The train at the end of my street by Tom Jellett

A beautiful homage to life in the suburbs where those families with a smaller income than most live closer to the train line. While some see this as a negative, this boy is bedazzled by the movement, colours, noise and style of trains that roar past. And this book heralds the passion he feels documenting the landscape of his childhood. 

The family can hear the trains and see them as they walk to the station to farewell Mum when she goes to work. They come back at home time to welcome her back. Passing through their station they can see old trains and new trains, coloured trains and freight trains, trains that go to cities a long way away, and on very special days they can spy a steam train.

On weekends the family goes to the station to catch a train to somewhere else. The routines they follow are shown clearly by Jellett as Dad buys the ticket, then checks them on the station. They all wait behind the yellow line, and board the train when the doors open. The two levels of the train offer opportunities to see people’s heads or feet. On their trip they take snacks to eat and watch the different styles of stations they pass.  They pass old stations and new stations, those with long platforms and short ones, some have lifts, while others only have stairs, some are underground, and the city station is the biggest of all, with many trains and lots of people. But best of all is their station because it means they are coming home.

Jellett gently underlines the family as they use the train for work and pleasure, unphased by the closeness of their house to the train lines. Jellett’s images show modest houses by the line, and subtle touches show a modest family living in the suburbs a long way from the city. The family is a nuclear family with one adult working. Mum takes a coffee with her on her way to work, and the family enjoys food they take with them on their weekend trip. The closeness of the family is shown to the reader, as they walk to the station, enjoy their outing on the train, and tired and sleepy, wend their way home.

As lovely images of the train roll by on every page, children will see a large range of trains, the stations where they stop and the surroundings of the stations and the tracks. For younger readers this will be a wonderful introduction, to older people it will remind them of the fascination of trains and the service they offer us all, and for older readers again, helping a younger child reading the book, the images will remind them of train watching as a child and the opportunities offered them when younger. 

I love this book: each time I open its pages I see something new to admire. 

Minty Bay is a long way from the city, there are areas of bushland near the station, the train bears the name, so is this the last station? The station manager comes out to wave hello to passengers. With the first endpapers the trains begin their morning services in the light, eventually coming to the end of day at the end of the book, the train still running through the night on the last endpaper.

A lovely book to encourage children’s interest in trains. And have them see one of the services governments provide. 

Themes: Trains, Railway stations, Family, Humour.

Fran Knight