Favorite Train Books for Toddlers
As the mom of boys, I have spent countless hours reading these favorite train books to my kiddos.
Train books can take young readers on imaginative journeys, teach them about the history and workings of trains, and introduce them to the different types of trains and their purposes.
Your toddler will adore these train books that will stand the test of time!
Be sure to check out our extensive book lists for kids!
You can find these train books at your local library or purchase through the affiliate links provided for your convenience.

Do you have a child absolutely obsessed with trains? Oh yes! As the mom of boys, I get you!
My boys were so in love with trains as toddlers they would even slip their favorite train books into my purse just to have them nearby.
As I’m sure you’ve discovered… the more popular the book, the more the book gets beat up
Favorite Train Books for Toddlers
All aboard this fun and colorful train book for kids ages 0 to 3.
You and your little one will discover hours of educational fun with this big book of trains.
Caldecott Honor Book
Featuring bright colors and bold shapes., even a child not lucky enough to have counted freight cars will feel he or she has watched a freight train passing after reading Freight Train.
Caldecott Medal Winner
It is the summer of 1869, and trains, crews, and family are traveling together, riding America’s brand-new transcontinental railroad.
These pages come alive with the details of the trip and the sounds, speed, and strength of the mighty locomotives; the work that keeps them moving; and the thrill of travel from plains to mountain to ocean.
A rhyming story tells about a freight train's day, from loading freight in the morning to retiring to the roundhouse after the day's work is done.
An exciting, fun-to-read, noisy board book with flaps and pop-ups, perfect for reading aloud with preschoolers and promoting hands-on, active learning.
With simple text and vibrant illustrations, readers will learn about a variety of trains and what they do. Trains Board Book "will delight the youngest and have enough meat for older preschoolers and beginning readers."
Train-loving boys and girls ages 2 to 5 will be intrigued to see the moon, stars, Thomas' headlight, and more brighten the night with a soft glow in this sleepy Thomas the Tank Engine bedtime story.
In this adventure, Engineer Small drives his little train from Tinytown to the city-and back. Along the way, the little train passes tunnels and stops at stations to pick up cargo and passengers.
With soothing, lyrical words and magical illustrations, June Sobel and Laura Huliska-Beith have created a nighttime fantasy that's guaranteed to make even the most resistant sleeper snuggle up tight.
From Kate and Jim McMullan, the popular creators of I Stink! and I’m Dirty! - now a streaming animated series - comes an irresistible read-aloud about trains, a perennial kid favorite.
The dream train pulls into the station, and one by one the train cars are loaded: polar bears pack the reefer car with ice cream, elephants fill the tanker cars with paints, tortoises stock the auto rack with race cars, bouncy kangaroos stuff the hopper car with balls.Â
Giant engines snorting, puffing, steaming, pulling, rushing, huffing! All kinds of trains, from cabooses to hoppers and commuter trains to zoo trains, clickety-clack along the tracks.Â
Pete the Cat's Train Trip is a My First I Can Read Book, which means it's perfect for shared reading with a child.
Fans of Pete the Cat will delight as Pete takes the grooviest train trip in this hilarious I Can Read adventure.
This book is a timeless tale of perseverance and working together as a team to overcome obstacles.
With its rhyming text, memorable refrain, and stunning illustrations, this exciting train and zoo animal adventure is sure to resonate with children and adults alike!
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This is a great list of train books. There is something fascinating about trains for so many kids it is wonderful to link that interest with reading!
Because we live outside Chicago, we have the metra and commercial trains going by all the time. We would actually make a morning of going to the train station to watch them go by 🙂
Great list! The Goodnight Train is one of our favorites!
Isn’t that a sweet book? As toddlers, my boys were fascinated with Chugga Chugga Choo-Choo and Freight Train.
We have several of those. My son also loves tractors so Steam Train, Dream Train is a favorite because there’s a “bone on the boom”.
Nice list, trains are beloved from both genders.
I would add the ‘little engine that could’.
I would agree with that addition — but I really would only purchase the one with the original artwork.
We love Patricia Hubbell! That’s our favorite train book. I’ll have to check out the rest – my kids love trains! -Jess
http://www.sweetlittleonesblog.com
We live near Chicago and see the commuter and commercial trains all of the time… so we definitely live trains every day. Happy reading 😀
This is a great list! We’ve read Freight Train, Chugga-Chugga Choo Choo and I’m Fast. My son LOVES them. Thank you for sharing these. I look forward to checking out the others.
I hope you find some new favorites as well 🙂