Young readers will never see the school bus the same way again.
There’s a monster on the bus…and a lot more in this take on “The Wheels on the Bus.”
Angelique, her best friend, Cassius, and all the other elementary school–aged children board the big yellow school bus on their way to school. But today’s journey is no ordinary ride. The monster on the bus is just the first of a range of characters who overtake the children on their way to school. After eating the bus driver, the pink, fluffy monster drives the vehicle as it is boarded by a villain (who says, “Earth will pay”), a dinosaur (who roars, “Grr, grr, grr!”), an astronaut (who yells, “Fire main engine!” launching the bus into outer space), and finally a wizard, who chants, “Presto chango!” and transforms the children into monsters themselves. Luckily, Angelique is strong enough to stand up to the invaders and lead the children to take their bus back. The pink, fluffy monster disgorges the bus driver and things go back to normal…kind of. The story is simple and open-ended; many kids will be spurred to come up with their own versions. The illustrations make this a charming read, with endearing, round-headed, big-eyed cartoon characters and lots of details for readers to spot. Angelique is brown-skinned with dark hair, Cassius is light-skinned with red hair, and their classmates are diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Young readers will never see the school bus the same way again. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-984835-51-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Avast, me mateys! This be good clean fun on the salty seas.
Using one’s imagination is a lot easier when everybody is on board.
“What are you playing?” an amused parent asks a small child. The little one cries out resolutely, “I’M NOT PLAYING!” After all, a storm is on its way, and it’s time to fit out the ship. The adult’s gentle protestations (“Um, I kind of need to vacuum the rug”) are no match for the undeniable fact that the rug is, in fact, the ocean. Soon enough the two are raising the mainsail, swabbing the poop deck, hoisting the burgee, and more (a helpful glossary of sailing terms is included). In spite of the occasional cell phone interruption (the child, facedown on the rug, laments, “We are in the doldrums” when the adult takes a call), all is put right when the adult gets back into the spirit of things, fielding an attack against a giant squid (aka the vacuum cleaner). Rescues, distress signals, hungry sharks—it all adds up to a wonderful time. That rug is never getting vacuumed. Blackall slips with ease between fantasy and reality, and young readers will have oodles of fun watching as socks morph into seagulls and paper towel tubes become telescopes. It’s also nice to see a book where the notion of turning off your cell phone is aimed more directly at the parents than the kids. All characters are light-skinned.
Avast, me mateys! This be good clean fun on the salty seas. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9780593429396
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Anne Schwartz/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024
Atinuke has bottled the delightful energy of the Anna Hibiscus books and poured it into this treat for younger readers.
A circular tale of family love with visual rewards for sharp-eyed listeners.
In this story that looks like an alphabet book but focuses exclusively on the letter B, a smiling woman, probably mama, stands in a yard, holding Baby cheek-to-cheek, as another woman chats with four children under the awning of a small tin-roofed house in the background. Many visual details hint at this book’s African (probably Nigerian) setting. After Mama Beads Baby’s hair, Brother loads a Basket of Bananas onto his Bicycle while bopping to the beat of what’s playing through his headphones, oblivious to everything else—especially the fact that Baby climbed into the Basket to have a Banana for Breakfast. On the road, he passes a Baobab tree, Birds, a Butterfly, Baboons, a Bus brimming over with brown-skinned riders crossing a Bridge, and more sights—few of which Brother notices. Nothing, however, escapes the keen eyes of Baby. Only when Brother lifts the Bananas from the Bicycle rack does anyone discover the stowaway. A surprised Baba happily welcomes both grandchildren, who join him for Biscuits and bottles of something bubbly. Brooksbank effectively avoids stereotypes while adding humor and cultural specificity to the story with her detailed and lively, colorful, mixed-media images. Safety-conscious caregivers may suck their teeth, but there’s no denying the joy in this book.
Atinuke has bottled the delightful energy of the Anna Hibiscus books and poured it into this treat for younger readers. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0166-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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