Thomas and the School Trip (Step-Into-Reading, Step 2)

Rating:
Summary: Loving Children
Review: In this little book we have Thomas, a train who loves children.
The children are going on a school trip, but Thomas has work that he must do and he can't take them. Thomas is sad. Sir Topham Hatt tells Thomas if he does his job and hurries back, he can take them home. On his journey Thomas learns that by doing his job things have a way of working out for us. He learns how important it is to help others. This is a simple book for children to read, with short sentences and colorful illustrations.


Rating:
Summary: Thomas the Tank Engine on a school trip
Review: Briefly the school children are shown as they arrive in their uniforms, the girls are in straw hats with the boys wearing red ties. It is never mentioned where exactly this class trip is and hard to tell by the way they are dressed. What is portrayed is how much fun it would be to be the train that takes the kids on the school trip. Before they depart the trains, known as Henry, Thomas and James are scrubbed so their engines are shiny and bright. " The train yard is ready."

Thomas the Tank Engine is all excited when the children arrive wanting them to see him push and pull. But it turns out that Thomas the Tank Engine has work to do on his regular branch line, which makes him sad as he would rather have fun taking the children on their school trip. " Sir Topham Hat has an idea. Do your job, Thomas. Then hurry back. You can take the children home." This sets the train in motion to rush about his regular routine just so he can take the kids home. What this shows in my opinion is Thomas the Tank Engine slacking off on his duties just so he can have fun. This is not a good message for my son to learn at this point in time.

Instead of the happy Thomas the Tank Engine content on his rides he is sad and thinking of hurrying back for the kids instead of focusing on the task at hand and gets upset when he has to wait for his loads and obstacles along the route. His face is red as he is riding up a hill and over a bridge and then through a tunnel. All the while the coaches Annie and Clarabel are reminding him to hurry back so they can take the children home. If they are late another train will do the job. Up ahead Thomas sees Bertie the Bus broken down, but first he ponders whether he should stop and help or continue on hurrying to get to the station before another train to take the kids home.

My son was able to read through Thomas the Tank Engine and the School Trip several times, but it was boring for him since he knew the ending. He also had many questions like where the kids were going on the trip and why they were all dressed in the same clothes. The last page is a green background that makes the text hard to read for my son also. He also wanted to know about what age the kids were on the school trip. It was hard to tell but they appear to be older like ten to thirteen perhaps.

For kids who are fans of Thomas the Tank Engine they will like the book. I would hope others reading will instill to their children how rushing through a job is not the answer.


Rating:
Summary: Kids are wonderful!
Review: I think the main message to this story is that children are absolutely wonderful.

In this story, Thomas starts the day sad... he wants to play with the children, but he has to work instead. The happy ending is when he helps his friend (the bus which breaks down) by taking the children home.

Thomas is obviously thrilled to be able to help the children. What a warm, sweet message to give to the young readers!

This is an "I can read it all by myself Dr. Seuss Beginner Book", and it's written as though a young reader should read it, in very short, choppy sentences ("My name is Thomas. Watch me push! Watch me pull!... Stop or go. Help or hurry."

But the actual words used are not those that the true beginning reader will be able to read on his or her own. (station, somebody, coaches, Clarabel, bridge, should, friend, passengers, etc.) It's fine to have very simple sentences for the beginning reader; or to address the book to the not-such-a-beginner-reader. But this book seems to take the worst combination; dumbed down story with too-hard words.

That said, my children really enjoy this book; the annoying aspects only seem to annoy me. And, of course, their opinion is what really counts. The older kids love to read it to the younger ones, and they think it's great that Thomas gets to have his trip with the children.

4 stars because the kids like it so much, and because it really does have a worthwhile message for children.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: My 14 month old son is obsessed with this book! We read it so much that I know the story by heart. It is a good length for short attention spans, has nice pictures, easy words and teaches kids about helping others. A great find.

Rating:
Summary: Great Thomas book for young kids
Review: This book is great for kids of all ages -- our 18-month oldloves it. Unlike many of the other Thomas stories, this one doesn'tdeal with unhappy, grumpy trains all the time. It's a "feel good" kind of story with a good moral that can be read to all ages. We're trying to find other Thomas stories that fit this theme, and are having little luck so far...