Hey there, fellow parents! Are you feeling overwhelmed by the quiet nights and wish for a little chaos at 3 AM? Do you find yourself drowning in your child’s obsession with all things Thomas the Train? If so, horror master Stephen King has just the thing to shake up your bedtime routine: his new children’s book, Charlie the Choo Choo.
Written under the alias Beryl Evans, Charlie the Choo Choo tells the tale of a rather sinister little engine named Charlie—a “gruff” train with a twisted grin and hollow eyes, who shares a close bond with his conductor, Engineer Bob. Things take a dark turn when Bob learns from his boss, Mr. Briggs, that Charlie is being retired to make room for a shiny new Burlington Zephyr diesel locomotive. What follows is a descent into eerie contemplation as Charlie rusts away in the train yard, pondering the end of his days. Perfect for those bedtime stories where you can cheerfully remind your little ones, “One day, we’ll all be forgotten and left behind. Sleep tight!”
According to Amazon, this book is suitable for kids aged 4-8 and grades preschool through 3rd. However, we might have to disagree on that front. King crafted this book as part of the promotional push for the upcoming film adaptation of his Dark Tower series, set to hit theaters in February. And yes, it stars Idris Elba, which definitely adds some star power to the project. But let’s steer back to the book itself.
In the third installment of the Dark Tower series, titled The Waste Lands, a young boy named Jake stumbles upon Charlie the Choo Choo in a bookstore. This is where the creepiness begins: “As he gazed at the cover, Jake couldn’t shake the feeling that the smile on Charlie the Choo-Choo was hiding something sinister. You seem happy, but I think that’s just a facade, he mused. I doubt you’re really Charlie at all.” Talk about a heart-pounding moment!
To summarize, King has ingeniously created a real children’s book based on a fictional one from his narrative, where the child reading it suspects that Charlie might be more than just a friendly train. While the book is marketed as a tale of friendship and hard work, it’s tough to see that wide smile and not worry about what Charlie might do next. After all, one of his songs goes:
“Don’t ask me silly questions, I won’t play silly games,
I’m just a simple choo-choo train, and I’ll always be the same,
I only want to race along, beneath a bright blue sky,
And be a happy choo-choo train, until the day I die.”
Chilling, right? And his final lines after being abandoned? “Now that I can’t race along, beneath a bright blue sky, I guess that I’ll just sit right here, until I finally die.” Yikes, Charlie! Keep that energy away from the kids!
Charlie the Choo Choo might be better suited for fearless youngsters and adult fans of King’s work. While we appreciate the creativity, we’re not sure we can handle a cover that looks like Charlie just committed a crime against Thomas the Train. However, it could be a fun collector’s item for those eagerly anticipating the Dark Tower adaptation starring Idris Elba.
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In summary, Stephen King’s Charlie the Choo Choo is a unique entry into children’s literature that may not be for the faint of heart but offers a fascinating twist for those who dare.
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