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Locomotive
AuthorBrian Floca
IllustratorBrian Floca
Cover artistBrian Floca
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenrePicture book
PublisherAn imprint of Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing
Publication date
2013
Media typePrint
Pages64 pp
ISBN978-1-4169-9415-2

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Locomotive is a 2013 children's book written and illustrated by Brian Floca. In 2014 it won both the Randolph Caldecott Medal for "most distinguished American picture book for children"[1] and a Robert F. Sibert Honor.[2]

Locomotive, written and illustrated by Brian Floca, was published in 2013 by an imprint of Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing. In 2013, in Huffington Post, LOCOMOTIVE became the best picture book and best history/biography[3].The following year LOCOMOTIVE won the Randolph Caldecott Metal and the Sibert Honor. It also became one of the best 10 illustrated books in New York Times[4] Other works of Brian are MOONSHOT which also won the Sibert Honor and LIGHTSHIP that, for its contribution of information of literature for children, won the Sibert Honor.[5]


Description[edit]

Locomotive, written by Floca, is a nonfiction book of 64 pages that teaches readers about the history of the first transcontinental and locomotive of U.S in the 19th century. The illustrations by Floca that follow the history, the train, engine, station, countries and people are shown as it was in 19TH century. Through the lines of the book words are repeated and lines rhyme “here is how this road was built, with grunt and a heave and a swing, with the ring of shovels on stone, the ring of hammers on spikes.” “Wheels spinning, rods swinging.” Metaphor is used to describe places “The country opens, opens wide, empty as an ocean.” And at the end it closes by using assonance “here where you needed to go, here where you need to be……here with the people you’ve waited and wanted and needed to see.”



Biography[edit]

Brian Floca is known as an author and illustrator of children books. He was born in Temple, Texas. His father is the owner of a Bottling plant and he is a homemaker too[6] While he was studying at Brown University School of Visuals Art where he graduated and received his FMA, he was also taking classes at Rhode Island School of design where, for the first the time, he became recognize as an illustrator.[7] His relationship as a student with author and illustrator of children’s books, David Macaulay, influenced Brian to work as an illustrator of Avi’s books City of Light, City of Dark and Poppy which won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award[8].(2) At the beginning of his career, Brian used white and black colors for his drawings. He is more a drawer than a painter, because he feels more comfortable to work with lines, for he just needs paint to fill in drawings. Even though water color was hard because it goes beyond the lines and made him take improvisations and challenges or start over again at the end all of these made his work better and more interesting.[9] In 2013 Frian Floca wrote and illustrated, Locomotive, a children’s book which earned , for a third time, the Sibert Honor and Randolph Caldecott Medal [10] Other works of Brian Floca are Five trucks, Racecar Alphabet, lightship and Moonshot. Brian Floca now lives and works in Brooklyn, New York [11]

Synopsis[edit]

Locomotive starts by given, historical background in its front cover pages about the construction of the transcontinental railroad in the 19th century. It explains that two companies, Central Pacific Rail Road Company that started from Sacramento, California and Union Pacific Rail Road Company that built from Omaha, Nebraska, collaborated in its construction.Since,the Government allowed them to decide the meeting point,they selected Utah as the meeting point. The purpose that it was built was for people to take less time to travel.Before this, traveling from coast to coast used to take six months and it was difficul and dangerous because travelers traveled by wagons over land or by ship.

The nonfiction book, Locomotive starts with a picture of a road in the middle of a valley. And then, in order for us to follow the journey, the writer uses a family, mother, daughter and son. The journey begins in Omaha, Nebraska, were this family is waiting for the Locomotive, the first transcontinental train. After this, the story describes that in order for the engine to work, it needs a brakeman, fireman, engineer, and the one in charge of all of them, the conductor. Everybody notices when the Locomotive comes, the CLANG-CLANG-CLANG, the HISSSSSSS and the SPIT of the steam and the HUFF, HUFF, HUFF makes everybody know of its arrival. Two companies built the railroad, two companies run it. In Sherman, Wyoming the train needs two engines for it is the highest point. The train needs two engines for the Locomotive to work. In the west the engine burns wood for there is more wood than coal. Again in Sierra Nevada, the train needs two engines for the train needs to climb mountains and "if the rails are slick if the wheels won’t catch" the engineers drop sand so the journey is save. .” The firemen the one who makes the water boil and then the water turns into steam, his job is hard and hot for “he scoops and lifts and throws the coal, from the tender to the firebox.” It is also a dangerous job for the switchmen, for unexpected things happen while he tries to join the engine and the train, as the book says “You can tell that one is new to the job if he still has all his fingers.” Through the journey passenger enjoy the view of other cities and towns. Inside the train if people are not polite, they will need to learn how to be, for at night passenger will need to tell their neighbors in a polite way “can you move your elbow, can you stop snoring.” For the passengers it is not polite to use the toilet while is on the station for it is just a hole on the floor of the train. For those who goes to California need to change trains in Utah where the two rail road were joint with a spike made of Gold. At the end after long days of sitting inside the train or nights without sleep, passengers get where people are waiting for them.

At the end of its cover page Locomotive gives information how steam is used to make an engine works, and teaching vocabulary about the engine to young engineers.

Critical Reception[edit]

Locomotive, has been the attention of critics and some of them have taken two directions.The New York Times describe Locomotive an "unusual picture book, for intents to please a fairy wide age of group" that the rhythm of chugga,chugga younger kids will enjoy while older children will be glad to learn about the history of U.S transportation and parents will be interesting to know how a toilet used to be 18th century.However,the detail of information of history would make younger kids impatient. Whereas, the rhythm of words that are used"clang,clang older chidren will find babyss".On the other hand, New York Times points that the illustrator is a "brilliant" and the way he put his art on the book makes readers anxious to go to the next page"a spread showing the train crossing a rickery wooden bridge uses a funny visual trick to jolt your eyeballs a long with the passengers." [12] Kirkus Reviews call it"exploit" for "Flocas soars with his free-verse narrative,exploiting alliteration,assonance and internal rhyme to reinforce the rhythms of the journey."[13] School Library Journal express, Brian"masterful with words,art and idea".[14] Equally important,Locomotive is mark as "a book of teaching" For young engineers will learn vocabulary about the engine.[15] Also Kirkus Reviews mention that its well detail of history is a "research" for the writer invest several years of his life, looking for information about " The America's first transcontinental railroad" and even"driving by himself across the transcontinental"[16]


See also[edit]

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References[edit]

  1. ^ Strickland, Ashley (January 28, 2014). "And the Newbery, Caldecott award winners are..." CNN. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  2. ^ Sellers, John A. (Jan 27, 2014). "An "Unreal" and "Fantastic" Caldecott Call for 2014 Winner Brian Floca". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  3. ^ http://brianfloca.com/Locomotive.html.
  4. ^ http://brianfloca.com/Locomotive.html.
  5. ^ kirkus Features,January 27, 2014, Monday.
  6. ^ "Brian Floca." Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale, 2014. Literature Resource Center. Web. 27 Nov. 2014.
  7. ^ brianfloca.com/About.html.
  8. ^ brianfloca.com/About.html.
  9. ^ Floca, Brian. "Pen, ink, watercolor, repeat." The Horn Book Magazine Mar.-Apr. 2014: 60+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 1 Nov. 2014.
  10. ^ Floca, Brian. "Pen, ink, watercolor, repeat." The Horn Book Magazine Mar.-Apr. 2014: 60+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 1 Nov. 2014.
  11. ^ brianfloca.com/About.html.
  12. ^ Bruce,Handy"Locomotive" New York Times 10 November.2013,Sunday Late Edition-Final.: All.LexisNexis Academic.Web.28 November.2014
  13. ^ "Locomotive" Kirkus Reviews.15 July.2013,Vol.81 Issue 14,p34-34.1p. Academic Search Complete.
  14. ^ Bush, Margaret"Lomotive" School Liabrary Journal. July.2013,Vol.59 Issue 7.p108.1p. Academic Search Complete.
  15. ^ Mann, Jennifer" Locomotive"School Liabrary Journal,03628930, Aug. 2014,Vol.60,Issue 8. Academic Search Complete.
  16. ^ Danielson, Julie"Locomotive"Kirkus Reviews.2013 Guide to bookExpo America,p42-42 1/2.Academic Search Complete.
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