Thomas the Really Useful Engine (Thomas & Friends)

The illustrations are beautiful. The story, as in other Thomas adventures, takes the flaws of human nature, and with a good natured spirit, turns them into benefits for everyone.

This book is a great introduction to the Thomas series. Each of the trains are introduced in the beginning, and even indicate their size. Thomas and his friends endure a strong thunderstorm which knocks over a tree onto the station house. When it has to be repaired, Gordon is put in charge of the repairs and sends James off for the supplies. Those bad freight cars are at it again and knock James off the rails and into the mud, while they run off and get into trouble. Thomas goes out to look for his friend and finds Henry and Percy in trouble as well. Thomas gets the naughty cars in line and they all return home for a party. It's a very nice book, easy to read, and very enjoyable for all train lovers. It's one of the most requested books in our house and it definitely holds the attention of toddlers. A great find.

My daughters, ages 4.5 and 2.5 years old, really enjoyed this book. Cheerfully illustrated with text enclosed in easy-to-read boxes, this book is a must-read for new and seasoned Thomas fans. When the station roof is damaged during a storm, everyone pitches in to repair it. Everyone is useful! As a parent, I thought this book was ?useful? because: (1) it is a good introduction to readers who are not as familiar with Thomas and his friends, (2) children like my 2.5-year-old can identify with Henry the Green Engine?s fear of thunderstorms, (3) readers can cheer Thomas on as he searches for his missing friends Henry, Percy, and James, (4) parents can engage their children by asking questions, such as ?What was James supposed to fetch again?? The answer is lumber, bricks, and slate, (5) parents can also point out the bad behavior of the freight cars and stress the consequences of not doing what you are told.

My two and a half year old daughter is just starting to get interested in Thomas and trains, so I looked for a book that would give some background information on Thomas and his friends. This is a pretty good introduction to the Sodor Island Railway and the Engines that are Thomas' best friends. The illustrations in this book are captivating, with enough of a mix of new and familiar to keep a small toddler engaged and curious. The story is very simple and each page has only a few sentences. My daughter loves this book and I am basically happy with it. However, if I had been writing this story, I would have included a little something in the beginning about Thomas doubting that he is really useful. His "really useful"-ness is affirmed at the end when he saves the day, but this affirmation seems meaningless because the author never established uselessness as a problem for Thomas in the start of the story. An older child might feel the story is a little hollow.

The pictures in this book are very entertaining for our 2 year old son. He sits through the entire story. Any child that loves trains (or cars, trucks, etc) will love this book!