November means that the days are getting shorter and the weather is getting chillier—making it the perfect time to curl up under a blanket with a good book. And if you’re looking for something to read during storytime with younger children, Operation Lifesaver (OL) Canada is here to help.
OL is once again offering free copies of its two
Thomas & FriendsTM rail-safety books: the
Stand Back activity book and the
Stay Safe storybook. These books harness the power of storytelling to teach important rail safety lessons to children aged 3 to 6. Kids can follow along with Thomas the Tank Engine as he learns about the dangers of not stopping at railway crossings, standing too close to the platform edge, or leaving farm gates open so that animals can wander onto the tracks.
Teaching children rail safety rules that could save their lives
Children don’t instinctively know how to behave safely around tracks and trains—and this can lead to tragedies. Taking the time to provide them with age-appropriate rail safety information will ensure they have the knowledge they need to stay safe.
“Our Thomas & Friends books enable parents, grandparents and educators to teach younger children about rail safety in a fun and engaging way,” says Sarah Mayes, National Director of Operation Lifesaver Canada. “This will hopefully help to shape their future behaviours—and prevent them from taking unnecessary risks around tracks and trains.”
Providing parents and educators with free Thomas resources
In 2022, OL partnered with Mattel Canada, CPKC, and Metrolinx to publish and launch the two
Thomas & FriendsTM rail safety books during Rail Safety Week in September. Since then, OL has provided almost 60,000 free copies to parents, educators, and community groups.
Anyone can download a PDF version of the storybook from our website, and parents, teachers, librarians, and community groups can order batches of 25 hard copies of each book using a form on our
website. We’ll even ship the books for free.
So, what are you waiting for? Download the e-book or order some hard copies today, and get reading. Let’s work together to make sure every child learns how to stay rail-safe.