Record a Story with Thomas & Friends: Good Night, Little Engine enables adults and children to create and record a story in their own words. A parent who travels frequently or is in the military, or a grandparent who lives far away, might record the story as a gift for a child or grandchild. Or a parent might have a child record the story as a keepsake of the child s voice. Everyone can take turns recording pages and creating a keepsake storybook.Record a Story with Thomas & Friends: Good Night, Little Engine tells the story of Thomas the Tank Engine s return to the Tidmouth Sheds after a rewarding day of work. Along the way he interacts with many favorite characters from the Island of Sodor. Each time a page is turned, a musical tune plays and a narrator reads the words on the page. At that point, an adult or child can record the words to personalize the book, and add his or her own thoughts. Follow these directions: Turn to the page you wish to record. Press the RECORD button. Listen to the instructions. When you hear a beeping sound, read the words on the page. After you are finished reading the page, press STOP. You can re-record until you are satisfied with the recording. Repeat the process with the remaining pages of the book. Set the locking switch behind the screw-on plate to ensure that your recording won t be inadvertently erased. The voice recording is permanent; it will not be lost when the book s batteries are changed. Three replaceable AAA batteries come with the book. Please note that in order for the book to function properly it must be recorded on a flat surface and in a well-lit area, so that the holes located on the right side of the book have an unobstructed view of a light source. The same conditions are also required for proper playback. - from Amzon