Youngsters will enjoy identifying the various vehicles as they play along.
A favorite preschool pastime—watching an assortment of passing vehicles—takes on a new eco-friendly angle.
From an apartment window, two children enjoy waving and saying “Bye” to the multitude of cars that come along their busy city street. “Bye car. / Bye another car. / Bye near car.” Once they leave the apartment in the company of an adult, their “Bye”s become more descriptive. “Bye grown-up car. / Bye baby car. / Bye big car. / Bye tiny car.” They continue their outing, and the noise and hubbub of city traffic increases. “Bye howling car. / Bye growling car. / Bye noisy car. / Bye quiet car.” Simple yet evocative language is balanced by equally minimalist drawings reflecting a hectic and harried environment dominated by the internal combustion engine, often with cars leaving remnants of exhaust behind. Rieley includes face masks as everyone goes about their business. Turn the page, and it is a new day that is greener, calmer, and more pleasantly quiet. The kids are out on another walk; they pass an e-bus, a light-rail tram, and a plethora of people riding bicycles. Gone are the exhaust fumes as well as the face masks. “Hello vehicles / greener, cleaner. / Hello!” Endpapers reflect the transition from fossil fuels to cleaner-powered transportation. The adult and the older child have olive skin and straight, black hair, and the younger child presents White. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Youngsters will enjoy identifying the various vehicles as they play along. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-78628-567-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Child's Play
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
While it’s cute and will help to complete vehicle lovers’ collections, this package doesn’t do much to address school fears...
Rhyming verses stretch out the job of a school bus to 12 spreads.
Driving down the road, picking up kids and dropping them off, visiting the mechanic, operating the wheelchair platform and going around a bend are a few of the things the yellow vehicle does in the job it so obviously loves, as evidenced by its smiling bumper, cheerful eyes and pink cheeks—all vehicle parts. Each verse starts with “I’m a little school bus,” so readers (especially those reading aloud) will be hard-pressed not to try to force the rhymes into the tune for “I’m a Little Teapot.” Some work better than others, both at fitting the tune and scanning well. “I’m a little school bus / waiting by the walk. / Boys and girls climb on, / sit and laugh and talk.” Kolar’s digital illustrations are cartoon-bright, the people are nicely diverse, and there’s not a grumpy face to be found. Oddly, the creators choose not to focus on a single day; the illustrations go from skirt- and shorts-clad children to a snow day and back to T-shirts in just three spreads. There’s not much on bus safety (save lining up to get on and don’t put your hands out the windows), and the pictures never show the inside of the bus.
While it’s cute and will help to complete vehicle lovers’ collections, this package doesn’t do much to address school fears or preparedness in the preschool audience it appears to be aimed at. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 24, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9435-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
May try the patience of antsy little ones, though vehicle fans will be delighted.
A cast of critters as impatient as they are colorful yearn for frozen treats.
In a neighborhood occupied by sweet-toothed beasties, the ice cream truck reigns supreme, but a lengthy roster of vehicles must first pass through this animal kingdom—a dump truck, mail truck, and fire truck, to name just a few. Trucks putter through town to onlookers’ delight and disappointment, and spectators bid each one farewell and wish it good luck—all the while dreaming of the delectable goodies to come. Eagle-eyed readers will know when to expect the ice cream truck’s advent, cleverly foreshadowed in the book’s opening spread. While Runyan’s work is pleasing in its simplicity, with characters rendered in bright watercolors and their homes and greenery depicted in appealing collages, Fairbank’s story drags on a shade too long. Though transportation-loving tots will eagerly exclaim over the various vehicles, others will grow frustrated waiting for the titular truck to arrive. Those seeking to incorporate the book into a storytime may want to practice reading this one aloud first, as some of the verses feel a bit clunky.
May try the patience of antsy little ones, though vehicle fans will be delighted. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 29, 2025
ISBN: 9780062842114
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
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