Featuring school buses, city buses, international mini-buses, and even a dino bus, this round-up of winsome transportation tales will tickle funny bones and fire up imaginations.
Are We There, Yeti? by Ashlyn Anstee. Illus. by author. S&S. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781481430890; ebook $10.99. ISBN 9781481430906.
PreS-Gr–A group of eager students on a field trip continually pepper their beloved school bus driver, who happens to be snow-white and giant-size, with a smile-inducing version of that perpetual on-the-road question, “Are we there, Yeti?” He patiently puts them off, until they reach a snow-covered mountaintop where a special surprise—and new furry friends—await. Dialogue-balloon text and packed-with-personality artwork make for an amusing jaunt and an equally appealing introduction to wordplay.
A Bus Called Heaven. by Bob Graham. Illus. by author. Candlewick. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780763658939.
K-Gr 4–When a bedraggled bus with a hand-painted sign reading “Heaven” taped to the front mysteriously appears on Stella’s city street, she looks at the trash-filled interior and sees something more. “It could be…ours,” she whispers, quietly taking charge and convincing her neighbors to push the heap into her front yard. Graham’s whimsically detailed paintings show individuals of all ages and ethnicities joining together to clean, paint, contribute to, and wholeheartedly embrace the abandoned vehicle, which gradually becomes a cherished activity and social center. This endearing picture book ends on the perfect note as Stella rallies her community to save their little piece of heaven from a regulation-toting junkman.
The Bus Is For Us. by Michael Rosen. Illus. by Gillian Tyler. Candlewick. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780763669836.
PreS-K–From the realistic (“When it starts to rain,/I like the train”) to the fanciful (“Sometimes I wish/I could ride on a fish”), a diverse cast of colorfully clad children celebrate their favorite forms of transportation, but all unequivocally agree, “…the best it the bus./The bus is for us.” Lovely dream-infused watercolor artwork, infectiously buoyant rhymes, and a chant-along refrain convey the action as more and more youngsters climb aboard a yellow double-decker to embrace adventure and esprit de corps.
Gus, the Dinosaur Bus. by Julia Liu. Illus. by Bei Lynn. Houghton Mifflin. 2013. Tr $12.99. ISBN 9780547905730; ebook $12.99. ISBN 9780544052925.
PreS-Gr 2–The lucky children on Gus’s bus route adore riding to school on the back of this affable green dino, hopping out of apartment windows, sliding down his neck to their seats, and smiling proudly as he stomps through city streets, but the heavy-as-five-elephants creature is causing infrastructure damage and traffic jams. Pulled off the job by the principal, the saddened supersaurus is reduced to supersize tears, but his caring young friends come up with the perfect new position—“dinosaur slide! And swing. And playground.” Engagingly enthusiastic text and scratchy black-line and warm-watercolor illustrations tell a sweetly satisfying story.
Last Stop on Market Street. by Matt de la Peña. Illus. by Christian Robinson. Putnam. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780399257742.
K-Gr 2–It’s Sunday after church, and CJ and his grandmother head through the rain to board the crosstown city bus for their weekly excursion. As passengers get on and off, the boy spends his time wondering, wishing, and wanting, but wise Nana, who “always found beautiful where he never even thought to look,” helps him to see the miracles right in front of him, and appreciate the gift of being able to give to others (their destination is a community soup kitchen). Poetic narration, radiant geometric-shaped artwork, and an authentic and enrichingly eye-opening representation of a diverse urban setting combine with out-and-out child appeal to make this tale a standout.
The Little School Bus. by Margery Cuyler. Illus. by Bob Kolar. Holt. 2014. Tr $12.99. ISBN 9780805094350; ebook $8.77. ISBN 9781466870253.
PreS–A vivacious vehicle narrates the details of a typical day on the job as the perky bus, piloted by driver Bob, carefully loads a line of smiling children, lowers its platform for Kate’s wheelchair, slowly eases into its spot in the school parking lot, and pulls into the maintenance yard for a tune-up. Bold and blocky digital artwork and bouncy rhymes make for a rollicking read-aloud ride.
My Bus. by Byron Barton. illus. by author. Greenwillow. 2014. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-228736-6; BD $7.99. ISBN 9780062287380.
PreS-Gr 1–A cheerful bus driver tools around town, picking up various groupings of dogs and cats until all 10 seats are full, then dropping the creatures off in reconfigured sets to continue their journeys via boat, train, or plane (except for the one dog that goes home with Joe). Byron’s simple text and dazzling color-blazoned artwork invites readers to count, calculate, categorize, and enjoy.
Off to Market. by Elizabeth Dale. Illus. Erika Pal. Frances Lincoln. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781847803382.
PreS-Gr 2–Cheery couplets describe how a multitude of children and adults carrying bags, boxes, baskets, chickens, and goats squeeze into (and on top of) Joe’s brightly decorated minibus for a trip to the market. When the overloaded vehicle grinds to a halt on a steep upward slope, it is quick-thinking and kindhearted young Keb who comes up with a solution that gets the matatu to its destination on time and puts smiles back on faces. Color-saturated illustrations depict the amusing action, the squashed-together characters, and the animals and terrain of the savannah.
Wheels on the Bus. by Jane Cabrera. Holiday. 2011. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9780823423507.
PreS-Gr 2–A lavishly depicted tropical forest setting and sparkling portrayals of a variety of animals make this version of the traditional song irresistible. Welcomed aboard by a giraffe driver, each critter gets a sumptuous spread that invites audience participation as a lion roars, flamingos flap wings, fuzzy gray monkeys chatter, a chameleon plays hide-and-seek, bush babies snore, and more, until they arrive at a watering hole and off-load to “Splish! Splash, Splosh!/All day long!” Fun for storytime, sing-aloud sharing, and maybe even introducing animal species.
Wheels on the Tuk Tuk. by Kabir Sehgal & Surishtha Sehgal. Illus. by Jess Golden. Beach Lane/S&S. Jan. 2016. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781481448314; ebook $10.99. ISBN 9781481448321.
PreS-Gr 2–Set in a bustling city in India, this “Wheels on the Bus” adaptation describes an effervescent excursion aboard a local mainstay of public transportation. Passengers scramble aboard a three-wheeled auto rickshaw, piloted by an unflappable wala (or driver), for a “bobble-bobble-bobble” ride that includes the “ching ching ching” of rupees, sharing greetings and a bow (“Namaste-ji”) pausing to purchase yummy “poppa-doppa-doms” (crisp flat lentil snacks), and an impromptu “spray-spray-spray” from an elephant’s trunk (and the resulting “swish-swish-swish” of the tuk tuk wiper) before reaching their destination—a Diwali fireworks celebration. Jubilant pastel paintings and toe-tapping text burst with details that bring this locale to vivid life, providing both information tidbits and busloads of fun.
See also Joy Fleishhacker’s “Companions Steadfast and True | Great Books About Imaginary Friends,”