BUS-A-SAURUS BOP

Cheerfully bizarre illustrations and energetic but inconsistent rhymes tell of the monster “bus-a-saurus” as he proceeds around town picking up schoolchildren. One by one they walk up his tongue-steps and ride to school inside his mouth and throat, bouncing madly the whole way—as if there’s no gravity in there—but emerging at school none the worse for wear. The careening road, almost a character itself, ripples and spirals up into the air; houses and trees, dwarfed by bus-a-saurus, also fly off the ground. The form of verse changes from page to page, with the rhyme and rhythm sometimes fluid but sometimes awkward. The watercolor paintings use pen-and-ink outlines for specificity and have a cartoon flavor. Not for the faint of heart, but perfect for readers with a taste for the offbeat and the playfully grotesque. (Picture book. 3-6)