"Hurry Hurry!"
Written: Jan 16 '03 (Updated Mar 26 '03)
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Pros: Adds a great deal of value to pretend play time with Thomas
Cons: Pretty much worthless by herself. Must have Thomas and Clarabel too.
The Bottom Line: If you have Thomas, the quality of your child's creative play time with him will be increased with Annie, so long as you get Clarabel too.
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| dagny21's Full Review: Learning Curve Toys Intl Inc. Thomas and Friends W... |
It's bewildering, really, but my son really likes Annie and Clarabel. Whenever they are seen with Thomas he points them out. So, shortly after I bought the first batch of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends wooden railway items, Annie and Clarabel both went on the top of the list to purchase as soon as possible.
The Annie Toy
Annie is one of the coaches often seen attached to Thomas the Tank Engine. Annie rides right behind Thomas, and Clarabel who is almost identical to her, rides behind Annie. She is a nice old-fashioned looking brown coach, which is fitting considering she's supposed to be old. Except for her two black wheels which are plastic, and her magnets, Annie is all wood. She has the usual largish round magnets on her front and rear, and two small bonus magnets on her roof, which enable her to be lifted by cranes, the break down train, Harold, or anything else equipped with a magnet.
Playing with Annie
I ordered Annie and Clarabel both off of ebay, but from different dealers. It just so happened that Clarabel arrived first, and though I was going to hold onto her and give Annie & Clarabel to my son at the same time, my husband just couldn't wait.
When my son first got Clarabel, he was calling her "AnnieandClarabel" and didn't seem to realize that there were two separate pieces. We talked about it quite a bit: "This is Clarabel. She rides facing away from Thomas, and behind Annie. You'll have Annie some day." Some day is our pat answer to our son when we intend to get something for him, but we're not quite sure when, or we know it's far enough in the future that we don't want him asking for it every hour.
By the time Annie arrived several days later, my son knew exactly who she was and that she went between Thomas and Clarabel, with her face toward Thomas. I'm always amazed by how he knows the two of them apart, as at first glance they are identical. The only difference between them, aside from the names printed on their sides which my son cannot yet read is that Annie's mouth is shaped like an "0" and Clarabel's mouth is more of a flat line. I know he knows them apart, because they face in opposite directions and he always puts them in the correct order.
The cutest thing about my son's play is that the minute he attaches Annie, Clarabel, and Thomas together in a line he says "Hurry Hurry!" in this urgent tone of voice, which is what Annie & Clarabel say to Thomas in one of the books we read together.
Definitely buy this toy, as it makes the whole Thomas experience that much more real by giving Thomas his coaches to pull along the track. But, do realize that this toy isn't worth much on it's own. You really will need Thomas & Clarabel as well.
FIND RELATED REVIEWS BELOW
Wooden Railway System
Barrel Car
Bertie the Bus
Clarabel- Thomas' Beloved Coach
Edward the Blue Engine
Gordon the Big Express Engine
Harold the Helicoptor
Henry the Green Engine
James the Red Engine
Lady
Percy the Small Engine
Rusty with Construction Cars
Thomas the Tank Engine
Tidmouth Milk Tanker
Toby the Tram Engine
Arched Stone Bridge
Single Stone Tunnel
6.5 inch Curved Switch Track
6.5 inch Curved Track
Circle Set
Books
Diesel's Devious Deed
Thomas: The Really Useful Engine
Buying Thomas
All Aboard Toys
Train Table
Nilo Train Table
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 7.99
Type of Toy: Trains
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years
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Epinions.com ID:
dagny21
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 in Kids & Family |
 - Top 500 |
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Member: Christine D
Location: Alaska
Reviews written: 388
Trusted by: 66 members
About Me:
Happily married mother of one boy.
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