Read more
Bluebonnet, the traveling Texas armadillo, arrives in the Marshall, Texas, town square early one morning. She sees the beautiful lights from Marshall's "Wonderland of Lights" festival, but it is not the festival that Bluebonnet has come to see. Her curiosity has brought her to Marshall in search of the historic Marshall Train Depot, for she wants to learn all about trains and the history of the depot.
Just as Bluebonnet starts to wonder how to get to the depot, she meets T. P., a local cat who is named for the Texas & Pacific Railroad. Because he works for the railroad by ridding the depot of mice, T. P. offers to take Bluebonnet on a tour, and she gladly accepts.
Together, Bluebonnet and T. P. experience the excitement of steam engines, the history of the depot, the Ginocchio Hotel, and the recently completed restoration of the depot. A playful friendship develops between them, which ultimately takes them on their very first train ride.
Mary Brooke Casad, a native of Louisiana and resident of Texas, has written several books in the Bluebonnet series, including Bluebonnet at the Johnson Space Center, Bluebonnet at the Texas State Capitol, and Bluebonnet at Dinosaur Valley State Park, all of which are published by Pelican. Mrs. Casad received a bachelor's degree in journalism from Southern Methodist University and studied at Harlaxton College in Grantham, England. She frequently speaks in elementary schools, where she and her armadillo puppet encourage children to continue their reading and writing pursuits.
Illustrator Benjamin Vincent, a resident of Texas, is past president of the Dallas Society of Illustrators.
About the author
Mary Brooke Casad is a Louisiana native and a resident of McKinney, Texas. She received a BA in journalism from Southern Methodist University and is the author of Pelican's Bluebonnet at Dinosaur Valley State Park, Bluebonnet at Johnson Space Center, Bluebonnet at the East Texas Oil Museum, Bluebonnet at the Marshall Train Depot, Bluebonnet at the State Fair of Texas, and Bluebonnet at the Texas State Capitol. Casad created Bluebonnet, the well-traveled armadillo, to teach Texas children about their rich local history.
