Simple but jaunty storytelling with a valuable character message for young readers.
An old school bus proves its worth when kids get stranded during a winter storm.
Cooper's illustrated children's book offers a key takeaway for young readers: Look beyond appearances; what’s inside is much more important. In this upbeat story, an overworked, status-conscious mayor appoints a popular elementary teacher to the position of superintendent of schools. As long as the teacher can still visit his students, he’s happy to do the job—in fact, he finds everything “super,” even the fleet of school buses that is now his responsibility. But the mayor demands that one of the buses be sent to the scrap heap because “it doesn’t look new and modern. The other buses are much fancier.” The new superintendent and a female bus driver named Driver Dani fix up the derelict vehicle instead and name it Super Bus: “By the time the cold weather came, the bus was in perfect shape. The powerful engine hummed, and the bus was clean and shiny, inside and out.” During a winter storm, the mayor realizes that his order to “get rid of that monstrosity” was disobeyed when icy roads keep the “fancier” buses from reaching kids stranded at their Hilltop School. It’s Super Bus to the rescue, delivering all the students “safely to their homes.” The appealing hero teaches the mayor (and the audience) a helpful lesson about judging buses—and people—by their appearances. At the end of the lively and enjoyable book, the author invites readers to go back and see if they can find the more than 60 school buses that are scattered throughout Lock’s colorful, cartoon-style images with a delightfully diverse human cast.
Simple but jaunty storytelling with a valuable character message for young readers.Pub Date: July 17, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-948747-01-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: J2B Publishing
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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