Synopsis
Book 1 of 26 in the Railway Series. This very first book about the now famous engines was originally written by Awdry in 1943 to entertain his son, Christopher, who was suffering from measles at the time. Here are the original four stories about kind, hard-working Edward, proud Gordon, and fussy Henry.- ★★★★☆
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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, patience, good manners and friendship. Arrogance, rudeness and vanity are vices to be overcome. 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. For children 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.
