Customer Reviews

Thomas and Friends: Henry and the Elephant (Thomas & Friends) (Step into Reading)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My son LOOOVES it. What else do I have to say? Along with other "step into reading" Thomas books, this one is also a great one. I only wish that this series could include more Thomas books.

cute book. I know mu sisters will like this. and i will be fun for my baby sister to learn about useful engines and to help others in need. so im adding this to her wish list now.

Let me tell you about my experience with the Thomas and Friends 'Step-into-Reading' books. Some of them are very good. The 'retelling' of the story works and the book is a total success. Others, like this one, fall a little short. In this case, there are gaps in the storyline you could fit an elephant into. Likewise, for a book meant for those who need help reading, there are some larger vocabulary words than you might expect.

More difficult words include: grumbled, something, grunted, foreman, scary, hardest, backwards, and laughed.

That said, I still give this book fairly high marks SIMPLY because of the subject: Henry! And as long as your child is already familiar with the story, he/she probably won't note the continuity problems. And I have found with my son (now 5) that he will soon learn any new words simply because he is so darned motivated to read about one of his favorite Steamies. So...

Four Stars. Very Good Artwork. Okay Read-aloud. The retelling of the story is rather dubious, but that fact is more than offset by the motivational topic. "Henry and the Elephant" can be enjoyed by non-reading youngsters, and I would say that it would serve as a reader for children with about 6 months solid reading experience under their belts. [No 'official' reading level designation could be found by this mom.]

Find following some text from the book so you can judge for yourself:

The Foreman had a plan.
Henry could push trucks
into the tunnel.

"Wheesh," said Henry.
Henry did not like
tunnels.
He was scared.