The Little School Bus

June 1, 2014
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)

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July 1, 2014

PreS-Through a simple rhyming text, a little school bus details a typical day of work, beginning with driver Bob climbing on board with a cup of coffee at 5:00 a.m. and ending with a tune-up and scrub down at the maintenance garage. In between, it drives through town, "bouncing, turning, thumping, /always on the go," to pick up a variety of smiling children, including Kate, who uses a wheelchair. The text lends itself well to reading aloud, and the blocky digital illustrations are bright and clear. This book will be a big hit with vehicle-loving preschoolers and is also an excellent selection to use with groups preparing to start kindergarten. A must-have for general purchase, especially in collections in which Cuyler's The Little Dump Truck (Holt, 2009) is already a favorite.-Martha Link Yesowitch, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, NC

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