Robbery

Reviewed By  Grasshopper2       July 23, 2021

 

Author  Jim Whalley. Illustrations Stephen Collins.

Distributor:      Bloomsbury Children's Books
ISBN:                 9781526608949
Publisher:         Bloomsbury Children's Books
Release Date:   July 2021  

Website:    https://www.bloomsbury.com 

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Baby’s First Train Robbery will bring a smile to the face of the reader. Written in verse, which is quirky and amusing, the illustrations are wonderfully complementary to the story. From the beginning we know that this is a fantasy story. We see Frank in his cot surrounded by animals such as hippos, penguins’ monkeys and birds. You see together with his Mum and Dad, Frank lives in a zoo. He spends his days “brushing manes and shining hooves.”

Running a zoo can be exhausting and so Frank’s parents decide to get Grandma to look after the zoo while they take Frank on a seaside holiday. The boy is worried that Grandma won’t cope with the animals so decides to go back home and check. While Mum and Dad are relaxing on the beach, Frank crawls away and finds an empty train. Then the real adventure begins.

The double page spreads are punctuated with two pictures on each page. This divides the text up into small chunks which are easy to follow and read. The humour in the illustrations gives the story much more detail and meaning. This is a colourful book to look at as well as a charming story to chuckle over. “One day after falling in a pile of Yak manure, Dad said, we need a holiday.” Frank was not so sure.” This follows the stories “Baby’s first Bank Heist” and Baby’s first Jailbreak.”

Childrens