home

The Sleeper Train

Baljinder Kaur

Walker (3+) 9781529516494 (Hardback)

Download reading resources pack

Please consult our group leader information for guidance on taking part in shadowing.

The colours, diverse characters and commotion of a family journey on a night train are vividly brought to life in this vibrant tale.  Every character has a distinct identity and facial expressions.  The illustrations draw on rich cultural elements and challenge stereotypes.  The colour palette adds a sense of warmth and continuity to this tale of an exciting journey! 

Themes:

  • Family
  • Journeys
  • Culture
  • Nighttime
  • Excitement

Illustrator Interview

Shadowers’ Challenge

Submit Review

Please complete the form below and click 'submit' to send your review to your Shadowing Group Leader.

Your review will be submitted to your Group Leader for approval before it is published on the Carnegie website. It will be published with your first name and the name of your shadowing group on a public webpage.

Submit Artwork

Please complete the form below and click 'submit' to send your artwork to your Shadowing Group Leader.

[Please note files must be uploaded as jpg, png or gif and must be less than 5Mb]

Your artwork will be submitted to your Group Leader for approval before it is published on the Carnegie website. It will be published with your first name and the name of your shadowing group on a public webpage.

Baljinder Kaur

Baljinder Kaur is an illustrator living in the midlands. She graduated from the Cambridge School of Art with a Masters degree in Children’s Book Illustration and, in 2022, was awarded the CSACBI Illustration for Older Fiction Prize. Her work intimately reflects through the lens of a Panjabi and Sikh diaspora existence. You can find her online at baljinderkaur.com and on Instagram as @blahjinder.

Shadowers' reviews and artwork

I liked it when the little girl dreamed of all the places she had bean before. I LOVED THE BOOOOOOOOOOOK, IT WAS AMASING BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Matilda

DA Gladiators

I liked it when the little girl dreamed of all the places she been to

Orla

DA Gladiators

We collectively gave it approximately 8.5/10. We liked the selection of colours and the unusual patterns on each page. As a group, we tried to make Rangoli patterns using felt pens and pipe cleaners to emulate the patterns in the book. We also loved spotting the pink owl on each page and the different places the family went or the little girl slept. The flowers and plants along the bottom of some of the pages were interesting too!

Katie

The St James Shadowers

The book is about a little girl who can't sleep on a train. The book is quite soothing and calm like a bedtime story and it makes you feel like your inside the book. I would recommend this book to people that like calm, short books. My favourite character was the little girl because she kept persevering to get to sleep.

Sophia

DA Gladiators

I really like the colourful illustrations, but I think the book was for children younger than us. I also think that it was really fun when you had to spot the pink owl.

A,B,C

Wormies2026

I really liked the illustrations especially the feature where you could find the owl

Aarush

Wormies2026

It is a book for young kids about going on a sleeper train.

netanel

Belsize Stories

This book I think is an alright book, its got lovely pictures. I loved the page where the main character was wondering if any other child was awake, and there was a house next to the train with a child peeking out! It was quite funny and I'm glad to have noticed it, some of the illustrations are a little bit, all over the place. But i think it makes it feel really alive. Would maybe not recommend to older ages, as its a picture book and quite short. But its a great bedtime story as it talks a lot about sleeping.

Lucie

LomondSchoolHelensburgh