Book of the Week: The Last Train

This week we got our hands on a review copy of the new book from acclaimed musician Gordon Titcomb and amazing illustrator Wendell Minor, The Last Train(32 pages, Roaring Brook Press, 2010). Although it's a children's picture book, The Last Train should appeal equally to parents and grandparents and anyone who appreciates the vanishing world of our country's trains and railroads.

Based on a 2005 song by Gordon Titcomb, The Last Train is a nostalgic look at the steam trains that used to pass through nearly every American town, and celebrates the passing of the golden age of railway travel. Let's face it—everyone loves trains to some extent, and this book celebrates them and the culture surrounding them. Even if you're too young to have experienced this time in America's history, you surely know about it, and you'll feel probably feel pangs of nostalgia for a era long before you were born.

In The Last Train, Titcomb's evocative verses deftly paired with beautiful detailed paintings by illustrator Wendell Minor. The foreword to the book is by folk legend Arlo Guthrie, who of course made famous the train song City of New Orleans. You could even use The Last Train as a introduction to a visit to Sacramento's California State Railroad Museum.

All in all, it's a beautiful book, and a great gift for (or from) a train enthusiast. It's a brand new release, so you may have to request it at your local library or book store, but you can always order it from Amazon.com.

Here's the video trailer to the book, which naturally features Gordon Titcomb's original song: