When an urgent package arrives for Sir Topham Hatt, it must reach him as quickly as possible. What is inside the package? Can the “Really Useful Engines” cooperate and get it to him in time?
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.
All of Thomas' friends think he's to slow to deliver a very special and urgent package for Sir Topemhat So they tell him they will do it. But each friend has some type of road block that prevents him from going on. And the package is late getting to him. But Thomas bets them all. Showing that he wasn't so slow like they all thought.
Lucky Thomas the steam engine. He has sooooooooooo many friends. All they have to do is to physically arrive as trains, or other machines, in his vicinity.
Can the “Really Useful Engines” cooperate and get an urgent package to their big boss (Sir Topham Hatt) in time?
HERE'S A QUESTION
Although Thomas and his pals are supposedly fictional -- given that they talk and think, while they're really large mechanical objects...
Do they have any human emotions whatsoever?
I see no evidence of that in this book on "The Special Delivery."
If true, that might explain why they're so gosh darned cheerful about being called “Really Useful Engines.” Honestly, in Thomas's place, wouldn't you find that insulting?
Feel free to comment below, Goodreaders.
A FINAL QUESTION
By the happy ending time, Thomas is smiling. But does that prove that he has any emotions whatsoever? I still doubt it.
What the heck. Literally Sir Topham Hat ordered a hat, had it delivered to him urgently. Meanwhile he is straight up working the railways wearing a busted hat???? The heck.
Please note that this took two weeks to read bc Oz fell asleep during the first attempt and I forgot about it until last night when I was going through our library books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I liked this Thomas book, solely because it shows that just because someone is the fastest/ best does not mean that they should steal the job from another just as able as they are. After all, Thomas made it there first, while the package switched carriers 5 or 6 times.
In general, I am not at all a fan of the Thomas books, mainly because the dialogue between the engines is frequently fraught with disunity, anger, meanness, and passive aggression. I edit all this out when I read them aloud to my kid, but this is irritating, and the general story lines don't seem to have a lot of punch in them to me anyway.
Having said that, this book needed very little editing, and I think it has a theme that small children can relate to, in a way.
(I read the Thomas books to my girl because she loves the trains, even though she's never even watched any of the shows and doesn't have any of the toys, except for a train whistle recently.)