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CHEECH THE SCHOOL BUS DRIVER

Name: CHEECH THE SCHOOL BUS DRIVER
Author: Cheech Marin
ISBN: 978-0-06-113201-8

by Cheech Marin & illustrated by Orlando L. Ramírez ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2007

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Celebrity-penned picture books don’t generally inspire much enthusiasm among young listeners. Although the “authors” may be well known to adults, children care more about content. And in many cases, talent in one field doesn’t necessarily imply ability in another. There are exceptions, of course, but unfortunately this rambling first-person narrative won’t be one of them. Obviously intended to cash in on both the author’s comedy routines and the popularity of books that build self-esteem and celebrate diversity, the overly long text fails to entertain or enlighten. The plot is predictable: A mariachi band made up of school children enters a Battle of the Bands, flirts with changing their presentation to resemble the competing rock bands but ultimately decides to stick to their own style. They win, of course. The cartoon-style illustrations are appealing though somewhat static. Outlandish outfits and exaggerated expressions add humor, but the pictures aren’t engaging enough to make up for the forgettable text. Well meant, perhaps, but sadly not “groovanova.” (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: July 1, 2007

ISBN: 978-0-06-113201-8

Page Count: 32

Publisher: HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2007

Categories:

CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
CHEECH AND THE SPOOKY GHOST BUS
by Cheech Marin and illustrated by Orlando L. Ramírez

- BOOK REVIEW
CAPTAIN CHEECH
by Cheech Marin & illustrated by Orlando L. Ramírez

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TINY LITTLE ROCKET

by Richard Collingridge ; illustrated by Richard Collingridge ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 31, 2018

A fair choice, but it may need some support to really blast off.

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This rocket hopes to take its readers on a birthday blast—but there may or may not be enough fuel.

Once a year, a one-seat rocket shoots out from Earth. Why? To reveal a special congratulatory banner for a once-a-year event. The second-person narration puts readers in the pilot’s seat and, through a (mostly) ballad-stanza rhyme scheme (abcb), sends them on a journey toward the sun, past meteors, and into the Kuiper belt. The final pages include additional information on how birthdays are measured against the Earth’s rotations around the sun. Collingridge aims for the stars with this title, and he mostly succeeds. The rhyme scheme flows smoothly, which will make listeners happy, but the illustrations (possibly a combination of paint with digital enhancements) may leave the viewers feeling a little cold. The pilot is seen only with a 1960s-style fishbowl helmet that completely obscures the face, gender, and race by reflecting the interior of the rocket ship. This may allow readers/listeners to picture themselves in the role, but it also may divest them of any emotional connection to the story. The last pages—the backside of a triple-gatefold spread—label the planets and include Pluto. While Pluto is correctly labeled as a dwarf planet, it’s an unusual choice to include it but not the other dwarfs: Ceres, Eris, etc. The illustration also neglects to include the asteroid belt or any of the solar system’s moons.

A fair choice, but it may need some support to really blast off. (Picture book. 6-8)

Pub Date: July 31, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-338-18949-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: David Fickling/Phoenix/Scholastic

Review Posted Online: April 15, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LIONHEART
by Richard Collingridge ; illustrated by Richard Collingridge

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TRASHY TOWN

by Andrea Zimmerman & David Clemesha ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 30, 1999

Part of a spate of books intent on bringing the garbage collectors in children’s lives a little closer, this almost matches...

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Listeners will quickly take up the percussive chorus—“Dump it in, smash it down, drive around the Trashy town! Is the trash truck full yet? NO”—as they follow burly Mr. Gilly, the garbage collector, on his rounds from park to pizza parlor and beyond.

Flinging cans and baskets around with ease, Mr. Gilly dances happily through streetscapes depicted with loud colors and large, blocky shapes; after a climactic visit to the dump, he roars home for a sudsy bath.

Part of a spate of books intent on bringing the garbage collectors in children’s lives a little closer, this almost matches Eve Merriam’s Bam Bam Bam (1995), also illustrated by Yaccarino, for sheer verbal and visual volume. (Picture book. 5-7)