Transportation Books

My uncle gave me this book as a gift many years ago. I loved the fact that it came with a cassette (read by William Hurt) and it even has a little bell just like the boy in the story. This story is probably my absolute favorite Christmas book. I am buying it for my Nephew to pass on the tradition.

What can one say about an illustrator like Van Allsburg? The Polar Express is almost not a children's story but for the child with a vivid imagination (and may there still be a few in existence!!) they will identify with the little boy who travels in his dreams by the Polar Express. I know they have mad an animated film of this book and done it well but it really is more a nostalgia trip for adults. I have never seen a Van Allsburg done badly they are always incredible books and I would love to own the lot. Highly recommended!

We read this book as a family on Christmas Eve two years ago for the first time. I love the pictures and the story. A firm believer of Santa, I had encouraged my kids to believe in him. In a world so hard and sometime cold, a book like this one is needed to remind us that there is good in this world and it usually come out stronger in the holiday season.

Anna del C.
Author of "The Elf and the Princess"
and "Trouble in the Elf City"
The Elf and The Princess: The Silent Warrior Trilogy - Book One (The Silent Warrior Trilogy)

This is one of my most cherished books from childhood. I always wished that a train would pull up to my house one night and whisk me away to see Santa Claus. The illustrations are wonderful as well. Around Christmas time I still like to make some hot chocolate and sit down and re-read this book.

I am a fan of Chris Van Alsburg and I believe that this is one of the most spectacular things he has ever written. What makes this a timeless work of art is not only the peaceful, dusk-cover pictures that evoke romantic images of the North but the precious concept of pure faith demonstrated through such a simple holiday symbol as the bell.

The beginning of the book is "off target." It begins with politics and hyperbole: through the end of chapter 3 can be skipped without loosing context (chapter 3 may be of interest to history buffs). Chapter 4 and 5 can be skimmed -- 4 for its tables and pictures of conversions and 5 to get an idea of available sources. Chapters 6-10 provide a significant amount of conversion information: the reader will want to concentrate on these chapters. The last 2 chapters provide some areas of concern that one should think carefully about before a conversion is attempted.

I am using this book as a research and knowledge base for my pending Plug In Electric Vehicle (EV)project. I am converting a 1992 Mazda MX-3 to a plug in fully electric auto.

This book is the best place to begin, it conceptualizes the whole environment surrounding the need for conversions providing historical back ground, economic understanding, and environmental impact information. Although the book was published in the early 90's it's predictions of the future for energy dependance and economic turmoil are right on. The Books prime function is as an excellent technical reference on the "how to" of EV conversions. This book goes into great detail about chassis selection, energy calculations, motor and component selection, range and speed expectations, and gives many examples, tips and techniques to use in building an EV.

This book also goes through from beginning to end a conversion of an auto conversion (a light pick up truck) from internal combustion engine powered to plug in electric powered. It is impressively simple to do and this book shows you just what to do. It also provides a great amount of contact information for parts suppliers and businesses already engaged in the conversion market place.

So if your sick of paying high fuel prices, want to do something personnally to reduce the effects of human impact on the environment, or are an engineering weenie who wants a fun and cool project to obsess over then pick up this book and start today!

Have Fun and Good Luck!

David Fink "Shade Tree Mechanic"
My first EV conversion project (1992 Mazda MX-3)

A good review of history of the electric car, best vehicles to convert, lists of sources for kits and parts, diagrams of how to do it, etc.
Highly recommended.

I've read several books on Electric Vehicles and this is, by far, the definitive resource for the DIY Electric Vehicle designer. It provides details and pictures on every topic necessary to design and build an electric vehicle from an existing gas vehicle.

A good place to start if you prefer to look at paper vs. the computer screen. Much more & better info available on the internet.

Does cover the basics - what exactly is involved in a conversion, batteries, controller, charger, motor & the "extras" - main contactor etc.

Others complained about too much math, but I found it was too basic to make any engineering decisions or judgments.

My Big Truck Book (Priddy Bicknell Big Ideas for Little People)

Great book for little boys who love trucks. Sturdy, good pictures and they learn all different names

My toddler loves this book, but I'm not sure how age-appropriate it is. I hadn't even heard of the names they call some of the trucks. They include just about everything! Great picture book, though!

These books are a great deal for hours of fun! My little guys looks at the pictures over and over and doesn't ever seem to get tired of hearing the names of all the pictures. These books have been great for his vocabulary as he tries to say all the words too!

My 18 month old and his 12 month old cousin both love this book. We are pleased at the number and variety of vehicles inside! The pictures are beautiful and clear and give us a lot to look at and talk about. We also bought My Big Animal Book and love it, too.

From the time my son first learned to talk, he has shown a fierce curiosity about what things are called, especially the things he sees when we are driving around. I was so pleased with Priddy's My Big Animal Book (Priddy Bicknell Big Ideas for Little People) that I picked up My Big Truck Book to help him identify various vehicles as well as to build his growing vocabulary. The book was a tremendous success on both levels.

The book features large, sturdy pages that catalog a variety of farm, construction, rescue, and other vehicles. The photos are large and colorful, and never fail to capture my son's attention. Between this book and My Big Animal Book, my son's vocabulary and understanding of the world around him increased by leaps and bounds. I still remember the first time we drove by a construction site and I heard him shouting "Backhoe! Mini excavator! Dump truck!" The book also allowed us to use his curiosity about vehicles and fascination with the pictures to teach him about the vehicles' functions, colors, and sizes.

My son is two years old now and more interested in storybooks, plus he knows the vehicles in this book front to back. That doesn't keep him from taking this book off the shelf time after time just to enjoy seeing his favorite trucks, tractor, and construction equipment.

I highly recommend this durable, colorful, and inexpensive book to all parents of curious toddlers. As teaching aids go, My Big Truck Book has proven far more effective than many a high-priced electronic gadget or DVD.

This is my 20 month old son's FAVORITE book. He constantly wants it to be read and re-read to him....and this is the only book that he asks for (even though we have a lot of other good ones). For any kids that love trains, this is a great book. And for parents, it's an enjoyable/easy read. And the illustrations are very nice too.

I have read this book to a baby I babysit for, and he loves it! I've been reading it to him since he was 4 months old and he still likes to have it read to him over and over again! The primary colors in the book make it so vivid and colorful and you can be very animated when you read it, they love it! I ordered one for my sister's new baby!

My 2 year old son loves this book. He's loved it since he was about 9 months old. It's rhyming and fun to read out loud with bright and interesting illustrations. Sure to be a hit for any boy who loves trains!

This simple, rhyming book about a toy train has been read and re-read in this house. My girls absolutely MUST hear this book at least five times a day. We're on our third copy, as the first two were destroyed from overuse. My only criticism is that the book is not of more sturdy construction. If you have toddlers and pre-school age children, this book is a must have!

Our boy already loved Tugga-Tugga Tugboat and My Truck is Stuck, so I had an idea that he would like this book by the same author/illustrator combo, especially because he likes trains.

Well, this was his favorite of the three. The drawings are charming, the story sufficiently uncomplicated for a nearly-three-year-old, and he wanted us to read nothing else for weeks. Highly recommended.

I really think this is a great book. I read it to my two year old every night, he loves it. The cadence is really nice, pleasant to read. The illustrations are also nice. I don't think you can go wrong with this book.

Awesome book my son reads it every day great pictures need more books like this

Both of my grandsons love this book. I bought it for them this summer, as they love Thomas the Train. I was hesitant, as it was $16.99 at the time. It is worth every penny! My daughter reads to them every night and this quickly became their favorite book. They request Good Night Train every night before bed. The words are soothing and rhthymic, and the pictures are beautifully illustrated. My one grandson loves to point out the "baby tugboat" in every picture... This book is sure to become a classic and helps little eyes close with sweet dreams of choo choos sure to follow. I would give this more than 5 stars if possible!

I purchased this book for my son because of his fascination with trains. Not only is this book a must for train lovers, but also for any child who needs to get settled down with reading before bed. My son always seems to chose The Goodnight Train for last. I'm sure there is a reason for that. This book is very soothing and has minimal stimulation, which is perfect for getting my son to calm down for bed. The artwork is beautiful, and both child and parent can appreciate it. The whimsical rhyming feels like a lullaby, and helps to set the bedtime tone as well. I would consider this to be one of the most refreshing and comforting books since Goodnight Moon.

We checked this book out from the library and our son loved it so much that we had to buy our own copy. The language and rhythm of the text is so engaging. He has practically memorized the whole book!

Book is a "smidgeon of pigeon". A short book on things that Pigeon loves. Great for a beginning reader.

My 15 month old girl absolutely loves the Pigeon books and this one is no exception. We read it several times a day along with the other board book, "The Pigeon has feelings, too".
While not as good as "The Pigeon finds a Hotdog" or the other Pigeon books aimed at older children it's fantastic for toddlers.
It would have been nice to include a few more "things that go" such as a car, truck, bike etc but the length does seem to be about just right to keep a toddlers attention.
As always the simple drawings are fantastic - the Pigeon has so much character packed into so few lines!
Very cute!

Here is another book involving the pigeon. My grandchildren love these books because they are interactive. Questions are asked in the book and answered by the children. This book can be read with the little ones and they can "read" it themselves without damaging it. It is in the board book format which is meant for little fat hands.

My daughter is almost 3 & we already had 2 books by Mo Willems she LOVES- Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late & Edwina, the Dinosaur That Didn't Know She Was Extinct & I thought I couldn't go wrong. I did. I knew it was a board book & expected it to be short, but geez. Not much there at all. I still love Mo Willems' books & highly recommend the 2 above as well as Leonardo Was a Terrible Monster (which I ordered with this one). Skip it, you could do a lot better with another Willems title.

This book really makes my 2 1/2 year old giggle! I read it 3 times before she goes to bed & she reads it to me 3 times before bed. It's a lot of fun for her to imagine a pigeon on a bus, plane, etc. It's great for toddlers and preschoolers. She wants more pigeon books, now.

I bought this book in preparation for my 2 year old son's first plane ride to grandma's house. We have several Richard Scarry books, so he is used to the chaotic array of images, and this is the book that he goes to several times a day...asking for the plane book.

He picks out new things every time and I often find him sitting on the floor with this book open all on his own. He has started talking about "plane to gramma's" pointing at the same plane every time. He then walks over and points to a picture of his gramma. If nothing else, it was a great way to help him make logical sense of the fact that his grandparents are far away. When he wants to think about them, all he has to do is pull out this book to remember the plane ride to their house.

Cute book, and great teaching value for the bargain price.

My dd and I had fun looking at the great typical Ricahrd Scarry pictures, and then also enjoyed following along in the pictures to see where one man's hat has ended up after it blew away @ the airport. We have read it many times and she still likes the "searching".

My son loves any aircraft since his father is a pilot so this book is great. It takes some kids on a tour through an airport and all of it's parts (mind you they do it in an airplane themselves)teaching a lot about the ahppenings. Scarry always entertains.

I thought the book was alright, it was too busy for me. I wish it had more than one story like the other Richard Scarry's books.

This is wonderful in classic Richard Scarry fashion. Kids never tire of exploring the fabulous illustrations that exhaust every possible bit of activity! Even non-readers will continue to enjoy it on their own after hearing the story from you.

There's great opportunity for vocabulary development here, and as an added bonus, Richard Scarry's A Day at the Airport is absolutely guaranteed to give his young fans a new excitement about travel. Parents will be sure to enjoy that on the next family trip.

The Priddy board books are very sturdy and have great photos--all my boys have loved them!

My son Nathaniel who is 3 years old absolutely loves this train book. I bought it along with All about Train DVD. He loves to point to the trains in the book while he spots them on the DVD. Nathaniel takes this book everywhere he goes. He also has My big Truck book which is by the same author. Very good books I recommend them. I will eventually buy the whole collection.

As a retired elementary teacher, I value literacy experiences for young children. I purchased this book for my grandson's third birthday. He already had "My Big Truck Book" and loves it, it is one of his favorites. He has well over 100 at the present time, but turns again and again to this one. "My Big Train Book" is fast becoming another favorite. The bright pictures are great. I would recommend either or both these books.

My son asks to have this book read to him over and over. It's a hit!

This book has gone through two of my sons. Fantastic for the 'little' train lover with clear colourful pictures.

In 2006 John Hall's literary agent James Fitzgerald of New York contacted us about the book. At that time Fitzgerald was informed that John Hall in fact did not have authorization to write, print or publish any thing about the Pagan's MC. John Hall has never contacted the club at all to seek authorization. The book is interesting to read for the most part, however it is by no means a acurate and true account of the 1 1/2 years that John Hall was a member of the club. Not only is it an exageration of his own status and position within the club, but also certain alleged events written of in the book are totally fictional and never happened. For the most part he dropped names of men that are dead now, however others are still alive and atest to the false nature of this personal account of John Hall. John Hall was nothing more than a spoke in a wheel. John Hall is not a original member of the club and does not have the respect or honor that position would grant.
Pagan Ronnie 1%
Pagan's MC

This is a very GOOD book, well written and well documented.The style is even better than an other all-time icon, Hells Angels by H.Thompson.It is worth every euro I paid for it.As an european biker I get a better look at the history of 1%-America in years. Most of the publications were always about the HAMC and now more books are published about the other clubs:giving a more balanced look at these matters.Truly an outstanding piece of work.

"Riding on the Edge" is, IMHO, the finest work of 1%er biker literature on the stands today. Written by an Old School biker and original member of the Pagans MC, this is a thoughtful, respectful and captivating story of what it was like to be a 1960s motorcycle outlaw.

Written by John Hall, today a professional journalist and academic, Hall's book eclipses Sonny Barger's very successful effort (Hell's Angel) and, when compared, makes a mockery of Ruben "Doc" Cavazo's recent book about himself (oh, and the Mongols MC, too).

"Riding" is a wonderful read with the best outlaw biker book cover on the stands to date. Well worth the purchase.

I think this book was as good as the Sonny Barger book, Hell's Angel if not better.
Very gritty and realistic and man, John Hall is a very good writer as well. He kept me reading and reading on.

This is a really good book if you are into doing your own VW repairs (most owners of old VW's pretty much need to be somewhat mechanically inclined and this book will definately help). The book is written in an easy to read fun format, has had numerous updates over the years and covers just about any issue you'll be dealing with. I think this is a must have for any VW owner. A+
-19BUG74-

I highly, highly, highly recommend this book. Everything is written in easy to understand language and is easy to follow. It's not just simply 'remove xyz', it's more like 'remove xyz like this...' The mechanicals are the best--way better than any Chilton or Haynes book you can buy. I actually gave a copy of this book to a guy who bought one of my bugs 3 years ago. It really is that good. The writing is also unlike most books. It is fun and interesting. You can actually read this book as-is without doing a thing to your car. Every bug owner should have this book.

What can I tell about a book in 19th edition? Excellent organization, very useful information, great writing style. You don't have to understand about mechanics to read - if you already have a VW Bug or Bus, you can put all you readings in practice as soon as you finish page 10. I'm very satisfied.

Great book with some great tips... if you own and old VW its a must have for your collection.

The is the one VW book that is a must have. If your new to Aircooled VW's get this book first.