The Taieri Gorge Railway is running a train from Dunedin Railway Station to Port Chalmers where the young passengers will be greeted by a stellar line-up of children's authors at Port Chalmers Library.
The Children's Room Story-Time Train journey is part of the Dunedin Writers' and Readers' Festival (May 8-11).
Festival trustee and University Book Shop general manager Phillippa Duffy said the train would depart Dunedin Railway Station at 8.45am on Saturday, and the ride along the west harbour would be filled with entertainment from musicians Kat Anna Fiddle.
After the train arrived at Port Chalmers, national and international award-winning children's writers and illustrators Kyle Mewburn, Robyn Belton, Diana Noonan and David Elliot would run story reading sessions and short writing and illustration workshops at the library for children aged 5-10.
The train would return to Dunedin at 11.30am, she said.
The event aims to encourage participation in the festival from younger readers and writers.
For adults, the four-day Dunedin Writers' and Readers' Festival boasts an impressive line-up of authors, including Man Booker Prize-winner Eleanor Catton, Alexander McCall Smith, Janice Galloway, Nigel Leask, Kate De Goldi, Elizabeth Knox, New Zealand poet laureate Vincent O'Sullivan, 2009-11 poet laureate Cilla McQueen and 2014 Robert Burns Fellow Majella Cullinane.
