I am working my way through the CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) 2024 notable titles. The Wheelbarrow Express is a title from the Early Childhood list and I really like it. The intended audience for books in this category is ages 0-6 and I can see this book will be perfect to share with your own young reading companion or grandchild or with a younger group in your library or preschool. Why? I will list some features here:
- The setting is a farm - all young children, even if they have not had the opportunity to visit a farm, love farm animals especially pigs and chickens.
- The relationships are warm and recognisable - Grandfather and grandson. And there is the arrival of a new baby which is an adjustment for all older siblings.
- There is a repeated refrain - toot! toot! choo-choo-choo-choo. After all this is an express "train" and there are many stations to visit along the route.
- The plot is linear as the child and adult travel through the farm, so it is easy for a young child to anticipate a happy ending or in this case reunion with mum and the baby.
- Adults will love the tiny touches of poignancy - grandad knows he will see Tom again but today is the final day of this visit. Grandad is clearly choked up when they say goodbye to the dam - his voice has gone croaky, and that final hug is so special - I certainly felt the strong squeeze of Pa's arms.
- The plot races along with the wheelbarrow but before we reach the end the journey there is time just to sit still and enjoy skipping stones into the yabby dam. (A reminder to slow your reading down too and make a plan to one day skip stones too.)
- This is a universal story of love and shared experiences, but it also feels Australian (I mentioned the yabby dam).
- And there are also those all-important touches of sweet humour such as when the goat steals Tom's railway cap.
- The collection of treasures are the perfect way to recap their journey - the special shared moments of, not just that day, but over the whole visit.
- This book will be one you share with your young reading companion more than once and I would anticipate that some of the phrases might become part of your own family vocabulary - "Put away the gloomies"; "With a bump and a bounce and a toot"; and "Till next time."
- I love that this is not an end-of-life story - it is just a happy day shared across the generations. Too often we categorise grandparents as elderly, but the reality is a child the age of Tom, I'd say he is 3 or 4, would have a grandfather who is only 65-70 years old.
I have previously talked about the art of Cate James. It really shines in this book. I highly recommend this book and suggest after reading you go down to your shed, pull out your old wheelbarrow and go for a ride around your own backyard or park.
The CBCA Judges said: A heartwarming celebration of the loving bond between a child and grandparent is shared in this timeless narrative. Readers may be familiar with a wheelbarrow ride and will enjoy joining Tom and Pa on their last day on the farm together, journeying on the wheelbarrow express, collecting mementos and revisiting favourite spots and memories. The language is simple and accessible for young readers, with onomatopoeia and some verbs emphasised in a different font. Crucial to the narrative, the farm setting is gloriously reflected in the soft colour palette of blue, greens and browns. Avoiding sentimentality, the narrative alternates between the pair’s genuine banter and playful descriptions of farmyard activities and closes on a reassuring and satisfying note.
I do hope we see The Wheelbarrow Express as a short-listed title. I previously hoped this would happen with another book by Sue Whiting:
See more books by Sue Whiting here on her webpage. With a group of older students in Grade 1 or 2 you could read another terrific book that features a journey in a wheelbarrow:
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