The Little Engine That Could
Encyclopedia
The Little Engine that Could is a child
ren's story that appeared in the United States of America
. The book is used to teach children the value of optimism
and hard work. Some critics would contend that the book is a metaphor
for the American dream
.
, 8 April 1906, as part of a sermon by the Rev. Charles S. Wing.
A brief version of the tale appeared under the title Thinking One Can in 1906, in Wellspring for Young People, a Sunday school
publication. This version reappeared in a 1910 publication by the Daughters of the American Revolution
.
The story then appeared under the name The Pony Engine in the Kindergarten Review in 1910, written by Mary C. Jacobs (1877–1970).
A version of the story appeared in the six-volume Bookhouse Books, which were copyrighted in the UK in 1920 and sold in the U.S. via door-to-door salespersons. Although this version contained no author attribution, it was edited by Olive B. Miller and published in Chicago. The Bookhouse version began, "Once there was a Train-of-Cars, and she was flying merrily across the country with a load of Christmas toys for the children who lived way over on the other side of the mountain."
In the 1941 Disney movie "Dumbo" the work train taking the circus animals to their destination pulls its cargo up a hill repeating the well known saying "I-Think-I-Can-I-Think-I-Can" and rolls down the hill saying "I-Thought-I-Could-I-Thought-I-Could"
The best known incarnation of the story The Little Engine That Could was written by "Watty Piper", a pen name of Arnold Munk, who was the owner of the publishing firm Platt & Munk. Arnold Munk was born in Hungary, and as a child, moved with his family to the United States, settling in Chicago. Later he moved to New York. Platt & Munk offices were at 200 Fifth Avenue till 1957 when Arnold Munk died. Arnold Munk, used the name Watty Piper as both an author of children's books and as the editor of many of the books that Platt & Munk published. He personally hired Lois Lenski to illustrate the book. This retelling of the tale The Pony Engine appeared in 1930. The first edition attributes Mabel C. Bragg as the originating author. However, Mabel C. Bragg, a school teacher in Boston, Massachusetts, never claimed to have originated the story.
In 1954, Platt & Munk published another version of The Little Engine That Could, with slightly revised language and new, more colorful illustrations by George and Doris Hauman
. A 1976 rework featured art by Ruth Sanderson
.
The story of the little engine has been told and retold many times. The underlying theme is the same — a stranded train is unable to find an engine willing to take it on over difficult terrain to its destination. Only the little blue engine is willing to try and, while repeating the mantra "I think I can, I think I can," overcomes a seemingly impossible task.
An early version goes as follows:
In these versions another character appeared and remained a key part of the story hereafter — the clown ringleader of the toys who attempts to find help with several locomotives but is rebuffed. The number of engines in the story also eventually became standard across the tellings: The happy locomotive on the toy train who breaks down and cannot go on, the pompous passenger engine who considers himself too grand for the task, the powerful freight engine who views himself as too important, and the elderly engine who lacks either the strength or determination to help the toys. The little blue engine always appears last and, although perhaps reluctant (some editions have the engine clarify her role as a switcher not suited for road-work), always rises to the occasion and saves the day for the children over the mountain.
Curiously, each engine is defined by its appearance or function and is not given a name or personality beyond its role on the railroad. It is only in the 1991 film adaption
that the engines' personalities are expanded on, including the granting of names: Farnsworth (the express engine), Pete (the freight engine), Georgia (the friendly engine of the toy train), Jebediah (the elderly engine) and Tillie, the titular 'little engine that could'. The clown was also named 'Rollo' and a sixth engine character, 'Doc', appeared briefly to recover the broken-down Georgia and thus tie up the hanging story-thread of what happened to the failed engine of the toy train, which all other versions leave unaddressed.
The little engine is an anthropomorphic locomotive like Thomas the Tank Engine
and Ivor the Engine
, though she predates them.
produced in Wales and co-financed in Wales and the United States. The film named the famous little engine "Tillie" and expanded the narrative into a larger story of self-discovery.
In March 2011, the story was adapted as a 3-D film named The Little Engine That Could
, produced by Universal Studios
and featuring the voices of Whoopi Goldberg
, Jamie Lee Curtis
, Alyson Stoner
, and Corbin Bleu
.
replicas that tour throughout the United States.
American toy company Whittle Shortline
produces wooden toy train
s of The Little Engine That Could as a domestic alternative to Thomas the Tank Engine
. Maxim Enterprise held the license prior to 2006. The toys have proven to be popular, with the recent (as of June 2007) announcement of Thomas the Tank Engine toys containing lead
. Many parents have expressed outrage at the news of the lead-tainted toys and have bought "Little Engine" toys as an alternative.
Child
Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
ren's story that appeared in the United States of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The book is used to teach children the value of optimism
Optimism
The Oxford English Dictionary defines optimism as having "hopefulness and confidence about the future or successful outcome of something; a tendency to take a favourable or hopeful view." The word is originally derived from the Latin optimum, meaning "best." Being optimistic, in the typical sense...
and hard work. Some critics would contend that the book is a metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
for the American dream
American Dream
The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States in which freedom includes a promise of the possibility of prosperity and success. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each...
.
Background
An early published version of the story, "Story of the Engine that Thought It Could", appeared in the New York TribuneNew York Tribune
The New York Tribune was an American newspaper, first established by Horace Greeley in 1841, which was long considered one of the leading newspapers in the United States...
, 8 April 1906, as part of a sermon by the Rev. Charles S. Wing.
A brief version of the tale appeared under the title Thinking One Can in 1906, in Wellspring for Young People, a Sunday school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
publication. This version reappeared in a 1910 publication by the Daughters of the American Revolution
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
.
The story then appeared under the name The Pony Engine in the Kindergarten Review in 1910, written by Mary C. Jacobs (1877–1970).
A version of the story appeared in the six-volume Bookhouse Books, which were copyrighted in the UK in 1920 and sold in the U.S. via door-to-door salespersons. Although this version contained no author attribution, it was edited by Olive B. Miller and published in Chicago. The Bookhouse version began, "Once there was a Train-of-Cars, and she was flying merrily across the country with a load of Christmas toys for the children who lived way over on the other side of the mountain."
In the 1941 Disney movie "Dumbo" the work train taking the circus animals to their destination pulls its cargo up a hill repeating the well known saying "I-Think-I-Can-I-Think-I-Can" and rolls down the hill saying "I-Thought-I-Could-I-Thought-I-Could"
The best known incarnation of the story The Little Engine That Could was written by "Watty Piper", a pen name of Arnold Munk, who was the owner of the publishing firm Platt & Munk. Arnold Munk was born in Hungary, and as a child, moved with his family to the United States, settling in Chicago. Later he moved to New York. Platt & Munk offices were at 200 Fifth Avenue till 1957 when Arnold Munk died. Arnold Munk, used the name Watty Piper as both an author of children's books and as the editor of many of the books that Platt & Munk published. He personally hired Lois Lenski to illustrate the book. This retelling of the tale The Pony Engine appeared in 1930. The first edition attributes Mabel C. Bragg as the originating author. However, Mabel C. Bragg, a school teacher in Boston, Massachusetts, never claimed to have originated the story.
In 1954, Platt & Munk published another version of The Little Engine That Could, with slightly revised language and new, more colorful illustrations by George and Doris Hauman
George and Doris Hauman
George and Doris Hauman were illustrators of children's books. They illustrated the 1961 edition of The Little Engine That Could....
. A 1976 rework featured art by Ruth Sanderson
Ruth Sanderson
Ruth Sanderson is an illustrator of many books for children and young adults.-Biography:Sanderson graduated from the Paier College of Art in Connecticut in 1974. Since then, she has illustrated many books for children and young adults...
.
Plot
In the tale, a long train must be pulled over a high mountain. Larger engines, treated anthropomorphically, are asked to pull the train; for various reasons they refuse. The request is sent to a small engine, who agrees to try. The engine succeeds in pulling the train over the mountain while repeating its motto: "I-think-I-can".The story of the little engine has been told and retold many times. The underlying theme is the same — a stranded train is unable to find an engine willing to take it on over difficult terrain to its destination. Only the little blue engine is willing to try and, while repeating the mantra "I think I can, I think I can," overcomes a seemingly impossible task.
An early version goes as follows:
A little railroad engine was employed about a station yard for such work as it was built for, pulling a few cars on and off the switches. One morning it was waiting for the next call when a long train of freight-cars asked a large engine in the roundhouse to take it over the hill. "I can't; that is too much a pull for me," said the great engine built for hard work. Then the train asked another engine, and another, only to hear excuses and be refused. In desperation, the train asked the little switch engine to draw it up the grade and down on the other side. "I think I can," puffed the little locomotive, and put itself in front of the great heavy train. As it went on the little engine kept bravely puffing faster and faster, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can."
As it neared the top of the grade, which had so discouraged the larger engines, it went more slowly. However, it still kept saying, "I--think--I--can, I--think--I--can." It reached the top by drawing on bravery and then went on down the grade, congratulating itself by saying, "I thought I could, I thought I could."
Versions
Later versions would revamp the story to have a more specific appeal for children — the stranded train is recast as a train of good food and anthropomorphic toys for the children across the mountain, thus in saving the train the little engine seems to be working for the benefit of the child reader, making the successful deed all the more triumphant.In these versions another character appeared and remained a key part of the story hereafter — the clown ringleader of the toys who attempts to find help with several locomotives but is rebuffed. The number of engines in the story also eventually became standard across the tellings: The happy locomotive on the toy train who breaks down and cannot go on, the pompous passenger engine who considers himself too grand for the task, the powerful freight engine who views himself as too important, and the elderly engine who lacks either the strength or determination to help the toys. The little blue engine always appears last and, although perhaps reluctant (some editions have the engine clarify her role as a switcher not suited for road-work), always rises to the occasion and saves the day for the children over the mountain.
Curiously, each engine is defined by its appearance or function and is not given a name or personality beyond its role on the railroad. It is only in the 1991 film adaption
The Little Engine That Could (film)
The Little Engine that Could is a 1991 animated film directed by Dave Edwards and co-produced by Edwards and Mike Young, animated at Kalato Animation in Wales and co-financed by Universal Studios through their MCA/Universal Home Video arm and S4C, Wales' dedicated Welsh-language channel. It was...
that the engines' personalities are expanded on, including the granting of names: Farnsworth (the express engine), Pete (the freight engine), Georgia (the friendly engine of the toy train), Jebediah (the elderly engine) and Tillie, the titular 'little engine that could'. The clown was also named 'Rollo' and a sixth engine character, 'Doc', appeared briefly to recover the broken-down Georgia and thus tie up the hanging story-thread of what happened to the failed engine of the toy train, which all other versions leave unaddressed.
The little engine is an anthropomorphic locomotive like Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
and Ivor the Engine
Ivor the Engine
Ivor the Engine is a British children's animation by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin's Smallfilms company. It is a children's television series relating the adventures of a small green locomotive who lived in the "top left-hand corner of Wales" and worked for The Merioneth and Llantisilly Railway...
, though she predates them.
Films
The tale with its easy-to-grasp moral has become a classic children's story and was adapted in 1991 as a 30-minute animated filmThe Little Engine That Could (film)
The Little Engine that Could is a 1991 animated film directed by Dave Edwards and co-produced by Edwards and Mike Young, animated at Kalato Animation in Wales and co-financed by Universal Studios through their MCA/Universal Home Video arm and S4C, Wales' dedicated Welsh-language channel. It was...
produced in Wales and co-financed in Wales and the United States. The film named the famous little engine "Tillie" and expanded the narrative into a larger story of self-discovery.
In March 2011, the story was adapted as a 3-D film named The Little Engine That Could
The Little Engine That Could (2011 film)
The Little Engine That Could is a 2011 CGI film based on the story by Watty Piper. The film was released direct to DVD in the United States on March 22, 2011.-Cast:...
, produced by Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
and featuring the voices of Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
, Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis is an American actress and author. Although she was initially known as a "scream queen" because of her starring roles in several horror films early in her career, such as Halloween, The Fog, Prom Night and Terror Train, Curtis has since compiled a body of work that spans many...
, Alyson Stoner
Alyson Stoner
Alyson Rae Stoner is an American actress, dancer and singer. Stoner is known for her roles in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody , Cheaper By The Dozen and Cheaper By The Dozen 2 , Step Up and Step Up 3 , and Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2...
, and Corbin Bleu
Corbin Bleu
Corbin Bleu Reivers , known professionally as Corbin Bleu, is an American actor, model, dancer, producer, and singer-songwriter. He performed in the High School Musical film series, the Discovery Kids drama series Flight 29 Down, and the Disney Channel Original Movie Jump In!...
.
"Little Engine" toys and Rail Tours
A full-size replica of the Little Engine That Could makes an annual circuit around the United States. Arranged through Rail Events, Inc., a number of tourist and museum railroad operations host the 'I Think I Can' Rail Tour. The replica was constructed in 2005 by the Strasburg Railroad. Strasburg also constructed the Thomas The Tank EngineThomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
replicas that tour throughout the United States.
American toy company Whittle Shortline
Whittle Shortline
- History :During the mid-1990s, former US Air Force pilot Mike Whitworth received a compound mitre saw as a gift from his wife, ostensibly for doing home improvement projects....
produces wooden toy train
Wooden toy train
Wooden toy trains are toy trains that run on a wooden track system with grooves to guide the wheels of the rolling stock. While the trains, tracks and scenery accessories are made mainly of wood, the engines and cars connect to each other using metal hooks or small magnets, and some use plastic...
s of The Little Engine That Could as a domestic alternative to Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
. Maxim Enterprise held the license prior to 2006. The toys have proven to be popular, with the recent (as of June 2007) announcement of Thomas the Tank Engine toys containing lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
. Many parents have expressed outrage at the news of the lead-tainted toys and have bought "Little Engine" toys as an alternative.
In popular culture
- International champion vintage motorcycle racer Todd Henning's motto was "I Think I Can, I Think I Can," and he named his racing team I Think I Can Racing after the book.
- The story was made into a song by Burl IvesBurl IvesBurl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was an American actor, writer and folk music singer. As an actor, Ives's work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theater, television, and motion pictures. Music critic John Rockwell said, "Ives's voice .....
, eliminating two of the engines who refuse to help the stuck train and ending with a more optimistic variation of the congratulatory mantra: "I knew I could." - The story was referenced extensively as a fictionalised or theoretical film pitch to illustrate the Hollywood system of meetings in the William GoldmanWilliam GoldmanWilliam Goldman is an American novelist, playwright, and Academy Award-winning screenwriter.-Early life and education:...
book Adventures in the Screen TradeAdventures in the Screen TradeAdventures in the Screen Trade is a book about Hollywood written in 1983 by American novelist and screenwriter William Goldman. The title is a parody of Dylan Thomas's Adventures in the Skin Trade.-Overview:The book is divided into three parts....
. - The story was read in MTV's Beavis and Butt-headBeavis and Butt-HeadBeavis and Butt-head is an American animated television series created by Mike Judge. The series originated from Frog Baseball, a 1992 short film by Judge. After seeing the short, MTV signed Judge to develop the concept. Beavis and Butt-head originally aired from March 8, 1993 to November 28, 1997...
when principal McVicker went into a psychiatric hospitalPsychiatric hospitalPsychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
and was reading part of the story. - The story was made into a skit on The Electric CompanyThe Electric CompanyThe Electric Company is an educational American children's television series that was produced by the Children's Television Workshop for PBS in the United States. PBS broadcast 780 episodes over the course of its six seasons from October 25, 1971 to April 15, 1977...
, with Hattie Winston narrating, "I think I can!" and portraying the engineer driving a train up a steep hill. The train makes it over and Hattie keeps repeating "I thought I could!" until the train ends up going right into a lake at the bottom of the hill. - The engine's chant of "I-think-I-can-I-think-I-can" was included in part of the train scene in DumboDumboDumbo is a 1941 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released on October 23, 1941, by RKO Radio Pictures.The fourth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, Dumbo is based upon the storyline written by Helen Aberson and illustrated by Harold Pearl for the prototype of a...
. - This book was chosen by "Jumpstart Read for the Record" to be read worldwide to tens of thousands of children on August 24, 2006.
- In the Watty Piper retelling, the engine that breaks down and Little Engine That Could are female, while all of the engines that refuse to help are male (this was the same in the 1991 movie).
- The Little Engine is based on the C. P. HuntingtonC. P. HuntingtonC. P. Huntington is a 4-2-4T steam locomotive currently on static display at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, California, USA. It is the first locomotive purchased by the Southern Pacific Railroad, carrying that railroad's number 1. The locomotive is named in honor of Collis P...
locomotive with a 4-2-4 wheel arrangement. - Shel SilversteinShel SilversteinSheldon Allan "Shel" Silverstein , was an American poet, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children's books. He styled himself as Uncle Shelby in his children's books...
wrote a poem called "The Little Blue Engine" that referenced this story, except in the end the engine almost reached the top of the hill but then very quickly slid back down and crashed on the rocks below. The poem ended with the memorable line "If the track is tough and the hill is rough, THINKING you can just ain't enough!" - Mickey's Young Readers Library had an adaptation titled GoofyGoofyGoofy is a cartoon character created in 1932 at Walt Disney Productions. Goofy is a tall, anthropomorphic dog, and typically wears a turtle neck and vest, with pants, shoes, white gloves, and a tall hat originally designed as a rumpled fedora. Goofy is a close friend of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck...
Goes to the Fair, in which Goofy's friends have to ride with him in his car Old Faithful, in the role of the engine, to the fair. - In The End, by Lemony SnicketLemony SnicketLemony Snicket is the pen name of American novelist Daniel Handler . Snicket is the author of several children's books, serving as the narrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events and appearing as a character within the series. Because of this, the name Lemony Snicket may refer to both a fictional...
, the Little Engine That Could is mentioned, described as "one of the most tedious stories on Earth". - One comic of The Far SideThe Far SideThe Far Side is a popular single-panel comic created by Gary Larson and syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate, which ran from January 1, 1980, to January 1, 1995. Its surrealistic humor is often based on uncomfortable social situations, improbable events, an anthropomorphic view of the world,...
features a down-on-his-luck Little Engine sitting at the side of a building with a sign that reads "I thought I could, I thought I could." - The Little Engine that Could was mentioned in the 1993 film adaption of Dennis the MenaceDennis the Menace (film)Dennis the Menace is a 1993 live-action American family film based on the Hank Ketcham comic strip of the same name....
. - The song "C'mon 'n' Ride It (The Train)" by Quad City DJs includes the famous lines "I think I can, I think I can."
- The first episode of the third seasonSeasonA season is a division of the year, marked by changes in weather, ecology, and hours of daylight.Seasons result from the yearly revolution of the Earth around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to the plane of revolution...
of FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
's sit-com Married... With ChildrenMarried... with ChildrenMarried... with Children is an American surrealistic sitcom that aired for 11 seasons that featured a dysfunctional family living in Chicago, Illinois. The show, notable for being the first prime time television series to air on Fox, ran from April 5, 1987, to June 9, 1997. The series was created...
, "He Thought He Could", Al BundyAl BundyAl Bundy is a fictional character from the U.S. television series Married... with Children. He was played by Ed O'Neill.-Character history:...
has forgotten to return the bookBookA book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
to the library for 21 years. - In the comedy movie Major PayneMajor PayneMajor Payne is a 1995 comedy film, starring Damon Wayans. The film is a loose remake of the 1955 film The Private War of Major Benson, starring Charlton Heston....
, the title character tells an incarnation of what starts out as what seems like a legit version of the story, then into a particularly gory version of one of his war stories, to his youngest cadet. - In a commercial for Jolly Ranchers, the Little Engine That Could is seen in the background climbing the mountain. However, just before he reaches the top, the woman in the foreground eats an apple Jolly Rancher, causing a large apple to appear on top of the mountain, preventing the engine from reaching the top, causing him to slide back down the track.
- President Clinton mentioned the book at his speech to the DNC in 1996.
- In the Hey Arnold!Hey Arnold!Hey Arnold! is an American animated television series created by Craig Bartlett for Nickelodeon. The show's premise focuses on a fourth grader named Arnold who lives with his grandparents. Episodes center on his experiences navigating big city life while dealing with the problems he and his friends...
episode "Stoop Kid", the book is used an inspiration for the character Stoop Kid. - The story was made into a song by John DenverJohn DenverHenry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success...
with the title of the same name. It was featured on his final album All Aboard!All Aboard! (John Denver album)All Aboard! is the 24th and final album by American singer-songwriter John Denver released in August 1997.The album consists of old fashioned swing, big band, folk, bluegrass and gospel styles of music woven into a theme of railroad songs...
. - Captain KangarooCaptain KangarooCaptain Kangaroo is a children's television series which aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for nearly 30 years, from October 3, 1955 until December 8, 1984, making it the longest-running children's television program of its day...
, played by Bob Keeshan, read this story on his TV show. - In an episode of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, a book named "The Little Engineer that Could" is read, a reference to the title of this book.
- In the "Bedtime Stories" episode of season one of the UK TV series The Book GroupThe Book GroupThe Book Group is a comedy drama that aired on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom between 2002 and 2003, and ran for two series. It was written and directed by the American-born Glasgow resident Annie Griffin, who also wrote and directed Festival...
, the book the group read was The Little Engine that Could - In an episode of Ned's Declassified School Survival GuideNed's Declassified School Survival GuideNed's Declassified School Survival Guide, commonly called Ned's Declassified for short, is an American live-action situation comedy on Nickelodeon that debuted in the channel's Sunday night TEENick scheduling block on September 12, 2004. The series' actual pilot episode aired on September 7, 2003...
, Ned finds Gordy reading the book in the school library. - West End and Broadway musical Starlight ExpressStarlight ExpressStarlight Express is a rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber , Richard Stilgoe and Arlene Phillips , with later revisions by Don Black and David Yazbek . The story follows a child's dream in which his toy train set comes to life; famously the actors perform wearing roller skates...
was loosely based on the book. - In the seventh episode of the first season of The Big Bang Theory, "The Dumpling Paradox," Christy tells Howard: "There's my little engine that could" to which he replies "Chugga-chugga-chugga..." and Sheldon says: "There's another beloved children's book I can never read again."
- Former Syracuse UniversitySyracuse UniversitySyracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
football head coach Greg RobinsonGreg Robinson-External links:**-References:...
directly quoted this WikipediaWikipediaWikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
page in his farewell speech in December 2008. - The explanation of the internals of regexes in Perl in The Camel bookProgramming PerlProgramming Perl, ISBN 0-596-00027-8,best known as the Camel Book among programmers, is a book and ebook about writing programs using the Perl programming language, revised as several editions to reflect major language changes since Perl version 4. Editions have been co-written by the creator of...
is titled 'The little engine that /Could(n\'t)?/'. - In the Barney & FriendsBarney & FriendsBarney and Friends, also referred to by HiT Entertainment as Barney the Friendly Dinosaur, is an independent children's television show produced in the United States, aimed at children from ages 1-8...
episode "Who's Who On the Choo-Choo?" Stella the Storyteller recites The Little Engine That Could. - In an episode of Family TiesFamily TiesFamily Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s. This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young...
, two people read The Little Engine That Could. - In a HallmarkHallmark CardsHallmark Cards is a privately owned American company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 by Joyce C. Hall, Hallmark is the largest manufacturer of greeting cards in the United States. In 1985, the company was awarded the National Medal of Arts....
commercial, they read The Little Engine That Could. When they see a Hallmark card, they stop reading the book and mom reads the card. - In a J. Cole song, Who DatWho Dat (J. Cole song)"Who Dat" is a song by American rapper and hip hop artist J. Cole. Originally meant to be the lead single off Cole's debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, the song was thought not to have made the final cut due to the song being released sixteen months prior to the album's release and its...
, J. Cole mentions the book by saying 'The little engine that could, this little nigga is good'.