Your child's personalised book for a first train journey

What happens in your child's First Trip on a Train

1. Your child holds their ticket and spots the station board.
2. A platform sign helps your child find where to wait.
3. The train arrives, and your child climbs aboard with their grown-up.
4. From the window, your child watches bridges, tunnels and fields rush past.
5. The train slows at the final stop, where your child steps out somewhere new.

How the first page could read

Your child held the ticket tightly in one hand and a little bag in the other. At the station, the big board clicked and changed. “Our train is on platform three,” said the grown-up holding your child's hand. Your child looked for the number, listening for the rumble that meant the train was nearly there.

Your child’s name, look and little details replace these words, and the whole story is written for their age.

Why this story works

A first train journey is full of small, visible moments that children can recognise: holding a ticket, finding a number, waiting behind the line and hearing the train approach. This story gives your child a clear job at each stage, from spotting the platform sign to looking out of the window. The changing views create plenty to talk about, whether they see houses, fields, bridges or a dark tunnel. It is well suited to reading before a planned trip, while packing a little bag, or afterwards when recalling what your child noticed on the way. The simple travel sequence works particularly well for ages 2–6.

Reading it together

• Read the platform-sign page together and ask your child to point to the number they would look for.
• Before a real journey, let your child choose one small item to carry in their own bag.
• Afterwards, revisit the window-view pages and add in things your child remembers seeing.

Suggested art style: Storybook watercolour

Soft watercolour gives the station, passing scenery and changing light outside the carriage a warm, detailed feel. A sidekick idea: a pocket-sized rabbit travelling in your child's bag. You can pick any of the four styles and change the details in the form.