Thomas the Hero

This article is about the 2020 book. You may be looking for the 2010 book.

Thomas the Hero
Overview
Author	Jane Riordan
Illustrator(s)	Robin Davies Dan Crisp (map illustration)
Publisher(s)	Egmont Publishing
Published	2 April 2020 (UK)
Release Guide
← Previous	Happy Birthday
Next →	Thomas Goes on Safari

Thomas the Hero is a book made to commemorate Victory in Europe Day.

Plot

When Thomas the Tank Engine sees a vintage plane flying over, he is fascinated and follows it all the way to the airfield. There, he meets many wonderful planes and learns all about the part they played in the war. Thomas wishes he could be a hero too. Then when one of the planes makes an emergency landing, it is time for Thomas to come to the rescue. Perhaps he can be a hero after all.

Characters

• Thomas
• James
• Percy
• Mitchell
• Sir Topham Hatt
• The Hawker Hurricane (does not speak)
• The Supermarine Spitfires (not named; do not speak)
• The Avro Lancaster (not named; does not speak)
• Annie and Clarabel (cameos)
• Dilly (cameo)

Locations

• Island of Sodor
  • Dryaw Airfield
  • Tidmouth Sheds
  • Duck Pond
• The Mainland
  • London

Trivia

• This book was published to tie in with the 75th anniversary of D-Day and the end of the Second World War.
• This book marks the first of a few things:
  • The first mention of the Second World War outside of The Railway Series (second had The Adventures of Thomas been released).
  • The first appearance of the faceless Breakdown Train since the introduction of Judy and Jerome in the 2015 special The Adventure Begins.
• This book marks the second time firearms are seen in any media of The Railway Series and Thomas & Friends, as Mitchell still has his machine guns attached. The first instance of this was in the third illustration of The Railway Series story Double Header.
• There is a small biography on the Reverend W. Awdry at the end of the book.
• Thomas wishing he could be a hero is similar to the twelfth series episode, Saved You!.

Gallery