Runaway

Gr 3-6–A cow on the tracks. A train going at full speed. A disaster might happen before readers’ eyes. This graphic novel adaptation of a short film is full of humor and action. When the engineer is distracted and the train rushes along the tracks out of control, the Fireman is the only one concerned. His call for more fuel is answered in a surprising way by the passengers, leaving some of them with their bare bottoms hanging out. The tension mounts as the fates of the train and the cow hang in the balance. The dry delivery of the text underscores the silliness of the illustrations. For instance, when the engineer is injured, “The lady would take him to her car and fix his poor finger.” The artwork depicts the lady carrying the engineer in her arms as he cries, “Mama!” The clueless passengers’ antics contradict the statement that “The train was full of many clever and complicated humans.”