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Railway Series #2
Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas is a fussy, cheeky little tank engine whom we meet here for the first time. He proves to be such a Really Useful Engine that he is given a Branch Line all to himself.
64 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1946
18 people are currently reading
293 people want to read
About the author
W. Awdry
1,114 books109 followersWilbert Vere Awdry, OBE, better known as the Rev. W. Awdry, was an English clergyman, railway enthusiast and children's author, and creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, who starred in Awdry's acclaimed Railway Series.
The characters that would make Awdry famous, and the first stories featuring them, were invented in 1943 to amuse his son Christopher during a bout of measles. The first book (The Three Railway Engines) was published in 1945, and by the time Awdry stopped writing in 1972, The Railway Series numbered 26 books. Christopher subsequently added further books to the series.
The characters that would make Awdry famous, and the first stories featuring them, were invented in 1943 to amuse his son Christopher during a bout of measles. The first book (The Three Railway Engines) was published in 1945, and by the time Awdry stopped writing in 1972, The Railway Series numbered 26 books. Christopher subsequently added further books to the series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
June 11, 2021
I too was also suprised to find that Thomas's debut was in the second of The Railway Series books - I guess that's the impact that adaptations have on people.
I grew up loving the show with included his name in the title, even the very first episode being the opening story in this instalment.
The others also had an individual episodes early on in the series.
There's a delightfully cheeky and fun side to Thomas which immediately appeals and explains why his the primary character for the series.
We see this straight away in his fun jibes at Gordon, though the big engine is smart enough to put Thomas in his place.
The Tank Engine knows when not to push it and soon shows respect for the wiser engine.
Thomas also shows how dependable and caring side as soon comes to James need in the final story.
I don't think the four tales are as strong unlike the first book, though the character is so beloved that it just needed to be included in the 1001 Children's Books list.
I grew up loving the show with included his name in the title, even the very first episode being the opening story in this instalment.
The others also had an individual episodes early on in the series.
There's a delightfully cheeky and fun side to Thomas which immediately appeals and explains why his the primary character for the series.
We see this straight away in his fun jibes at Gordon, though the big engine is smart enough to put Thomas in his place.
The Tank Engine knows when not to push it and soon shows respect for the wiser engine.
Thomas also shows how dependable and caring side as soon comes to James need in the final story.
I don't think the four tales are as strong unlike the first book, though the character is so beloved that it just needed to be included in the 1001 Children's Books list.
Want to read
January 21, 2020Text to Text connection
In my opinion there are so many similarities in this book and Winnie the pooh. The author takes you along for their journey, where they met friends along the way. Friends giving a hand moral to each story , they're authors have made the chose to continue on with their books being a series. Thankfully giving the reader somewhere new to go with every book that they read.
In my opinion there are so many similarities in this book and Winnie the pooh. The author takes you along for their journey, where they met friends along the way. Friends giving a hand moral to each story , they're authors have made the chose to continue on with their books being a series. Thankfully giving the reader somewhere new to go with every book that they read.
January 7, 2021
The Railway Series book 2 and Thomas arrives, and surprisingly or not surprisingly, depending on your opinion of this tank engine, he is a bit of a muppet.
In fact he is quite painful for the most part, but the stories are again engaging and this series, with the better name The Railway Series is a great creation by Rev Awdry.
Good train fun!!
In fact he is quite painful for the most part, but the stories are again engaging and this series, with the better name The Railway Series is a great creation by Rev Awdry.
Good train fun!!
November 7, 2021
Believe it or not, Thomas was not introduced until the second book and was not the main character of The Railway Series. Despite being most well-known character, Thomas would not become the centrepiece of the franchise until the 1984 television series aptly titled “Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends”. It’s been 75 years since the blue tank engine made his debut and the franchise is in an absolutely dire state with the current “All Engines Go!” reboot which is funny to think about considering that they already nailed things back in 1946.
Like “The Three Railway Engines”, this book consists of four stories, all revolving around the titular character Thomas the Tank Engine. The first story “Thomas and Gordon” is another iconic one, being the first episode of the television series. It establishes a very important element of The Railway Series - continuity. Events from the previous book often carry into the next one. In this case, Gordon from the first book returns in this one, sharing the spotlight with Thomas. This story makes it quite evident who Thomas is - an asshole. Thomas is the definition of a dickhead who is totally self-absorbed and thinks he’s better than everyone. That may not sound like a very likeable character but what makes these characters so compelling is their interactions with other characters. Thomas may be an impulsive asshole in the first three stories but he always gets his comeuppance and when paired with Gordon, makes for a fun dynamic. One of the my favorite aspects of the Railway Series and the first five seasons of the television series is the fact that the engines don’t always get along and often bicker, it makes them feel like real people and not as though they exist in a utopia where everybody plays with each other and gets along (i.e. All Engines Go!). In the first story, Thomas learns not to mess with Gordon who does not hesitate to get back at Thomas after he screws with him. This is another example of a ‘karma’ story that “Edward and Gordon” established in the first book.
The second story “Thomas’ Train” is probably the weakest one of the bunch. There is some interesting foreshadowing with Henry’s illness but there’s not much to this one. I’m not the biggest fan of the ambiguity surrounding the conflict, it’s unclear whether Thomas is to blame for leaving the train behind as it is never specified so it’s hard to label this story as a significant part of Thomas’ arc. This is something that the 1984 television adaptation is also guilty of but I feel this story was done significantly better in 2015’s “The Adventure Begins” which makes it clear that Thomas was at fault for leaving the train behind and ties it in with the other three stories in a more cohesive manner. The original story also has a notable lack of character interaction which is something the other three stories do quite well.
The third story “Thomas and the Trucks” is one of my favourites, at least in the television series. Edward is reintroduced here and we see an interesting dynamic between him and Thomas, with Edward being the only one who shows any sympathy towards him. We also get a better idea of who Edward is, he’s more understanding compared to the other engines and way more humble, agreeing to swap jobs with Thomas to fulfil his wishes of ‘seeing the world’ which is fitting seeing as he was in a similar position in “Edward’s Day Out”. We also get a better idea of who Thomas is; he’s a genuinely hard-worker who feels under-appreciated by the others who constantly undermine him and desires to see the world beyond his confines at Vicarstown Yard. Thomas still faces consequences at the end of the story but it’s easier to feel sympathetic for him now that we have a better idea of his motivations.
“Thomas and the Breakdown Train” ties everything neatly together. By this point, Thomas is less of a smartass and is more humble and mature than in the first three stories. We are also introduced to the main character of the next book - James the Red Engine (although he’s painted black in this story). We see the fruits of Thomas’ labour after James details and Thomas quickly comes to his rescue, there’s a neat callback to “Thomas’ Train” here that really highlights Thomas’ development. At the end, Thomas is rewarded with a branch line, putting a neat bow on his arc. One aspect that I like about his book is that every story has an impact on Thomas’ arc that comes full circle in the final one. By the end of “Thomas and the Breakdown Train”, he has gained the respect of the other engines including Gordon, he now has sufficient experience in handling trains and in shunting and now has a whole section of ‘the world’ at his disposal. It brings things to a nice close and makes the whole book feel very cohesive, something that Awdry excelled at.
On the topic of the last story, this is one of the few stories I believe was actually improved upon in “The Adventure Begins”. In the original story, Thomas merely watches James go by and only acts after hearing about his derailment whereas in “The Adventure Begins”, he immediately rushes off and attempts to stop James even before he crashes. It aligns with Thomas’ somewhat impulsive nature but still highlighting his progression from a selfish prick to more humble guy. However, this highlights an issue with “The Adventure Begins” and its interpretation of the original stories. I stated before how Thomas is self-centred and impatient which he learns to overcome throughout. From a purely story perspective, the 2015 special is superior to the original 1946 book, providing a far more cohesive narrative and expanding upon elements such as Edward being a mentor figure for Thomas, which is only really present for one page of the original book and even incorporating obscure lore from the IOS book but misses the mark on characterisation. “The Adventure Begins” portrays Thomas as a wide-eyed and excitable child-like character who simply needs to be more patient but I feel this misses the point of his arc in which Thomas learns to be less self-absorbed and adopts a more humble attitude which finally grants him access to his dream. It highlights how well Awdry understood his characters in a way that nobody else could quite capture.
In my eyes, “The Three Railway Engines” walked so “Thomas the Tank Engine” could run. This is where I feel the Railway Series really got its start and Awdry was finding his footing, despite a few rough edges. These four stories serve as the basis for what the rest of the series as well as the television series would follow and it’s clear why, there’s a very clear method of storytelling applied through all four stories that manages to be simple and effective for readers of all ages. It’s clear why Thomas would go on to be the central character as it was his book that really got things going.
Individual Story Ratings:
• Thomas and Gordon (3/5)
• Thomas’ Train (3/5)
• Thomas and the Trucks (4/5)
• Thomas and the Breakdown Train (4/5)
Like “The Three Railway Engines”, this book consists of four stories, all revolving around the titular character Thomas the Tank Engine. The first story “Thomas and Gordon” is another iconic one, being the first episode of the television series. It establishes a very important element of The Railway Series - continuity. Events from the previous book often carry into the next one. In this case, Gordon from the first book returns in this one, sharing the spotlight with Thomas. This story makes it quite evident who Thomas is - an asshole. Thomas is the definition of a dickhead who is totally self-absorbed and thinks he’s better than everyone. That may not sound like a very likeable character but what makes these characters so compelling is their interactions with other characters. Thomas may be an impulsive asshole in the first three stories but he always gets his comeuppance and when paired with Gordon, makes for a fun dynamic. One of the my favorite aspects of the Railway Series and the first five seasons of the television series is the fact that the engines don’t always get along and often bicker, it makes them feel like real people and not as though they exist in a utopia where everybody plays with each other and gets along (i.e. All Engines Go!). In the first story, Thomas learns not to mess with Gordon who does not hesitate to get back at Thomas after he screws with him. This is another example of a ‘karma’ story that “Edward and Gordon” established in the first book.
The second story “Thomas’ Train” is probably the weakest one of the bunch. There is some interesting foreshadowing with Henry’s illness but there’s not much to this one. I’m not the biggest fan of the ambiguity surrounding the conflict, it’s unclear whether Thomas is to blame for leaving the train behind as it is never specified so it’s hard to label this story as a significant part of Thomas’ arc. This is something that the 1984 television adaptation is also guilty of but I feel this story was done significantly better in 2015’s “The Adventure Begins” which makes it clear that Thomas was at fault for leaving the train behind and ties it in with the other three stories in a more cohesive manner. The original story also has a notable lack of character interaction which is something the other three stories do quite well.
The third story “Thomas and the Trucks” is one of my favourites, at least in the television series. Edward is reintroduced here and we see an interesting dynamic between him and Thomas, with Edward being the only one who shows any sympathy towards him. We also get a better idea of who Edward is, he’s more understanding compared to the other engines and way more humble, agreeing to swap jobs with Thomas to fulfil his wishes of ‘seeing the world’ which is fitting seeing as he was in a similar position in “Edward’s Day Out”. We also get a better idea of who Thomas is; he’s a genuinely hard-worker who feels under-appreciated by the others who constantly undermine him and desires to see the world beyond his confines at Vicarstown Yard. Thomas still faces consequences at the end of the story but it’s easier to feel sympathetic for him now that we have a better idea of his motivations.
“Thomas and the Breakdown Train” ties everything neatly together. By this point, Thomas is less of a smartass and is more humble and mature than in the first three stories. We are also introduced to the main character of the next book - James the Red Engine (although he’s painted black in this story). We see the fruits of Thomas’ labour after James details and Thomas quickly comes to his rescue, there’s a neat callback to “Thomas’ Train” here that really highlights Thomas’ development. At the end, Thomas is rewarded with a branch line, putting a neat bow on his arc. One aspect that I like about his book is that every story has an impact on Thomas’ arc that comes full circle in the final one. By the end of “Thomas and the Breakdown Train”, he has gained the respect of the other engines including Gordon, he now has sufficient experience in handling trains and in shunting and now has a whole section of ‘the world’ at his disposal. It brings things to a nice close and makes the whole book feel very cohesive, something that Awdry excelled at.
On the topic of the last story, this is one of the few stories I believe was actually improved upon in “The Adventure Begins”. In the original story, Thomas merely watches James go by and only acts after hearing about his derailment whereas in “The Adventure Begins”, he immediately rushes off and attempts to stop James even before he crashes. It aligns with Thomas’ somewhat impulsive nature but still highlighting his progression from a selfish prick to more humble guy. However, this highlights an issue with “The Adventure Begins” and its interpretation of the original stories. I stated before how Thomas is self-centred and impatient which he learns to overcome throughout. From a purely story perspective, the 2015 special is superior to the original 1946 book, providing a far more cohesive narrative and expanding upon elements such as Edward being a mentor figure for Thomas, which is only really present for one page of the original book and even incorporating obscure lore from the IOS book but misses the mark on characterisation. “The Adventure Begins” portrays Thomas as a wide-eyed and excitable child-like character who simply needs to be more patient but I feel this misses the point of his arc in which Thomas learns to be less self-absorbed and adopts a more humble attitude which finally grants him access to his dream. It highlights how well Awdry understood his characters in a way that nobody else could quite capture.
In my eyes, “The Three Railway Engines” walked so “Thomas the Tank Engine” could run. This is where I feel the Railway Series really got its start and Awdry was finding his footing, despite a few rough edges. These four stories serve as the basis for what the rest of the series as well as the television series would follow and it’s clear why, there’s a very clear method of storytelling applied through all four stories that manages to be simple and effective for readers of all ages. It’s clear why Thomas would go on to be the central character as it was his book that really got things going.
Individual Story Ratings:
• Thomas and Gordon (3/5)
• Thomas’ Train (3/5)
• Thomas and the Trucks (4/5)
• Thomas and the Breakdown Train (4/5)
June 23, 2018
70 Years Young
I grew up with "The Railway Stories" long before the pictures were "improved" by re-creating them on computers. They are some of my fondest memories, first listening to my dad read them, or putting the Johnny Morris vinyl l.p.s on the record player, then learning to read by reading them!
My son is due in 9 weeks, and I'm so glad to have found this series with the original pictures on kindle. I'll be buying him the hardcover books too, but having them in a format he can see until he can read without tearing the pages apart is a huge advantage!
I grew up with "The Railway Stories" long before the pictures were "improved" by re-creating them on computers. They are some of my fondest memories, first listening to my dad read them, or putting the Johnny Morris vinyl l.p.s on the record player, then learning to read by reading them!
My son is due in 9 weeks, and I'm so glad to have found this series with the original pictures on kindle. I'll be buying him the hardcover books too, but having them in a format he can see until he can read without tearing the pages apart is a huge advantage!
July 18, 2017
I love this book mainly for the illustrations. Thomas is a naught Engine, but is playfully young. The stories are simple and have a lesson to be learned in each.
What makes this edition so wonderful though is the interesting introduction in this 70th anniversary edition. It's a wonderful collectors item for any train lover (or big little kid).
What makes this edition so wonderful though is the interesting introduction in this 70th anniversary edition. It's a wonderful collectors item for any train lover (or big little kid).
November 21, 2021
Thomas The Tank Engine was my favorite train when I was little. I enjoyed his adventures from watching video cassettes, but I never touched on the books that inspired the tv show. This was another fiction children’s book by Wilbert Adwry who dedicated this book to his son Christopher. Reginald Payne was the illustrator for the first edition of this book in 1946 while C. Reginald Darby illustrated it in 1950. This book contains four stories all focusing on Thomas. Thomas and Gordon introduce Thomas, who likes to tease Gordon daily. Gordon hatches a plan to trick Thomas by having him coupled to his train making him feel exhausted. This story gives the reader a proper introduction to Thomas as he is a cheeky little engine who likes to tease other engines. He annoys Gordan a lot which motivates him to give Thomas some hard work. After being on a high-speed journey on the railway Thomas decides not to tease Gordan anymore. In Thomas’ Train Thomas gets a chance to pull coaches after Henry is ill. But Thomas gets too excited about his job he left the coaches behind. Thomas and the Trucks show another story of Thomas being careless but this one leaves him almost in danger. Thomas is tired of shunting coaches and Edward offers Thomas his job for pulling freight cars. Edward also warns of the troublesome trucks, but Thomas was too excited to listen, and the trucks made Thomas run very fast. Thomas and the Breakdown Train gives Thomas a redeemable story where he uses the breakdown train to rescue an engine named James who had bad breaks and crashed into a field. After rescuing James, Sir Topham Hatt rewords Thomas with his branch line and coaches. All 4 stories give out simple narratives and detailed illustrations to explore Thomas’ character and the lessons he goes through. Thomas is a small and cheeky engine who ends up causing trouble thanks to teasing engines and not being careful in situations. He at least learns from the mistakes he makes and does help other engines like doing Edward’s job shunting trucks and saving James with the breakdown train. If I was teaching this book in a class, I’d probably recommend this to Preschoolers and kindergarteners. Kids could learn themes of learning from mistakes, actions having consequences, and helping by reading these books. Overall I give the book a 4.5 as it is another simple story of Thomas’s adventures but I liked how Thomas gets his experience from the mistakes he makes and learns from them to be a really useful engine.
November 18, 2019
Sebuah buku yang merupakan terbitan ulang dari kisah awal Thomas the Tank Engine yang diterbitkan tahun 1945.. merupakan suatu selebrasi perayaan 70th untuk kisah ini atau mungkin lebih tepatnya awal kisah railway series, diterbitkan dengan ilustrasi awalnya.
Saya sendiri memiliki pengalaman yang cukup unik dengan Thomas.. tapi berbeda dengan kebanyakan, pengalaman saya sebagai orang dewasa.. Jadi mengenal Thomas dari film2 yang ditonton keponakan saya.. awalnya (seperti biasa) saya tidak pernah pro dengan segala sesuatu yang mainstream, apalagi di dunia anak2. Dan Thomas adalah salah satu hal mainstream di dunia anak pada saat itu. Boleh dibilang saya ini tipe old people with bad attitude :D tapi entah bagaimana I just fell in love with this railway series.. tentu setelah rasanya sejuta kali menonton tanpa sengaja (sambil bekerja sambil jaga keponakan, otomatis nonton.. wkwkwk).
Tapi saya merekomendasikan bacaan Thomas ataupun filmnya untuk kanak2.. karena memang bagus, siapa sih nggak suka kereta api ;)
Saya sendiri memiliki pengalaman yang cukup unik dengan Thomas.. tapi berbeda dengan kebanyakan, pengalaman saya sebagai orang dewasa.. Jadi mengenal Thomas dari film2 yang ditonton keponakan saya.. awalnya (seperti biasa) saya tidak pernah pro dengan segala sesuatu yang mainstream, apalagi di dunia anak2. Dan Thomas adalah salah satu hal mainstream di dunia anak pada saat itu. Boleh dibilang saya ini tipe old people with bad attitude :D tapi entah bagaimana I just fell in love with this railway series.. tentu setelah rasanya sejuta kali menonton tanpa sengaja (sambil bekerja sambil jaga keponakan, otomatis nonton.. wkwkwk).
Tapi saya merekomendasikan bacaan Thomas ataupun filmnya untuk kanak2.. karena memang bagus, siapa sih nggak suka kereta api ;)
December 29, 2021
I’m actually kind of impressed here! I initially revisited these expecting some harmless fun and child wonder, but it’s clear from this book alone that W. Awdry has actually written some legitimate character arcs and compelling stories with great life lessons. It is very short (they all seem to be), but just short enough that a child could probably be provoked and I, an adult now who grew up on Thomas the Tank Engine, am surprised and very satisfied! Great good and a very good story.
Was anyone else surprised Thomas wasn’t actually introduced in the first book? I certainly was!
Was anyone else surprised Thomas wasn’t actually introduced in the first book? I certainly was!
January 1, 2023
Ah yes the second 2 book the feature one of the most iconic characters in children’s literature and an icon for the uk it pretty interesting that he debut in The Railway Series second book. I like how his character progresses as I keep reading. He start of as cheeky and much of a jerk and now he’s growth and experience and after chances and trying and by last story we’re he saved a runway James he got branch line with two coaches. I quite a sucker for character arcs. Now the book maybe overused but it’s that’s okay he’s no Bugs and Mickey but he’s still a recognized character.
April 13, 2023
Who would have thought that Thomas would be only the 2nd book in the series? Live and learn. I can't get over what a treat this series is. It also feels like it is such value for money. Each little book has four short stories in it, each one with sophisticated language that still manages to keeps the kids hooked on the story. There are also good story arcs and character developments which is spectacular considering that the books are not very long.
August 5, 2024
Now this is more like it. We've all got a Thomas The Tank Engine in us, no matter the age, perhaps that why he becomes the flagship of the show and is so ubiquitous; he's over-excited but ambitious, foolhardy but humble, cheeky but learns his lesson. Despite the nasty capitalist overtones of these adventures, this book is an absolute riot.
September 17, 2017
Decent stories with good art, although I think the artist changed for the later Thomas stories. I don't see anything here to explain the mass appeal though. Thomas isn't a very nice character for most of it and the stories just aren't very memorable.
February 6, 2018
Amazing character development. This is really really good.
March 13, 2018
I have never read such stories before. I have seen them lying around in the library and mothers reading them to their children. Then I always wonder about them. Mmm...
Read
September 23, 2019Thomas and Friends
October 4, 2019
Regret hearing this read to me as a kid and now regretting reading it.
August 5, 2020
really good recommend to young children in search of a adventure
January 13, 2021
Watched a reading of this on YouTube.
Always fun to see where a classic series like this comes from!
Always fun to see where a classic series like this comes from!
August 31, 2021
A good book and a classic of a franchise that is well known 10/10
September 29, 2024
Nostalgia at its finest. They gotta bring back the little blue engine instead of all the brainrot kids are watching nowadays.
August 9, 2025
The pictures are beautiful but the writing and theme of the stories are a little bit outdated.
April 4, 2025
Another classic book with a great character arc.
November 2, 2013
I must admit, I've been avoiding this one. I have never had the slightest interest in Thomas the Tank Engine. I didn't even realise it had started as a series of books - I just thought it was a TV series, and one that had never interested me, either in childhood or adulthood. Stories about cars and trains and any other type of transportation have never held the slightest interest to me. Probably partly because I hate travelling, and partly because I am not interested in cars and trains and planes. I could say that they are more a boys' thing, but I'm not sure that's a stereotype that really holds true. I know females who are interested in cars, trains, bikes, etc. I know males who have no interest in them. And as for myself, I'm a female who generally doesn't fit the stereotypes, so there's be no reason why this dislike of cars and trains was due to my femaleness.
But I digress. I made myself read this wretched book. My first impressions, in the first few pages, were: 'I knew it. Look - it's using all kinds of train jargon that I don't understand or care about! Funnel. Boiler. Dome. Coupling. I don't like it.'
But then, bizarrely, it kind of grew on me. There is something quite amusing about trains being given the personalities of boisterous, competitive, squabbling little boys. And there is actually some character development going on with Thomas. He starts off as a bit of a know-it-all, but he begins to realise he doesn't know it all, and wants to learn and become a useful engine. Inasfar as it's possible to become fond of a fictional piece of machinery, I became quite fond of him. And even learnt a bit about trains in the process!
I imagine these stories were influenced by The Little Engine that Could , what with the engines having egos and personalities, and the fact that often the engines repeat themselves three times, to produce a sort of chugging rhythm. But it takes the whole concept a lot further, in stories, in personalities. One thing that particularly struck me was the importance of teamwork in the stories. The coaches and the engine have to work together to run smoothly. Being rather mischievous, they play tricks on each other - and while the tricks will no doubt entertain young readers, they also illustrate what happens when people don't work together! So it's kind of like a hidden moral, rather than an in-your-face one.
So, in all, I was surprised to be quite entertained by this book.
But I digress. I made myself read this wretched book. My first impressions, in the first few pages, were: 'I knew it. Look - it's using all kinds of train jargon that I don't understand or care about! Funnel. Boiler. Dome. Coupling. I don't like it.'
But then, bizarrely, it kind of grew on me. There is something quite amusing about trains being given the personalities of boisterous, competitive, squabbling little boys. And there is actually some character development going on with Thomas. He starts off as a bit of a know-it-all, but he begins to realise he doesn't know it all, and wants to learn and become a useful engine. Inasfar as it's possible to become fond of a fictional piece of machinery, I became quite fond of him. And even learnt a bit about trains in the process!
I imagine these stories were influenced by The Little Engine that Could , what with the engines having egos and personalities, and the fact that often the engines repeat themselves three times, to produce a sort of chugging rhythm. But it takes the whole concept a lot further, in stories, in personalities. One thing that particularly struck me was the importance of teamwork in the stories. The coaches and the engine have to work together to run smoothly. Being rather mischievous, they play tricks on each other - and while the tricks will no doubt entertain young readers, they also illustrate what happens when people don't work together! So it's kind of like a hidden moral, rather than an in-your-face one.
So, in all, I was surprised to be quite entertained by this book.
December 27, 2020
The first actual Thomas book, which really shows how full of himself he was at the beginning and the changes that he went through to become the engine that most people know from the tv programmes. I enjoyed seeing them all in a different light.
February 19, 2017
“Thomas the Tank Engine”
Well, here he is! The central character of this series.
Part naughty, part heroic, part comedian.
Well, here he is! The central character of this series.
Part naughty, part heroic, part comedian.
April 14, 2013
Thomas the Tank Engine was a favorite of my grandson when he was young. He had a Thomas train set and we would buy him the storybooks of this train's adventures whenever we visited. I loved reading these stories to him for nap time and we spent hours playing with the train and little train station. It was so fun reenacting the stories with his play set. The adventures of Thomas the Train always have a moral lesson for good character. I miss playing with my little grandson, who is now a big boy. Now we have fun in other ways when we get together, but this book brings back lots of good memories. Choo! Choo!
March 7, 2014
This is one of a series of books that is the "original" Thomas The Tank Engine series from "The Railway Series"
I have really enjoyed the other books of Thomas but LOVED this original book. It has four stories in this book and they 'introduce' Thomas to the readers-listeners. Rev Awdry dedicates this book to his son saying how he hopes he likes them because he helped him write them. I thought that was really sweet! Am so glad a Daddy making stories up for his son decided to share them with us, nearly 70 years later!
My 2 year old granddaughter loved this book as we sat and I read it to her. Want to add it to my list to purchase too....
I have really enjoyed the other books of Thomas but LOVED this original book. It has four stories in this book and they 'introduce' Thomas to the readers-listeners. Rev Awdry dedicates this book to his son saying how he hopes he likes them because he helped him write them. I thought that was really sweet! Am so glad a Daddy making stories up for his son decided to share them with us, nearly 70 years later!
My 2 year old granddaughter loved this book as we sat and I read it to her. Want to add it to my list to purchase too....
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews