It's a Field Trip, Busy Bus!

June 1, 2019
Will an earnest school bus get the recognition it deserves? Colorful, digitally enhanced lino prints and clear, minimal text tell the tale of a yellow bus, aka Busy Bus, on his first field trip. Unfortunately for Busy Bus, the trip is to a fire station to visit a fire truck. To the bus, the fire truck seems superior in every way; it is red, shiny, and huge, with hoses, a ladder, and a siren. Busy Bus looks close to tears--until the station's captain mentions that there are some things the fire truck can't do that Busy Bus can: protect children with a stop arm, carry students to and from school, bring kids on trips. An accessible tale of the pitfalls of invidious comparison and the importance of appreciating differences, this deceptively simple description of the ups and downs of new experiences, first field trips, and the characteristics of different vehicles will especially appeal to toddlers and young preschoolers who love buses and trucks. The children are a diverse crew, and their teacher is a black man--a welcome sight, as is the fact that the (light-skinned) firefighter captain is a woman. Caregivers will find this to be a good conversation starter on topics such as strengths and weaknesses, insecurity, differences, and competition. (Picture book. 4-8)

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August 1, 2019

PreS-K-In this sequel to It's Your First Day of School, Busy Bus!, a helpful vehicle is excited to be taking students on his first field trip to the fire station. The children meet the captain of the fire station, and he introduces them to shiny, red Engine 4, a "fire-fighting beast!" that saves lives with special hoses, a ladder, and a siren. Busy Bus begins to feel insignificant compared to such a wonderful Engine, and his pleasure in the field trip begins to dwindle. Busy Bus feels small and insignificant. Luckily, the captain soon points out to the children that Engine 4 cannot transport children safely, something that Busy Bus can do. Young children will enjoy this story. The anthropomorphic Busy Bus is gentle and kind, and the simple text shows clearly what makes fire engines and school buses special to children. Plus, it gently reinforces that focusing on one's talents is far preferable to being jealous of the capabilities of others. There are very few words on each page, and the use of some repetition will be appealing to preschoolers learning to read: "Engine 4 is red. Engine 4 is shiny. Engine 4 is huge." VERDICT Many preschool classrooms have a unit of community helpers, and this satisfying story will be perfect for such a unit.-Sally James, South Hillsborough Elementary School, Hillsborough, CA

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