In "James in a Mess and Other Thomas the Tank Engine Stories," readers are invited into the bustling world of Sodor, where engines like Thomas, James, and Percy navigate their everyday adventures. In the titular story, James finds himself in a humiliating predicament when he gets covered in coal dust after a mishap. The other engines tease him, sparking a journey of self-discovery and the importance of friendship. Through various tales, themes of teamwork, responsibility, and the joys of railway life are explored, making it a delightful read for children and fans of Thomas & Friends. [Generated by language model - please report any problems].

This book features in the following series: Thomas the Tank Engine, Thomas the Tank Engine Thomas And Friends .

This book is aimed at children at US kindergarten-3rd grade.

This book has been graded for interest at 5-8 years.

This book was published in 2011 by Random House Books for Young Readers .

Reverend Wilbert Awry created Thomas the Tank Engine when his son Christopher became ill with measles. Christopher kept asking for more stories and Wilbert began writing them. The first of the railway series was published in 1945. Awdry wrote 26 Railway books in total before Christopher took over the series.