James the Red Engine

You've just bought yourself a first-class ticket on a "Thomas and Friends" train wreck.  All aboard!

THREE PROS

*My son cannot get enough of the song that plays when you push the face on the front cover

*Speaking of that face on the cover, there's just something cool about it -- almost makes the book feel like an action figure

*The sturdily-constructed board book has a nice weight and feel in your hands

THREE CONS 

*Josie Yee is a good illustrator, but the mysterious writer of this gem (no one is foolish enough to take credit) has penned one of the worst "stories" of all-time

*As great as the front cover is (what with it's musical ability and 3-D effect), it's virtually impossible for a young child to actually push down hard enough to make it play the song

*The book literally has no identifying information on the front cover -- so weird

ONE DAD'S OPINION

You know those old cartoons where the bad guy ties someone to the tracks just moments before a speeding train is destined to arrive? That's basically what we have here. The book is saved from Destruction at the last second when the song plays from the musical face on the cover.  [After pushing down on it for what seems like hours.]  This scenario will repeat itself each time you read it until the batteries eventually die.  And once the sound dies, the book's rating will immediately cross over and join the batteries in the land of the dead.  When that day comes, I'll post a YouTube video; but until then it's just a Donate.  Final word of advice: you'd be better off never opening the thing to begin with, since all of the Pros are housed on the exterior.    

Buy / Borrow / DONATE / Destroy