Customer Reviews

Wheels on the Bus, The, 10th Anniversary Reissue

5 star:		(94)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book for my 22-month old son on our trip to London this past June. He absolutely loves it! I found it by accident at a children's store there called Trotters. We were actually looking for shoes at the time. When I picked up the book and casually showed it to him, he did not want to put it down anymore. He just kept turning the wheels and saying "round and round" The book is beautifully and cleverly illustrated. Each page is packed of every day life scene made to be fun by the moving parts! We read this book at least twice a day now (it used to be 4-5 times a day!)and he never gets tired of it. He always seems to find something new and interesting every time we read it. He now loves the summary page at the end of the book and the page where everyone gets off the bus to go to the library and my son would say "Don't forget the cat." I know that this book is out of print; however, I'm happy to share that it is available through amazon.com.uk! I'm buying another one for our next child, I don't think this one will make it. Thanks Amazon.com!!

The Wheels on the Bus is my one-year-old's favorite song. It has been our companion on long car trips, and it has forced me into greater and greater physical contortions in trying to act it out. When I saw this fabulous book, it seemed to be the answer to my prayers. Let the book do the work! Look! The doors actually open and close, and the people on the bus can go bumpety-bump without me jumping up and down. My son seemed to agree. He adores the book. The only thing is that if he gets it into his hands by himself, he tends to rip it apart. The wheels on the bus have been glued back on several times. So, we put it on a high shelf away from the other books, only to be read with an adult. But my son can't pass the shelf withoug pointing and going "Ungf, ungf." Now, I'm a slave to the Wheels on the Bus. I'm forced to read it day and night. Thank goodness it's such a wittily illustrated book. Now, if they'd only make it in a board book version..

Our two-year-old loves this book. It is colorful, interactive and fun fun fun. It is one of those gems among children's books that is actually bearable the 500th time you read (or sing) it. The artistry is exceptional -- clever manipulatives and delightful illustrations help bring this classic song to life. You will open the doors, swish the windshield wipers, ssshh the babies, and yes, you will make the wheels go round. Manipulatives are generally lift-the-flap or tab.

The material is not very thick, so we also save this book for use with an adult. We have had to tape the wheels back on though, and have lost functionality on one or two pop-ups. Nevertheless, this is a delightful book that will bring smiles to your child -- and not drive *you* crazy!

I first bought this book when my now 10-year-old son was a toddler, and that copy is now an absolute rag. I'm so glad to see it here at Amazon, because I haven't been able to locate it anywhere else. This book is the best popup I've ever seen. It is illustrated with tremendous charm and humor, with new story lines to discover on every page. You'll love it, and it's a good thing, because your child will want to read it over and over and over and over....The babies going "wah wah wah" were a hoot, as were their mothers going "shh shh shh." It's a must for your library

This book is now a firm favorite in my toddler's library - although the book is recommended for over 4's, I have found that the pop up mechanism's really withstand little fingers! (My son is 2 and a half.) We've read our copy several times a day for months now and it is still (nearly) looking as good as new! It's quite amazing as he has managed to shred most of his other pop up books.

The illustrations are beautiful and the 'story' true to the original song. A MUST for all parents with interactive little ones - so much more fun than a video game!!

I'll definately be looking out for other Paul O. Zelmsky illustrated books.

One of our favorite songs is now a pop-up book! This is a colorful and very busy book. It's great fun, but difficult for quick little fingers to maneuver without damaging the tabs. I will put this book away till he's 4 years old and try again then.

If you worry that toddler CD-ROMs and Barney videos have made it impossible for your child to concentrate on a simple story book, this book is an excellent introduction to the world of books. Not only is the song familiar and true to the original, this book with its amazingly engineered parts allow the wheels to really go round and round, for people to go bumpety bump and for all the babies to go 'waah-waah-waah' at the same time. You just have got to see it for yourself to believe such a book is possible. In addition to the main story, the beautiful illustrations tell yet another story which unfolds itself with new details everytime you open the book, so it is guaranteed to keep not only your child but you entertained for a very very long time.

This is a replacement copy for my 3 1/2 year-old daughter. The 1st copy was a baby gift and our daughter was 2 when we started to read it to her. She was too rough with the 1st copy and tore about 3/4 of the action pages. I don't blame the book, it was our fault as parents to let a child that young handle the book. That said, it is a wonderful book. The illustrations are detailed and I keep seeing new things each time we read it. The cover is sparkly and our daughter has to "eat" the cake on the cover.

I learned that this book is number 174 on the list of most popular children's books ever sold. This threw me a little since, prior to discovering it, I had never even heard of "The Wheels on the Bus". The book is not particularly overwhelming in any literary sense. Anyone who has long since forgotten the words to the song will immediately remember them when confronted with scenes of children crying and their mothers hushing them. Zelinsky has added his own little touches to each scene, showing various background storylines continuing from page to page. In one sequence a little dog escapes its owner and chases the bus in a mad attempt to reach the kittens on board. In another scene, the aforementioned kittens are flung hither and yon on the bus, one of them making a near escape. Kids will love pulling the tabs and seeing everything from the window wipers "whooshing" to the mothers rolling their eyes as their babies cry. I can't imagine the book would work after long hours of tab pulling, however. Even for an adult, some of the pop up sections require a steady gentle hand (a thing some youngsters lack). Still, this is a great book for large group or individual child presentations. The sections are inventive and the song, no matter how people complain about it, is catchy. On the whole, an inventive and enjoyable creation.

I first bought this book when my older son, who is now 12, was a toddler. Although it has many moving parts (all great fun), it lasted through his brother's use as well. I have since bought it for several nieces and nephews as a gift for each one's 2nd birthday. All of them have loved it, and read it for many years. The story is true to the song, but the illustrations have small side stories running through them, allowing older children to enjoy as well. Definitely a great purchase!