An "I Think I Can" train scrapbook layout makes a great addition to any child's scrapbook.
About The Little Engine That Could
"I think I can. I think I can. I think I can. I know I can." ~ Little Engine That Could
The Little Engine That Could is one of the most popular children's stories of all time. This book features a train that that must be pulled over a mountain. A number of large and very strong engines are asked to help pull the train, but they all refuse to help. The smallest engine, however, is brave enough to agree to try to pull the train. His motto is "I think I can."
The plot of The Little Engine That Could has been retold so many times it is unclear who the original author of the story is. Early versions of the story featured ordinary trains, while subsequent retellings made the train filled with toys and candy and gave the engines various human personality traits. Many people compare the story to Thomas the Tank Engine, although The Little Engine That Could predates Thomas by several decades.
The best known version of The Little Engine That Could is the story written by Watty Piper, a pseudonym used by Platt & Munk publishing house. Some of the many spinoffs of this story include The Little Engine That Could and the Big Chase and The Little Engine That Could and the Snowy, Blowy Christmas.
In classrooms across the United States, The Little Engine That Could is used to teach young children about:
- Determination
- Perseverance
- Kindness
- Charity
- Optimism
- Hard work
Many people have stated that The Little Engine That Could is a metaphor for the American Dream, since his persistence is what helps the little engine pull the train when the others refuse to try to complete the task.
Making an "I Think I Can" Train Scrapbook Layout
An "I think I can" train scrapbook layout could be interpreted in several different ways.
- A page about a child's love of collecting trains
- A page documenting a train-themed birthday party
- A page about a visit to a local railroad
- A page about learning how to read
- A page about working to overcome an obstacle
- A page about goals your child hopes to achieve or goals you have for him/her
Keep in mind that The Little Engine That Could isn't just a story for boys. The train theme can be masculine, but adding a bit of glitter, a few rhinestone brads, ribbon bows, or silk flowers to your page can make this theme perfectly appropriate for a little girl's scrapbook as well.
Resources for Train-Themed Scrapbook Layouts
If you are interested in making an "I think I can" scrapbook layout, check out the following helpful links for supplies to help you get your project started:
- Train Party.com has a section of its site devoted to products from The Little Engine That Could scrapbooking line. This includes patterned paper as well as stickers and die cut embellishments.
- Scrapbook.com carries products from the Lionel Trains scrapbook line by Creative Imaginations.
- A Cherry on Top has a transportation themed selection of scrapbook supplies that includes several train products.
- MyFonts has a shareware download of a train track font that you could use to make your own background paper.
- Font Space has a free dingbat font featuring various engines and rail cars suitable for making train scrapbook embellishments.
Using relevant quotes from the book as part of your scrapbook journaling or including a photo of your subject reading The Little Engine That Could are also good ways to help reinforce the theme of your train scrapbook page.
