Customer Reviews

Stop, Train, Stop! a Thomas the Tank Engine Story (Thomas & Friends) (Beginner Books(R))

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

 

 

"Stop, Train, Stop" is an odd little book. For one thing, it purports to be a "beginning" reader, and for another thing, Thomas not only has Annie and Clarabelle but dining, sleeping, and luggage cars!

Now as most people know [;-)], Thomas' branch line is not long enough to warrant either a sleeping or dining car. (Sometimes its frightening how much this mom knows about Sodor-but I know I'm not alone.) Still, the plot is interesting enough that most fans won't be too worried about this discrepancy. And Owen Bell does a nice job in illustrating this little story.

The story takes place one day when Thomas decides not to stop at any of his assigned stations. Instead he rushes head-long and willy-nilly to the end of the line, only to find that this rushing about didn't make him as happy as he thought it would. Turns out Thomas missed his friends along the way. He missed seeing the cows that `moo' hello to him, and he missed the children that wave as he goes by.

In it's own way, "Stop, Train, Stop!" is a stop and smell the roses allegory. It explains to children how `bad' things can happen if you rush about your business. [Certainly the cook on the dining car and the passengers weren't happy!]

Which brings us to the other oddity about this book, that Random House considers it to be a "beginning" reader. Now, I'm no expert, but I do have a beginning reader --kindergartener-and she certainly can't even begin to read this as there are frequently 20 or more words per page and a heavy use of past tense.

But judge for yourself from the text below. The first page has more text than most pages.

Every day Thomas the Tank Engine
chugged from the start of his line
to the end of his line
and back again.
"All aboard!"
called the little blue engine's conductor.

Three and a Half Stars. Okay story that young Thomas fans will no doubt like. A sort of stop and smell the roses tale.

Addendum:

Well time has passed and I've discovered all sorts of things like the Accelerated Reading (AR) scale. And I was mostly correct. While "Stop, Train, Stop" is an early reader, it isn't a true beginning primer as it is listed as a 2.0 on the Accelerated Reading scale. To the newly initiated this means that the book is suitable for First Graders in the fifth month of school.

And just so you know, the AR description is a general "guide" that rates books on a relative scale of difficulty. Children can certainly read at levels above or below their group range, so that this number should only be used as a aid to help choose books that are appropriate and not frustrating.

~Pam T 2007

This book uses simple language and a simple plot that is just right for very young children. I bought this book for my son when he was about six monthes old and he loved it even then. Now he is two and it is still his favorite. It has also proved to be fairly durable. I do agree with another reviewer that it is not the most facinating book for adults to read, but...This is a great "starter" book to help your young child learn to love to read.

This book would be an excellent first reader for a Thomas fan. It's very simply written, but would really hold a beginning reader's interest. My sons don't read yet, but they love to have it read to them, although I must admit it's not the most fascinating book for the adult reader! They love the scenes where the train is going too fast and all sorts of things are splashing and crashing around because the train is going too fast.

This book is a step up from the simplest Thomas stories for infants. Its colorful pictures and simple text make it perfect for beginning readers. The entire series of Thomas' books builds a little one's interest in preparation for the more mature Thomas stories as written by Rev. Awdry.

I can't think of anything better for a two year old obsessed with trains! Dr. Seuss meets Thomas is an incredible combination. Both this book and "Go Train Go" have become my son's favorite bedtime books. They finally got him excited to sit down and read/listen to books.

Loved this book. My grandchildren loved and we read it over and over again.

My 3 yr. old nephew loved the book. He loves Thomas the Train, and now that he has the book, he can't get enough of it.

My boys both learned to "moo" reading this book, and that the wind from a train can blow a hat off someone's head. They both requested it over and over. Great board book size for little hands, too. My suggested age range for reading aloud: 1-3. Or for beginner readers.

This is a simple story as previously stated. Thomas decides to zip through his route one day causing havoc for his passengers. I really don't feel it was "dumbed down" It was created for toddlers. I think perhaps parents often choose books because they like to read them. I choose books that my children enjoy.
I love a book that allows me to bring out my award worthy acting abilities :) I like to sit my boys on my lap & when he zooms by a station...I zoom to the far left with them or right. I also bounce them when the items inside the train are bouncing about. They are ages 4 & 2. This is their favorite book. It makes it into our rotation several times a week & they don't seem to bore with it. It is also a good early reader.

Some people complain about the overly simplistic plot, but it is about the right level of complexity for a young child.

Thomas the Tank Engine has a daily routine that involves passing through towns, seeing the waives from a little boy, and letting the passengers get on and off of the train. One day he decides to go real fast and not stop for the passengers. This results in a bad day. The people are not satisfied, and Thomas doesn't get a chance to see the cows mowing and the little boys waving.

Yeah, its not the most captivating of plots, but it shows a simple form of "cause and effect," which is something that young children must learn in order to understand more complicated concepts. It goes beyong the simple "cause and effect" of pressing a button and seeing a light go on, it shows that more complex actions might have a larger effect as well.

You child will probably love the pictures. Thomas the Tank Engine is a very popular train with a huge smile. Little kids love trains and they'll like the bright and colorful illustrations in this book.

It is a durable book that you can leave on the floor and let your infant or toddler play with; and the cover and pages will remain intact. With young children, durability is important and often overlooked in non-board books for infants and toddlers.

It's a nice book to add to your child's library.