Tank Engine Thomas Again

Tank Engine Thomas Again
Synopsis
Book 4 of 26 in the Railway Series. Thomas has been given a branch line all to himself. Here he is proudly running up and down his branch line - and the Fat Controller is keeping his eye on him as usual! Thomas still finds trouble, but he also learns how tractors and buses can be just as important as trains, and makes some new friends along the way.
  • Virtue
    VIRTUE
    Is this the way I want my child to think and act?
    Ratings are based on how much a book extols Islamic morality and espouses classical ideals.
  • Language
    LANGUAGE
    Is this the way I want my child to speak?
    Ratings are based on a book's vocabulary, cadence, and overall eloquence suited to age level.
  • Story
    STORY
    Does this story resonate with my child?
    Ratings are based on the integrity of plot structure, the depth of characters, the palpability of the book's conflict and resolution, and the lure of its setting.
  • Beauty
    BEAUTY
    Does this book develop my child's ability to recognize beauty?
    Ratings are based on aesthetics, linguistic beauty, poignancy, and how well a book embodies ihsan—harmonizing excellence.
VIEW FLAGS
Mindful Muslim Review

The original Thomas the Tank Engine series, by Reverend W. Awdry, is a rare but impressive set of stories for young children: it includes moral lessons, complexity of character and distinctive and deep use of language. (Unfortunately, these are not captured in the more recent books spawned by the popular franchise.) The original series uses an assortment of transportation machinery (engines, buses, tractors, trucks, carriages, etc.) to bring to life various personality types and temperaments. The engines, mirroring the maturity-level of young boys, have adventures, learn about their own weaknesses, face the consequences of their decisions, and grow in character.

Subtly permeating through the clever stories are virtues like respecting authority and elders, hard work, teamwork and perseverance. Unlike most books for this age group, the characters are not beset with one-dimensional personalities. Their strengths and weaknesses help young children understand that people are not pure evil or pure goodness. The good guy/bad guy narrative is replaced with a more holistic understanding of human nature at a level children can understand.
With all this combined in a setting especially appealing to boys, Mindful Muslim Reader gives this series our Gold Star. While children are growing up in a culture which increasingly devalues the positive aspects of masculinity, this is a must-read for young boys.

Mindful Muslim Reader recommends additional books in this series.

Ages: , ,
Illustrator: C. Reginald Dalby
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Published: 2000 (originally published in 1949)
Page Count: 72
ISBN13: 9780375805325
*This review applies only to ISBN number noted above.

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