The Dusty Train's Sweet Surprise

A Lesson in Kindness

Children - Picture Book
14 Pages
Reviewed on 10/25/2018
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Meet Goti, the shiny red bus, and Vivek, the dusty coal train, in the storybook The Dusty Train’s Sweet Surprise: A Lesson in Kindness by Subhash Kommuru. They were both very hardworking but Goti always made fun of Vivek, saying he was faster than Vivek and he called him 'slowpoke' which annoyed Vivek. The next day was the festival of Sankrant which is a festival of goodwill and friendship. People share gifts and sweets on Sankrant festival and when they shared sweets, they would wish the other person to speak sweet words. Vivek was all cleaned up for the festival and, when he reached the railway crossing, he saw Goti on the road ahead. Goti was stuck in the middle of the road, blocking traffic, and the cars behind him were honking. Goti was nervous that Vivek would make fun of him, but instead he was surprised at what happened.

This is a story about being kind and children learn about the Sankrant festival through this story. The illustrations are bright and colorful and they bring the characters to life and make the concept vivid to young readers. The kids' craft activity at the end of the book is good for children to try making a kite and flying it in open spaces. It is a good story to teach children about the importance of being kind and speaking nicely to others, even when they are not kind. This book is excellent for use during arts and crafts sessions in school as it will teach them how to make a kite and decorate it. It encourages not only good deeds but will also help children to be creative and imaginative when it comes to arts and crafts.