Bulstrode

Thomas Story Library

by W. Awdry, Robin Davies

Each book in this series features one of Thomas the Tank Engine's very good friends.

Genres: Picture Books

34 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2004

About the author

Wilbert 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.

Reviews

[Tom Frost · Rating 3 out of 5]

Long time fan of Awdry's work but this isn't his finest moment. Bulstrode is a fairly one dimensional character. I would have liked more on his back story and why he was so disagreeable. Similarly little explanation is given for the trucks behaviour or why they are not held to account for their disruptive actions. The lack of female characters or those from ethnic backgrounds is also disappointing. However the morality of a rude barge getting his comeuppance is a tale for all ages and this "blip" should not dissuade you from exploring Awdry's canon.

[John Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems like every single Thomas the Tank Engine layout sold in toy stores comes with Bulstrode, so you would think that he is a very prominent character in the Thomas the Tank Engine Universe. Unfortunately, he is not. He appears in exactly one episode of the cartoon series and his other appearance is in this book. It's a wonderful book, so it would be nice to see Bulstrode more often in the cartoon. And if he is never to appear again in any of the cartoons, then stop packaging him in every single Thomas the Tank Engine starter set. It's got to be confusing for children never to see Bulstrode in any of the more recent cartoons that air on television.

[Scott Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved that he wasn't just another nice polite character, I felt it gave him more personality!