Thomas and Friends: Blue Train, Green Train

Thomas thee blue train works all day while Percy the green train works all night. Told in the simplest language, here is a charming tale of what they each do. PerfectÑand portableÑfor toddlers and their caregivers.

Thomas thee blue train works all day while Percy the green train works all night. Told in the simplest language, here is a charming tale of what they each do. PerfectÑand portableÑfor toddlers and their caregivers.

Children's Literature

Fans of the "Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends" series will enjoy reading about a day in the life of the familiar characters Thomas and Percy. In this book, which is part of the "Bright and Early Books for Beginning Beginners" series, we meet Thomas the blue train as he heads out with the rising sun for his day of work. On his way he passes Percy the green train, who has just finished his night of work and is heading home. Thomas loads up with cows, bikes, and toys and rides through sun and rain to deliver them at another station before heading back home as the sun sets. Percy's job begins with the rising moon, and he rides through the night making stops to load and unload sacks of mail and various crates and boxes. Although the rhyme seems forced in places and does not read easily throughout the book, this would still be an enjoyable read aloud book or primer—especially for beginning readers who are fans of these characters.

In the early 1940s, a loving father crafted a small, blue, wooden engine for his son, Christopher. The stories that this father, The Reverend W Awdry, made up to accompany this wonderful toy were first published in 1945. He continued to create new adventures and characters until 1972 when he retired from writing. Reverend Awdry died in 1997 at age 85.