Thomas and Friends: Misty Island Rescue Parent Guide

If your preschooler is ready for more than a television length episode of Thomas & Friends, he or she may enjoy Misty Island Rescue. Under Sir Topham Hatt’s direction, Thomas and the other engines are busy collecting materials for the new Sodor Search and Rescue Center. Their responsibilities include moving several carloads of expensive wood from one site to the building location.

Unfortunately competitive egos and a dose of overconfidence puts the project and some of the engines in jeopardy. (Young viewers may be frightened by moments of peril when a train is nearly dragged over a cliff by a heavy load he is moving.) Later when Thomas is lost at sea during a transport to the mainland, all of the rescue vehicles are called into action. Steaming and flying around the open ocean, a helicopter and tugboat do their part to search for their friend.

Meanwhile, Thomas is washed up on the shore of the spooky Misty Island and has to learn to face his fears and to trust others when he finds himself alone and lost at night. While the youngest viewers may not anticipate the consequences of the tank engine’s decisions, older kids will likely understand that Thomas is making choices he is going to regret.

Luckily this 60-minute movie doesn’t leave any character out in the cold or any problem unresolved by the time the credits role. Recognizing their mistakes and working cooperatively, the engines, as well as the rescue vehicles, put all right with the help of Sir Topham Hatt.

About author

Kerry Bennett

Kerry Bennett is interested in media from both a journalist and parent perspective. Along with authoring articles for several family-oriented publications, she has written for Parent Previews for over 15 years. As a parent herself, she believes parents play a powerful role in teaching media literacy in their homes.