Thomas and Friends: My Red Railway Book Box (Bright & Early Board Books)

I think this box set is great (I like it so much better than the Thomas stories based on the tv shows), but in my opinion (and my toddler's) Blue Train, Green Train steals the show as the star in this collection. It is much catchier and more fun as a result than the 3 other books (not to say that the other ones aren't good, of course, just that we really love Blue Train, Green Train). It may be a matter of personal taste, but Blue Train, Green Train seems to have better rhymes and rhythm than the other books. I gave it four stars because I wish I liked the other 3 books as much as Blue Train, Green Train--but this might not be fair for the set as Blue Train is an outstanding book in my opinion.

This set is overall a really good value. The board books are on the smaller side (not sure of the exact dimensions, but they are the same size as the other Dr. Suess board books if you have seen those)--I think they the perfect size for a toddler to hold and flip through. The board books are great quality in both physical materials/design/sturdiness and writing (and the case is absolutely adorable) so it is worth checking out. But if money is tight just buy a used copy of Blue Train, Green Train.

The good:
These four books are sturdy and come in a small box. These are 'board books' and can stand up to the most destructive toddler whims. My daughters enjoy them somewhat, even though they are very brief.

The bad:
We really only like one of the books (Green Train Blue Train) a lot, the others leave a lot to be desired in terms of rhyming and relevance to the Thomas and friends story line. Uninspired, would be a good descriptor.

The ugly:
I was expecting some the original childrens' stories from the creator of Thomas and Friends from the description of the product. Instead, these are recent efforts, and don't have much charm to them at all. They don't seem to have any particular lesson or message to them at all.

If your kids are Thomas freaks, and they aren't picky - pick up these books at a discount. Otherwise, you probably would be better off buying other serialized Thomas books instead.

I was so delighted when I found this super cute box set for my son! I purchased it when he was around 20 months old, and he was thrilled to have a little case that was just the perfect size for him. Honestly, for the price this just can't be beat! The stories aren't very long, but for us they're the perfect length to go through all four at bedtime. As some of the other reviewers have stated, we also found "blue train, green train" to be our favorite story...there are lots of fun things to have them point out as you read in that one. "Go train, go" (which my little boy loves saying throughout the story) and "A crack in the track" are our next favorites...he seems overly concerned about that crack haha, and I like the message at the end! "Stop train, stop" would have to be the one I enjoy reading the least, but honestly, I still see him looking over the book on his own and enjoying it. I'll forgo my own entertainment any time for the sake of instilling a love of books and reading in him. He's only 25 months now, so his enjoyment comes from how much life I put into reading the stories to him, and engaging him to learn about what's in the pictures. The pictures are bright and the board books are strong... everything is still intact and he is not exactly a gentle one! I would absolutely repurchase this set, or give as a gift to the Thomas and Friends lover. Please let me know if this review was helpful for you!

My boys love Thomas but I hate the new episodes. They're all about "iNcLuSiViTy" and "fEeLiNgS". There's this classic episode, where the Fat Controller literally walls up a train for his vanity and disobedience. Old school Thomas is savage. There's another part of me that doesn't want my kids watching too much television too, so here we arrive at Thomas the Train books. They're perfect for little 2 year old hands and the hard book covers and pages can withstand their demon-like fury and uncoordinated page turning abilities.

This was a great buy for my 3yo daughter who loves trains. The set itself comes in it own carrying case with handle. The lid is secured with a Velcro tab. Once you open the books you have 4 Hard in the carrying case. Each book has about 10-15 pages. Pictures are just like cartoon itself. All the characters have parts in each story. These books are sturdy enough for children ages 1 and up. With enough words to keep even older children entertained. Great value for the money and i would purchase more sets like this in the future. With a price like this its worth grabbing for a gift to keep just in case.

The book was great. By nephews loved it. A lot smaller than I originally thought, but I guess for 3 year olds, it is perfect.

My daughter was beyond excited when she opened the box. The stories are simplistic, but she likes them and likes identifying all the engines she knows. The size is perfect for her to take a couple of them along when we're out and about.

I also think this is a good value for the money. Board books of this size can sell for $5.00 on their own, so $10.00 for a whole set is a good deal. I'd recommend it as a gift for any Thomas fan!

My son is a huge Thomas fan, and he LOVES all four of these books. He also loves the box, but he was a bit rough with it so I've got it stored until he's older (he's 14 months old). He will pick up a book and bring it to us to read - he doesn't seem to have a favorite, although I feel like I've read "A Crack in the Track" about a 100 times now. I found it odd that a number of reviewers say that Blue Train, Green Train is the best - it's probably my son's least favorite, although he does like it. Great deal for four books!

This small case is perfect to keep handy for children. The books are just the perfect size and all four fit perfectly in the case. The stories are also adorable. Great buy especially for the price.

[[VIDEOID:4c72ae2a420c127b06558162939ee0ea]] We got these for our two year old and he loved these books - even memorized the titles within a few reads. They're the best book purchase I've made all year and light weight to carry anywhere. Now that he's 6, he can tell the story on his own and his younger brother enjoys them as well. Great value and durable product.