Train Leaves the Station Author:Eve Merriam From Publishers Weekly — Gottlieb, the author/illustrator of Big Dog and My Stories by Hildy Calpurnia Rose, has deftly turned the neat synchronization of Merriam's lilting counting rhyme into an artistic express run. Between the rolling cadences of this peripatetic choo-choo and the vigorous swaths of color left in its tracks, this picture book ... more »practically redefines locomotion. Complete with a clock face on its front end, this little engine that definitely can sets out at varying times of day, accompanied by a brief--and generally thematic--couplet: "Light on the ceiling, rug on the floor, / train leaves the station at four-o-four." Up hill and down dale, the excursion is a dazzling one: Gottlieb's glossy, crisply defined images practically leap from the pages. His childlike illustrations somewhat call to mind those of Lucy Cousins, but have a joie de vivre all their own. While not the most comprehensive vehicle for counting or learning to tell time, this captivating train nonetheless takes youngsters on a true joy ride. Ages 2-5.« less