The Wonderful Journey

Grandma has been living with Sam's family in England but comes from far away. Every Wednesday she and Sam visit the railway yard to see the trains and tell stories, until one day Gran breaks the news that soon she will fly away again and tells Sam a special story to help him to feel better. They close their eyes and fly with the flamingos to Africa, over villages, rivers and open plains, until they land close to where Gran used to live. She tells of the journeys she made as a girl on the big steam trains and Sam learns that with a little imagination he can travel anywhere in the world. When Sam returns to the railway yard the following week he cannot find his Grandma but he does find the memory of their stories. Gran had flown away but Sam can still Hear her voice in the thunder of the trains.

This sensitive and poetic story is made unforgettable by the beautiful paintings accompanying it. The scenes of African wildlife are stunning and the contrast to the ramshackle world of an English railway yard adds a poignancy to the tale of separation. Sam can travel the world whenever he wants to and will never lose his Gran as long as he holds her in his heart. (Ages 4 and over) --Alison Jardine


Genre: Children's Fiction