Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends - Platinum Collection

Today, I spent the morning learning about trains, drivers, and the islandof Sodor. My kids were enchanted by all of the stories so this collectionof three popular engines is great for family time.

We began with stories of Thomas. Each engine has a personality of its ownand they become evident throughout the stories. Thomas is an eager littleengine who always asks for greater responsibilities, but usually learnsthat patience is its own reward. The DVD starts with "Thomas Gets Bumped,"which shows Thomas that he is an important member of the team and his jobis just as important as everyone else's. Next, we find Percy and Thomasrealizing how brave Percy is when he goes against a dragon. Thomas meets anew friend in a few of the episodes named, Stepney, who is an engine thatdoes not need railroad tracks. At the end, Thomas meets the queen andlearns, once again, that the smallest can be just as important as thebiggest.

On the next DVD, we meet Percy, the green Number 6 engine. He is afun-loving spunky engine that sometimes goes too far. Percy get coveredwith limestone dust and gives his friends a scare in "Percy's GhostlyTrick" and finds himself in water in "Percy Takes a Plunge." Percydelivers mail and loves to carry children to and fro. He learns valuablelessons in friendship and forgiveness in this collection.

I think I liked the stories of James, the best. His bright red color andsnooty attitude were great fun as James learns lessons in humility andforgiveness. Having George Carlin narrate this series is, for me, the bestpart. Since I've seen Mr. Carlin on numerous occasions, I enjoyed hearinghis voice during these stories. He brings a quality to each one that isunique and wonderful. The intonations of his voice tell the story verywell and children are able to feel the suspense and they relate to thelessons immediately.

My family enjoyed this collection and we highly recommend it. If you havekids, these stories are both inspiring and educational. The way the modelsare setup, light the senses of sight and sound and sometimes tug at adultheartstrings.