Some picture books have illustrations that have become iconic. No matter what reissues follow, people will always remember the original. The Little Engine that Could is one of those books. Right there on the front cover you see the claim: "The complete original edition." That, however, is not exactly true.
According to Roy E. Plotnick, in his article "In Search of Watty Piper: A Brief History of the 'Little Engine' Story", the origin is a little hazy. Was it written by Frances Ford in 1910 for members of The After School Club, an educational organization in Philadelphia? Or did it come from a 1906 sermon by Methodist minister Charles S. Wing? Was the inspiration for the story actually The Good Samaritan? Read Mr. Plotnick's article for the details.
According to Roy E. Plotnick, in his article "In Search of Watty Piper: A Brief History of the 'Little Engine' Story", the origin is a little hazy. Was it written by Frances Ford in 1910 for members of The After School Club, an educational organization in Philadelphia? Or did it come from a 1906 sermon by Methodist minister Charles S. Wing? Was the inspiration for the story actually The Good Samaritan? Read Mr. Plotnick's article for the details.
| The tale we're familiar with, written by "Watty Piper" (a pseudonym for Arnold Munk), was originally illustrated by Lois Lenski in 1930. |    |
| | In 1954, George and Doris Hauman illustrated what has become the iconic version. The text is slightly revised from the 1930 edition, but the pictures set the standard for all versions to come. |
In 2005, Loren Long illustrated an excellent new edition. Long re-imagines the little blue engine but keeps the coloring and flavor of the Hauman version.
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