Books in Transportation series

A riveting look at the evolution of transportation in American cities, Straphanging in America begins with an examination of the horsecar and omnibus, then traces the extraordinary impact of the cable car, elevated railway, interurban, and subway on city life -- and the nation. Capturing people's imaginations with its "magical" use of electricity, trolley cars made pollution-free, inexpensive, mass urban transportation possible and created suburbs. Interurbans connected cities, spawned new towns, and made overland travel a national pastime. Subways solved the problem of street congestion. Beyond the effects on landscape, urban transport unified cities as people of all economic backgrounds rubbed elbows. Vividly illustrating America's urban transformation, Straphanging in America captures the excitement of a nation and its burgeoning technology.

Barron's calls them "Chunky" books because they really are chunky! And they really are books, featuring extra-thick board pages—but when you close them, they're solid enough to stand right up like children's toy blocks. Also when closed, they're shaped to look like their titles—a toy car, plane, train, and boat. When toddlers open each book they'll find an entertaining little story about vehicles. The words are easy to understand, and the full-color illustrations on each page bring the story to life. When kids finish the story, they can close the covers and guide the vehicles around on the floor to create brand new stories of their own. Inside the vehicles' plastic headlights are black buttons that wiggle when moved and resemble comical eyes.