Horn Book (Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2003)

Two things capture young Jesse's attention: trains and dinosaurs. One evening at bedtime, the house begins to shake and someone yells "All aboard!" Without hesitation, Jesse boards a train filled with dinosaurs for a terrific ride and saves the day after the train derails. The minimal if somewhat choppy text complements the bold illustrations, which take the reader easily into Jesse's fantasy world.

ALA Booklist (Fri Nov 01 00:00:00 CST 2002)

Jesse takes a fanciful ride on a train full of dinosaurs in a daydream inspired by his favorite interests: Trains and dinosaurs. Dinosaurs and trains. Jesse climbs aboard the train on a huge, spiked tail (the tail belongs to a giant purple engineer, appropriately clad in overalls and cap). The passengers on the train would be right at home on Amtrak (the little old lady, the conductor in uniform and spectacles, business folk reading the paper, and travelers in jeans and T-shirts), except for the fact that they happen to be dinosaurs of all sizes and colors, their long necks and tails poking from every open window. When the train goes through a tunnel, they all must duck, and when they rush to one side to check out a volcano, they tip over the train. The Day-Glo bright colors, very simple text and the dinos' hilariously goofy facial expressions will attract many young train and dinosaur aficionados; they'll appeal to plenty of other picture-book fans, too.

Kirkus Reviews

"Thursday was a day much like any other for Jesse. Trains and dinosaurs. Dinosaurs and trains." In a brisk, bright solo debut, Gurney combines these two near-universal obsessions; just as Jesse is getting ready for bed, a huge spiked tail extends through the window, and the call comes: "ALL ABOARD!" Who could resist? Off Jesse hies on a train filled with enormous dinos of diverse, recognizable sorts, all sporting a range of human attire from business suits to blue jeans. The train is derailed when everyone rushes to one side to view an exploding volcano, but with Jesse's help, it's soon back on track, steaming bedroom-wards with a Tyrannosaurus engineer perched atop the boiler. The author gives his towering prehistoric passengers a friendly look, and depicts them with a crisp precision enhanced by white or plain-colored backgrounds. Here's a train that will never want for pajama-clad passengers—no ticket required. (Picture book. 5-7)

School Library Journal

PreS-Jesse thinks about, dreams of, and lives for two things: dinosaurs and trains. One night, he hears a loud noise and feels the house shake, and, with a cry of "ALL ABOARD!," the boy finds himself embarking on an exciting train ride with all sorts of dinosaurs, eating and having a small adventure with them. The story is slight, but it's the idea of enjoying a good time with benign happy dinos, together with the brilliantly colored and lovingly detailed illustrations, that will stay with young readers and probably spark many requests for bedtime repetitions.-Marian Drabkin, formerly at Richmond Public Library, CA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.