Calling All Engines

Thomas and Friends

by W. Awdry

Thomas and the Really Useful Engines are working hard getting the new airport ready for the grand opening. Then a terrible storm slows them down, and soon it is clear that all the engines are going to have to work together. The steamies and the diesels have never gotten along very well, but Lady appears in Thomas’ dream and tells him it will be all right. But can they count on help from the biggest diesel of them all–Diesel 10?


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Trains, Transport, Fiction

24 pages, Paperback

First published August 23, 2005

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

[J9 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm probably almost as sick of Thomas the Tank Engine as I am of Spongebob, but like I've said before, anything to get my kid's interested in books. This was another typical marketing ploy by a children's company. Pretty pictures to call attention to the kiddie's but not a lot of substance. Which it makes it boring for the children to listen to and tedious for the adults to read. It was an okay book.

[Ian McHugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely for me to go back to Sodor...

The "steamies" and the "diesels" are not getting along when working alongside each other to build Sodor airport. They bump and biff (*snigger) and bash each other and generally cause each other hassle. Then a massive hurricane comes and they realise they'll all have to work together to make sure the job gets done. Flo liked this because it showed that if you work together everyone is happy. She also related it to Ms. Retno's words at school to "not hit" anyone. I think that's really smart and perceptive. I'm very biased though.

[Rochelle Sondae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what I could say about Thomas the Tank Engine other than he has been around for 60 years and kids still love him. I'm not all that thrilled that this edition features an advertisement for a DVD adaptation of the book on its inside cover. I am glad however that my 2 1/2 year old cousin's favorite part of the whole Thomas experience is the song they sing at the beginning of each episode. He insisted we sing it before we turned the title page to start the story. "They're two they're four they're six they're eight; Shunting trucks and hauling freight; red and green and brown and blue; they're the really useful crew...."

[Stephanie Shaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

My son (a toddler) loves listening to me read, and he absolutely loves picture books. He will choose to read a book above almost any other activity. However, we both had a hard time staying interested in this book from start to finish. The storyline is bland at best, and the book is really wordy and a bit too complicated for a toddler to comprehend. I would not recommend this book, at least for a toddler.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read many Thomas the Tank Engine books and they are all good, but this one is probably one of my favorite. At first the diesel and the steam engines all are fighting and arguing but not until something horrible happens that they realize they need to work together and become friends! Very well written!

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to teach children about the importance of teamwork and that it is ok to work with those who are different from us. My kids thoroughly enjoyed this story of Thomas and his friends coming together to work with the steam engines.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the better Thomas books, it at least has a plot and a point. And Quartz loves it.

[Cindi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this one A LOT lately!

[Cws]

JE-Awd

[Cassi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could use this book for learning about TRANSPORTATION in pre-k and kindergarten. This is a good read aloud any ways.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

My son loves Thomas books, and this story is a decent one about getting past our differences and accomplishing things together.

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kayden rated the book but we both loved it haha