Caboose
A Picture Book
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Caboose is a hilarious picture book all about the antics of classroom line-ups from children’s book creator and elementary school librarian Travis Jonker, with art from critically acclaimed illustrator Ruth Chan
Every kid knows the joy of being line leader. You can make the line go fast. You can make the line go slow. You can stop suddenly and make the line crash—oh, the power!
Cedric has all sorts of tricks to make sure he’s first in line. There’s the fast walk, the slow run, the shoulder tap, the slingshot, and so much more. But when Cedric’s line leader antics go too far, he’s banished to the back of the line. The very back of the line.
Now that Cedric’s the caboose, he must hatch a whole new world of hijinks. The turtle walk, the step back, the cloak of invisibility, the “no, no, after you!” The possibilities are endless!
"A chaotic yet hilarious story grounded in real childhood emotions." (Kirkus starred review)
"Comically and intricately mapping a circuitous path through the playground." (Publishers Weekly starred review)
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Narrator Hippo loves being first in line among all the anthropomorphized animal students at school—Jonker (Just One Flake)writes,"I can make everyone go fast, I can make everyone go slow. I can suddenly stop and make everyone crash. Oh, the power!"Slice-of-life drawings by Chan (Rick the Rock of Room 214) show Hippo employing myriad tactics to achieve front-of-line status, ranging from subterfuge (comically and intricately mapping a circuitous path through the playground) to naked aggression (startling schoolmates with a move that Hippo dubs "the feral troll"). Eventually, though, Hippo tries one line-heading ploy too many, too close to the teacher, and is relegated to class line "caboose," a move that results in Hippo's cultivating back-of-line expertise that goes "too far." Finally, the teacher hits on a new solution: scooting Hippo to the middle of the line. It's just the move, geographic and emotional, that the character needs, and one that helps Hippo truly appreciate collaborative skills, like skipping arm in arm. Ages 4–8. Author's agent: Stephen Barbara, InkWell Management. Illustrator's agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House.
