1937Virginia Lee Burton published her first of seven children’s books, Choo Choo.People and Communities, Arts and Culture, Literary History, Notable People
Choo Choo was done in black and white, with solid black lines and broad charcoal shading. The main character, a female runaway locomotive, is endowed with life and an endearing personality. Burton’s characters were often female — an engine, a steam shovel, a house, and a cable car. Burton presented her young readers with images of strong mechanical female characters that appealed to all. They are still adored.
Elleman, Barbara, Those Telling Lines: The Art of Virginia Lee Burton, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA, 2009, various. “Works by Virginia Lee Burton.” Cape Ann Museum, https://www.capeannmuseum.org/collections/artists/virginia-lee-burton-demetrios/.