Thomas and Friends, you’ve got competition. Another much-loved train-related children’s brand is on the App Store: Ivor the Engine. In fact, Ivor First Book is his second iOS app, following a game released earlier this year. Second time round, it’s a book-app.

According to developer Dreadnought Design, the story is taken from the original First Story book, which was turned into a TV series back in 1958. Not that the app is old fashioned: expect high-resolution visuals, animation, voice narration and a musical soundtrack accompanying the text.

Here’s my concern about Ivor the Engine: will today’s kids be interested? There’s a danger it becomes one of those apps that parents buy because they’re nostalgic for the original books and/or TV show, but which doesn’t engage their kids as much as they’d hope - since those children have been brought up with a different kind of fiction (and, more to the point, different forms of interactive entertainment).

Those cautions aside, Ivor First Book costs £1.99 for iPad, and looks like a well-crafted app that’s well worth a look.