Terrify Your Kids with Stephen King’s New Kids’ Book

home insemination Kit

By: Jamie Carter
Updated: Oct. 28, 2016

Stephen King has released a new children’s book, and it’s sure to give your little ones a good scare! Introducing Charlie the Choo Choo, a story about a talking train that’s not your typical bedtime tale.

Let’s be honest, parents—are you enjoying too many peaceful nights? Looking to spice up those 3:00 AM wake-up calls with a little fright? And is your child’s obsession with Thomas the Train getting a tad too much? Fear not! The king of horror himself has got you covered with this spine-tingling read.

Written under the alias Beryl Evans, Charlie the Choo Choo follows the tale of an unsettling little engine named Charlie, who sports a strange grin and unsettling eyes. He’s best buds with his conductor, Engineer Bob. But things take a dark turn when Bob’s boss, Mr. Briggs, decides it’s time for Charlie to retire—leaving him to rust in the train yard, contemplating his fate. Perfect for a bedtime story, right? “Goodnight, kids! Just remember, we all end up like Charlie one day—old, lonely, and dead!”

Amazon claims the book is suitable for ages 4-8 and grades preschool to 3rd. But, honestly, we might need to rethink that. King penned this tale as part of a promotion for the upcoming Dark Tower movie, which is based on his series of books and set to release in February. And yes, it stars Idris Elba, so you know it’s going to be a hit.

In the third installment of the Dark Tower series, The Waste Lands, a boy named Jake stumbles upon Charlie the Choo Choo in a bookstore. As he gazes at the cover, Jake feels an unsettling vibe from Charlie: “You look happy, but I think that’s just the mask you wear. I don’t think you’re happy at all.” Yikes! Nothing like a little existential dread to keep the kids up at night.

To recap: King has crafted a real children’s book based on a fictional one from his own story, where the child reading it suspects that the train harbors sinister intentions. The actual book releases on November 22nd and isn’t necessarily “scary,” but let’s face it—would you let that train babysit your kids? While it’s touted as a story of friendship and hard work, it also features a train whose favorite lyrics include, “I guess that I’ll just sit right here, until I finally die.” Wow, right?

Charlie the Choo Choo is likely best for adventurous kids who laugh in the face of danger and adults who are fans of the Dark Tower series. Personally, while we adore Stephen King, we’re not sure we can handle that book cover in our home. Between Charlie’s unsettling smile, which looks like he just tossed Thomas the Train off a cliff, and the terrified children in the caboose, we might just be too squeamish for this one. But hey, it could be a fun collector’s item for those eagerly awaiting Idris Elba’s Dark Tower… we mean, just plain Dark Tower!

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Summary

Stephen King’s Charlie the Choo Choo is a new children’s book featuring a creepy train that might be better suited for adult fans of horror than for kids. While it’s marketed for ages 4-8, the unsettling themes and Charlie’s eerie smile could make it more frightening than fun for young readers.