Brooke Hartman and John Joseph on All Aboard the Alaska Train

In this post, we feature author Brooke Hartman and illustrator John Joseph, whose previous picture book, The Littlest Airplane, was named an Alaska Association of School Librarians Battle of the Books selection. You can hear them speak about their new picture book, All Aboard the Alaska Train, and try their “invitation to imagine” activity. You’ll also find other resources to explore. Thanks for joining us, and let us know what you think in the comments below!

All Aboard the Alaska Train

Written by Brooke Hartman and John Joseph
Published by Red Comet Press
Release date: March 5, 2024

Five shiny train cars roll down the railroad track, picking up passengers along the way—a porcupine, grizzly bear, caribou, and more. Soon the cars are packed, but now the train must go up a tall mountain. Will the Alaska Train reach its destination? All Aboard the AlaskaTrain takes you on a rumbling journey as you zoom across the tracks and meet some of the state’s most famous animal residents. Included at the back is a glossary of the parts of a train, plus more information about the famous Alaska Train and a map of its route. A joyful celebration of train travel and the wild Alaskan landscape.

An interior spread from All Aboard the Alaska Train featuring a blue and yellow train driving through a forested landscape with a small crowd waving from a rural depot platform.

An interior spread from All Aboard the Alaska Train featuring a full train of people and animals leaning out of the windows and pointing to a spectacular sky filled with northern lights.

Explore All Aboard the Alaska Train

Listen to Brooke Hartman and John Joseph talking with TeachingBooks about creating All Aboard the Alaska Train. You can click the player below or experience the recording on TeachingBooks, where you can read along as you listen, and also translate the text to another language.

Invitation to Imagine

TeachingBooks asks each author or illustrator on our Virtual Book Tour to share a writing prompt, a drawing exercise, or just an interesting question to spark curiosity and creativity. Enjoy the following activity contributed by Brooke Hartman and John Joseph.

Imagination Activity with Brooke Hartman and John Joseph

Think of one of your most favorite places to be. Now take that place and put it in a unique setting (for instance, if your favorite place to be is in your kitchen, imagine that kitchen on a rocket ship or in a tree house). How would things be different? What aspects of this new setting would you enjoy, and what parts might be more complicated?

Finish This Sentence . . . with Brooke Hartman and John Joseph

As part of our Virtual Book Tour, TeachingBooks asks authors and illustrators to complete short sentence prompts. Enjoy Brooke Hartman and John Joseph’s response.

“My favorite books as a child…”

My favorite books as a young reader were anything that invoked a sense of magic or mystery. As a kid, my favorite picture book was The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, by Chris Van Allsburg, and as a teen I loved A Wrinkle in Time and A Wind in the Door, by Madeleine L’Engle. —Brooke Hartman

When I was a child, my favorite books included the Goosebumps series, anything by Gary Paulsen, the Where’s Waldo books, and lots of Eric Carle titles. —John Joseph

“A surprising thing that helps me work is…”

When I work on art for a picture book, I must be listening to something. I enjoy listening to podcasts, Denver Nuggets games, and pretty much any type of music. Before becoming a teacher and illustrator, I played drums in a popular rock band, so music is a huge part of my life and my work.—John Joseph

“I hope our book encourages readers to think about…”

I hope that this book will encourage kids to think about what makes the animals that board the Alaska Railroad unique to that area. Why are the sheep on the cliffs, or the moose by the mud flats? How have these animals adapted to make their lives easier in each environment? —Brooke Hartman

Thank you!

To wrap up this Virtual Book Tour, we thank Brooke Hartman and John Joseph for signing a book for all of us.

An image of several copies of of All Aboard the Alaska Train. The top copy is open to the title page, which is signed by the author, Brooke Hartman with a picture of a train track.

The title page of All Aboard the Alaska Train signed by the illustrator, John Joseph, with a picture of a moose and the message, "Way to keep the train chugging along! Choo! Choo!"

More Connections to Brooke Hartman, John Joseph, and All Aboard the Alaska Train

Explore all of the titles featured in the TeachingBooks Virtual Book Tour: one link with author interviews, lesson plans, activities, and more!

All text and images are courtesy of Brooke Hartman, John Joseph, and Red Comet Press and may not be used without expressed written consent.