The Little Engine That Could - Watty Piper, Doris Hauman, George Hauman This is one of the children's books that I read for We Give Books, A Pearson Foundation Initiative to help children all around the world obtain books. It's an organization that gathers many campaigns in one spot on the web to encourage people to read many books for children. With every book you read, one gets donated to the campaign you signed up for. (There's quite a few campaigns available.) A very good friend of mine, Nicole Terazue, recommended this site to me since she knew I loved reading books! (Thanks love!) The campaign I chose to be a part of is called Jumpstart for Young Children. Every book that I read associated with We Give Books gets donated to Jumpstart for Young Children so that less fortunate kids in pre-schools all over America will be able to have more books to read from and learn. It's a fabulous project and I urge all readers, especially parents with young children, to join and help other children less fortunate than our own to read and spread the word of We Give Books. It will benefit children everywhere.

Do you know how much this book has influenced me throughout the years because I read it to my younger brother when we were kids? Let me tell you. MORE THAN ANYONE WILL EVER KNOW! This is such a fantastic children's book and it's a classic! If you want your child to learn the important lesson of never giving up, working hard for what you believe in, and striving for you best, then you should definitely let them read this book. It's recommended for ages 0-3 but I think any child of any age should read it. ^_^ The story follows this group of toys whose train's engine has broken down and them trying to get some help. They come across a few self-centered engines who don't want to help the poor toys until they find the Little Blue Engine. (By the way, am I the only one who didn't notice she was a female? When I was a kid, it didn't occur to me that she was a girl. Goes to show you children really are innocent.) She was a very kind, gentle, and caring little engine. She had the drive to climb over that mountain. Ambition! That's what this book teaches children. They should have the ambition to do what they want and work hard for it because in the end, the payoff is great. I love the illustrations in this book! So colorful! So detailed! It's very pleasing to the eyes. The writing? Come on. Do I really need to say how amazing the writing is? "I think I can--I think I can" is just a fantastic quote and very memorable. Watty Piper, even though you were basically a recluse, I thank you for granting us young readers with this wonderful story about a Little Blue Engine who believed in herself and made her ambitions a reality. Thank you. :)