Customer Reviews

Thomas the Tank Engine's Hidden Surprises (Thomas & Friends)

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

 

 

This is a terrific lift-the-flap book. What makes this book especially good is that when a flap is lifted, the artists maintain the integrity of the scene. For example, in the first two-page spread a mother and son are standing beside a pile of luggage. When you lift the flap to see what is inside the luggage, the top of the flap overlays where the mother and son were withthe same image so that you still see the mother and son as well as the newly exposed luggage contents. That is such a nice touch, and unique in all the lift-the-flaps I've seen (and I've seen puh-lenty!)

Six scenes depict Thomas or his friends at the station, picking up livestock and produce, in farm country, on a bridge, beside the beach, and at the circus. The pages are glossy so they can be cleaned easily, and the flaps are fairly sturdy, though they can be torn off.

I bought this book for my 19 month old son because he is a great fan of Thomas, but it hasn't proved to be a hit with him or with me. There isn't much of a storyline, and it's barely worth lifting the (very small) flaps, as the pictures underneath are mostly uninteresting and tiny. The colours are also a bit strange (Bertie the bus is brown), and the text does not show the personality of Thomas or any of the other characters. In terms of lift-the-flap, books like "Where's Spot" or "Spot Goes to the Farm", with large flaps and clear, colourful pictures underneath are far superior.

Just as others have said here - the book is fun for my 2 year old, has lots of flaps, is a bit flimsy, and a bit short. BUT, we knew how long it was from the description and he has loved looking at it over and over again. The windows match up just fine in our copy and perhaps there was a problem in one copy but it is not a consistent problem with this little book.

I was dissappointed by this little book. My two year old loves Thomas, and we certainly support the tank engine and his creators financially, and picked up this little book with a recent order. My son enjoys reading it, but it is a little short, and I must add, is about the thinnest and flimsiest lift-and-peek book that I've ever purchased. The flaps are torn very easily, and don't "match up" very well with the pictures underneath. To be fair, there are many flaps, and my little one does enjoy the book, it just isn't made to last very long, unlike most of the same genre.

My 17 month old son loves this book. The lift and peek are much better for this age than pop up because they are more durable. He loves the bright colors of Thomas and his friends and enjoys making the train sounds. He has memorized where the various items are and will lift the cover to show us the picture on request. Wish there were more of this book available.