Thomas & Friends: The Thomas Way

The narrator and most of the characters speak extremely slowly so small ears can understand every word in this enjoyable collection of Thomas & Friends stories. The Thomas franchise has been teaching small children about consideration, responsibility, and obeying authority figures successfully for a long time. Children who identify with the friendly Thomas and his cohorts are warned against carelessness, silliness, and "causing confusion and delay," as Sir Topham Hat likes to put it. The engines grin with pride when told they are "really useful." To gain that accolade, they do their best to follow rules and get permission, which is just what most parents want their toddlers to do before launching into any adventures of their own. Children are reassured as the engines make mistakes in every episode. As they learn from those missteps, the stern but benevolent Sir Topham Hat -- the parental stand-in -- always forgives the errant engines.