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The Little Blue Engine: a book club kit
Where it comes from. Tellers in America printed this story in newspapers and magazines from 1906. It became a picture book in 1930.
In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). A train full of toys and food for children breaks down at the foot of a mountain. Three big engines say no to helping, but a little blue engine says, “I think I can,” and pulls it up the mountain. At the top she says, “I thought I could,” and the train reaches the children.
The lesson, in one line. Keep trying and believe you can, even when a job looks much too big.
Reading plan. Read it together at the meeting: about 4 minutes aloud, or ahead of time at home.
Questions to talk about
- What is the moral of The Little Engine That Could?
The story's answer: Keep trying and believe you can, even when a job looks much too big. The little blue engine is small, but she gets over the mountain. - Who wrote The Little Engine That Could?
The story's answer: No one person: the story was printed by several tellers from 1906, and it became a famous picture book in 1930. - What does the little engine say?
The story's answer: She chants “I think I can, I think I can” as she climbs, and at the top she says, “I thought I could.” - Why do the other engines not help?
The story's answer: They are too proud or too busy: one carries important people, one is too busy and one is too tired. Only the little blue engine says yes. - Which character changed the most from the beginning to the end?
Listen for: Ask what changed them. - Which scene would you put on the poster if this were a film?
Listen for: A way to find the scene that mattered most to each reader.
Did you know?
- Tellers in America printed versions in newspapers and magazines from 1906.
- It became a picture book in 1930, under the name The Little Engine That Could.
- The words “I think I can” are the most famous part of the story.
Activity: Cast the film
Choose who would play each character, draw the poster with your scene on it, and give the film a one-line tagline.
More to talk about
More facts for the leader
- The little engine is not big or strong, but she tries anyway.
Words to teach before you start
- track: train road
- rusty: old and brown
- steep: going up fast
- puffed: blew out smoke
- valley: low land
Questions leaders ask
How long does a The Little Blue Engine book club meeting take?
Reading it aloud takes about 4 minutes in all, so plan one meeting of 30 to 45 minutes, with time left for the questions. The reading plan on the sheet says where to stop.
What age is The Little Blue Engine for?
It is written at Peabody level 7, a grade 2 reading level, so most children at that level can read it alone. Younger children can listen to it read aloud.
Do the children need to read it before the meeting?
No. Each child can read it free on Peabody, before the meeting or together at it, and the questions work either way. The sheet's short version gives the ending away, so keep it for the leader.
How do I use the questions?
Start with the story's own questions, which have answers in the leader's notes, then move to the open ones and listen for reasons. There is no wrong answer to an open question. Stop when the group runs out of things to say.
Club kits for stories like this
- The Tale of Peter Rabbit (level 7)
- How the Camel Got His Hump (level 8)
- The Elephant's Child (level 8)
- Peter Pan (level 10)
- The Case of the Missing Mangoes (level 10)
- The Wizard of Oz (level 10)
How this kit is made
The short version, the facts and the first questions with their answers are the story's own, written for its page in Peabody's library and checked against the sources named there. The open questions, the activity and the plan are Peabody's, written for this kind of story. No part of it is written by a computer model.
Running the meeting: the meeting plans (30, 45 and 60 minutes) and the sign-up sheet.