Tommy doesn’t want to go home. He’s had such a good time staying with his Pa. ‘Put away the gloomies,’ Pa says as he tosses Tommy the train driver’s cap. ‘There’s one last run on the wheelbarrow express.’
Tommy jumps in the wheelbarrow and off they go, with a bump and a bounce and a toot across the paddock. They fill the trough for the piggies, giving each piglet a gentle squeeze hello. Off they wheel again to the henhouse, where there’s a squawk, a flap and a cluck. There are two eggs! Next stop, Goat Mountain. One of the goats much prefers Tommy’s cap to the hay! On to the veggie patch and then a break by the water to practise skimming stones. Pa’s an expert. As the wheelbarrow express returns home, there is Mum and Ruby waiting to take Tommy home.
The Wheelbarrow Express is a beautifully warm story of a grandfather and grandson simply enjoying time together. It is full of fun and love and, as you read it, your heart can’t help but swell large with the same feelings.
Reviewed by Jane Stephens
Age Guide 2+
