Brain Train: An Off-the-Rails Journey from A to ZZZ

When a red-coated ant attendant announces that the Brain Train is departing for the Memory Palace from platform A, this raucous alphabet adventure from Mylie (Hello Day) seems to be proceeding according to schedule. Ink and watercolor illustrations chock-full of seek-and-find elements evoke a vintage nursery rhyme vibe, while the text employs giggle-inducing alliteration. (For the letter E, an audience including an eagle, an elephant, and a giant teary eye watch a puppet performance: “Elves rescue the earth, and it’s very emotional. Everybody cries.”) But the train derails dramatically on a spread representing the letter F, and the whole alphabet suddenly falls out of order. T follows J, M precedes L, and unplanned letter-themed adventures include navigating a trash-filled vat of tar. Initially discombobulated, the passengers soon roll with the punches and reach their destination in high spirits. Before kicking off a party, a vixen queen declares, “You found your way. The key to unlocking the mystery of reading is memory.” Though the closing point about reading comprehension may not be crystal clear, this unconventional journey assures that alphabet fluency needn’t always follow the main line. An author’s note concludes. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)