The Wheels on the School Bus [Hardcover]

Mary-Alice Moore (Author), Laura Huliska-Beith (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Footballs tossed in the air! Lunches scattered and drawings splattered! Hop on this big yellow bus for a crazy, rollicking ride on which the grown-ups are the troublemakers while the kids are the ones trying to sit still.

Laura Huliska-Beith creates a wonderfully zany world of bright color and chaos for a unique variation of the familiar song "The Wheels on the Bus."

--This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1–An energetic adaptation of a traditional song. Bright cartoons with collage details capture various students and staff as they travel on the school bus. The usual suspects are here, from children, teachers, and the librarian to the nurse and a female coach. On the final spread, the driver switches hats to become the principal and welcomes the excited crowd to his school. The lyrics are clever and, for the most part, fit the melody well. The librarian urges the students to Read, read, read!...Read more books! and the custodian says, Mop, mop mop! Sweep, sweep, sweep!...Clean this mess! The lunch ladies verse crams a few too many syllables into each line, but the extra effort is repaid in the illustration–two lunch ladies (one cuddly, one intimidating) serve up spaghetti, hamburgers, and bowls of green goo, while the librarian holds up a book with a recipe for glop. Lyrics and music are included on the last page. This book is a surefire winner, combining a wildly popular song with the enduring appeal of the school bus, and bringing it all to life with madcap pictures.–Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. The toddler favorite, "The Wheels on the Bus," receives a chipper facelift in this singalong picture book. Instead of the traditional lyrics' mechanical maneuvers, Moore's rendition spotlights the patter of school employees who commute with the kids: "The librarian on the bus says 'Read, read, read! Books, books, books! Read, read, read!' The librarian on the bus says, 'Read more books!' All the way to school." The fact that the refrains conform to a less predictable pattern than the original may initially cause children to stumble, but there's great fun in the notion of school authority figures riding the bus--an element played up in the antic gouache-and-collage paintings of grown-ups wreaking havoc as an indulgent driver (later revealed to be the principal) looks on. Don't expect this parody to reinforce rules of bus-riding safety, but do expect little ones to want to hear, and sing, it more than once. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (July 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060594276
• ISBN-13: 978-0060594275
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,368,982 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Wheels on the School Bus, December 16, 2006

By 

Amy Baisley (Fairfield, CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wheels on the School Bus (Hardcover)

This book is fun! It has fabulous pictures and unexpected words to a familiar song. My kindergartener loved reading it especially at the beginning of the year when she was getting on a bus for the first time. This book is a great addition to any youngster's library.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars hysterical play on an old favorite, should provide lots of giggling, July 27, 2006

By 

LO lover of books "LO lover of books" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wheels on the School Bus (Hardcover)

The Wheels on the Bus: This is an amusing take on the bus song every child knows. The teachers are silly, sometimes bad and always funny! The kids are surprised, freaked out and amazed at various points. Its' a story any kid whose ridden a bus to school will love. The book has lots of surprises and wonderful illustrations. I especially enjoyed the bus dashboard with it's Flotation Device and Eject button!
Get this book for your young reader or read it until they can on their own.
LO

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book, and my kids too!, December 5, 2011

By 

Alice - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wheels on the School Bus (Paperback)

My kids and I both LOVE this book. I love the different words that the book uses to a song we here all the time, and the illustrations are fabulous. It has inspired my kids to make up their own additional verses as well. You can't ask for more than that from a book - to inspire childrens' creativity! I hope Ms. Moore writes more!