For vehicle enthusiasts just starting school.
A new bus is inspected on his first day.
Ben, the bus driver, opens the bus barn’s doors and says good morning to all the buses: Bossy, Zippy, Bouncy, Big, and the newest and smallest member of the fleet, Busy Bus. Busy Bus is very excited, and while Ben inspects his tires, tops up the gas, and adjusts the mirrors, “Busy Bus hopes the children will know they’re safe.” Ben moves inside to check the lights, stop arm, emergency door, fire extinguisher, and first aid kit while Busy Bus wonders if the children will “have fun” riding with him. Ben turns the motor on and checks the gauges and switches and wipers and brakes, but, inspection complete, Busy Bus has a sudden case of nerves: “What if I get homesick?…What if I don’t make any friends?” But one last touch from Ben steels the bus’s courage to go out and do his job. “Busy Bus is going to have a great year!” And hopefully readers will, too, though this book won’t do too much to calm their own fears or keep their interest if they are not into vehicle inspections. Still, the lino print and black ink illustrations with digital color are cute and cheerful, and readers will learn the parts of a bus. Ben presents white.
For vehicle enthusiasts just starting school. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: July 3, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4814-9467-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The visual details invite interaction, making it a good choice for storytime or solo inspection.
It’s a quiet day, until….
“I have a bot!” An excited child’s happiness is short-lived, for the remote-controlled toy escapes its wireless tether and begins an ascent up the side of a skyscraper. The building’s doorman launches a race to recover the bot, and soon everyone wants to help. Attempts to retrieve the bot, which is rendered as a red rectangle with a propeller, arms, and a rudimentary face, go from the mundanity of a broom to the absurd—a bright orange beehive hairdo and a person-sized Venus’ flytrap are just some of the silly implements the building’s occupants use to try to rein in the bot. Each double-page spread reveals another level of the building—and further visual hijinks—as the bot makes its way to the top, where an unexpected hero waits (keep an eye out for falling bananas). The tall, narrow trim size echoes the shape of the skyscraper, providing a sense of height as the bot rises. Text is minimal; short declarations in tidy black dialogue bubbles with white courier-style typeface leave the primary-colored, blocky art to effectively carry the story. Facial expressions—both human and bot—are comically spot-on. The bot-owning child has light skin, and there are several people of color among those trying to rescue the bot. One person wears a kufi.
The visual details invite interaction, making it a good choice for storytime or solo inspection. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: July 23, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-425-28881-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
PERSPECTIVES
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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