The Train Ride

Enthusiasm is the order of the day as a round-faced child and her mother board a cheery red train: ""We're off on a journey/ Out of the town-/ What shall I see?/ What shall I see?"" On each subsequent spread, Crebbin's bouncy text and Lambert's sunshine-bright, chalk pastel art reveal the bucolic pleasures spied along the way-a mare and her foal; ``A shiny red tractor/ Pulling its load''; a trio of geese; and a hot-air balloon. Repeated phrases (``What shall I see?'' and ``That's what I see'') echo the soothing rhythm of a train's motion, until at last the girl and her mother reach their destination and spy the best view of all: ``There is my grandma/ Welcoming me.../ Welcoming me."" Lambert's varied perspectives and the book's attractive design heighten the visual appeal: text is confined to a two-inch strip beneath the full-spread illustrations, with each phrase set against alternating blocks of green and yellow. This sweet work by the creators of Fly by Night offers youngsters a nostalgic look at a favorite mode of transport. Ages 3-up. (May)