| For other uses, see Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree (disambiguation). |
Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree is a related book of The Railway Series that was written by Christopher Awdry and illustrated by Clive Spong. It was later re-released with My First Thomas-style illustrations.
Plot
Thomas is sent to fetch a Christmas tree, much to the annoyance of the mainline engines. After Thomas leaves to collect the Christmas tree, all the engines are very excited about the celebrations. But the next morning, they realise that Thomas has not returned home. The Fat Controller tells the engines that Thomas must be found, so he sends Donald and Douglas to find him. With a van between their tenders and a snowplough on their fronts, the Scottish twins set off. They find the snow very deep at Wellsworth and, in the cutting before Gordon's Hill, they find Thomas stuck in the snow. James and Edward, clearing the snow from the opposite direction, come to help too. After the rescue, all the engines return home in time for the Christmas party. Father Christmas comes to the party aboard Harold and gives Thomas and Percy balloons.
Characters
- Thomas
- Henry
- Gordon
- James
- Donald and Douglas
- Sir Stephen Topham Hatt III
- Edward (does not speak)
- Percy (does not speak) *
- Toby (does not speak) *
- Duck (does not speak)
- The Works Diesel (does not speak) *
- Annie (does not speak)
- Harold (does not speak)
- Father Christmas (does not speak)
- Bill and Ben (cameos) *
- BoCo (cameo) *
- Trevor (cameo) *
- Charlie Sand (cameo)
- Sidney Hever (cameo)
- Clarabel (mentioned)
- The Mayor of Sodor (mentioned)
(* Absent in My First Thomas edition)
Locations
Trivia
- Christopher Awdry talked a bit about this book in Harold's section of Sodor: Reading Between the Lines.[1] In it, he described Harold as becoming so popular from his sole appearance in Percy the Small Engine that he was asked to include the helicopter in this book specifically written for TV. Both books would be adapted in the second series, which aired the same year this book was published. In fact, this book was published two days before Percy and Harold and The Runaway originally aired.
- Because this book is a television tie-in, Donald and Douglas appear in their black liveries. It is also notable that only engines who had been featured in the television series at that point are present at the Christmas celebrations – Bear, Oliver and Mavis are absent.
- The Works Diesel also appears as well.
- In the original publication, Donald and Douglas are painted black like their television series counterparts but in some versions of the My First Thomas edition, they are blue.
- In the eighteenth illustration, a poster advertises the Lake District, which is where the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway (the Arlesdale Railway's basis) is located.
Goofs
- Throughout the book, Henry's crosshead is misaligned with his cylinders.
- In the My First Thomas version:
- All of the engines have no lining, couplings and their footplates are painted the same colour as them.
- Part of Henry's footplate is red.
- In the fourth illustration, Henry's tender is missing.
- James' wheels, dome and siderods are painted red.
- Donald and Douglas' running boards are painted red.
- Annie and Clarabel's wheels are painted orange.
- Duck's wheels are painted green and his running board is red.
- In the tenth illustration of the original version, Gordon is painted in Douglas' livery.
- The works unit coach is painted orange with red running boards and buffer beams and it is also drawn too short.
In Other Languages
| Language | Title |
|---|---|
| Korean | 토머스와 없어진 크리스마스 트리 |
| Norwegian | Thomas og juletreet som forsvant |
| Welsh | Tomos a'r Goeden Nadolig |