About the Author

Elena is a New Zealand author who lives in a rather chaotic house with her husband, three teenage children, their granny and a cat. Since she was little she has always enjoyed writing poems and making up stories. After completing a degree in English, Elena went on to work as a research librarian and now has a varied collection of part-time work. It wasn't until taking a short writing course five years ago, that she realised it might be possible to achieve her dream of becoming a published author. She has written several readers and her stories, poems and plays have appeared in The School Magazine. The Rain Train is her first picture book. Brian Lovelock is a scientist working in the power industry in New Zealand. He has painted all his life but has only recently ventured into the world of book illustration. His previous titles with Walker Books Australia include Your Mother Didn t Do That! and Roadworks which won the Picture Book category in the 2009 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children & Young Adults.

Reviews

De Roo’s rhyming, lyrical text never derails; the onomatopoeic verse rolls rhythmically along, both lulling listeners and moving the action forward.…Lovelock’s misty watercolor and ink illustrations, dominated by dusky purples and blues, convey the excitement of a special nighttime journey. The Rain Train’s soothing words and colors should deliver little travelers straight to dreamland.
*The Horn Book*

An accomplished text for a first-time writer of picture books, but de Roo, a poet, does it well. Nicely composed and full of vitality, the illustrations capture the mood of the verse and the movement of the train as well as the children’s quiet pleasure in this imagined journey.
*Booklist*