The Caboose Who Got Loose

Exploring a caboose near Flagstaff, AZ September of 2011

My son loves trains, I think I mentioned that fact in my last post as well...Anyway, I look for quality books that feed the things he is interested in. We read The Caboose Who Got Loose by Bill Peet for the first time this weekend. It's a little long for a two year old, but my son has sat through this book three times already, with another request to "read it again mommy".

It's about a caboose named Katy who is tired of always being at the end of the train, she longs to be a house and settle down in a small country town, or to be a cabin sitting still in the woods. She takes trips through dangerous boulder filled canyons, and scary tunnels. In one of her city stops, she meets the shack of a switch man, who says they want to be caboose just like Katy. She decides then that she shall not complain and accept her lot in life, and try to be the "most happy caboose at the end of the train." From there, even though she wanted to be a happy caboose, she found she was still scared.

I shalt ruin the ending for you, you will have to read it to find out what happens, next, but let me assure you, it's a happy ending for a little caboose.