The review
Another weekend, another book on trains.
Loosely translated "Holiday travels by train", I bought this book as part of a 7-part panorama illustrated series covering trains, buses, postmen etc.
Originally written in Japanese, it captures (in my mind and from my experience) the seasonal transitions and breathtaking scenery in Japan.
It's also unusual in that you can read it front to back and back to front, creating 2 scenarios: leaving home for a trip, and the return trip home. This speaks volumes about the trouble taken by the author to design the story in such a way that you can enjoy two stories for the price of one.
The little cutouts for the train tunnels and car tunnels are great for tracing the train/car journeys with your little ones. There is so much happening in each scene for you to try and spot, which makes for good repeat reading (and also non-stop questions). The author even sneakily added little touches like showing how families aged between two of the train-related stories, which only the most eagle-eyed of readers would be able to observe!