“It's mighty tall-tale telling, just waitin' for a teller and a passel of kids.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“Austin's sepia-toned acrylics amplify the energy, drama and hyperbolic humor of Crunk's rollickin', rail-ridin' romp...Kids will eagerly climb aboard for repeat rides.” ―Publishers Weekly

“Crunk's original tall tale gets a big boost from Austin's unusual and exuberant illustrations... An effective match of illustrations with a high-spirited story.” ―Booklist

“The text moves along at a rollicking clip and has a true tall-tale tone.” ―School Library Journal

“...Tony Crunk has written quite an outlandish and hilarious adventure. He uses very colorful colloquial English which provides many opportunities for the reader to ham it up and use a southern drawl. Railroad John and the Red Rock Run was a hit in our home from the first time it was read and a year later it is still in frequent rotation... The sepia toned illustrations of Michael Austin resemble old photographs and are truly a joy to view. The two last pages of the book provide even more of a treat, but you will have to read Railroad John and the Red Rock Run to find out what they are.” ―Excellent Kids Books blog

“...It's whirlwind ride, a hair-raising adventure, with colorful names and incredible escapes. The illustrations have a vintage, old movie feel that only helps create the atmosphere necessary for a convincing tall tale. Which is to say: quite my kind of story!” ―A Words Worth blog