The Wheels on the Bus

PreS-K—This version of a favorite children's song/action rhyme is a delightful romp through the African landscape. Wild animals of all kinds wait for the bus on the endpapers. Subsequently, each one has a verse as it roars, chomps, and chatters in turn while the bus drives on through the jungle. The text offers good possibilities for participation: the chameleon plays hide-and-seek, the hyena says "ha, ho, hee," and the bush babies go "snore, snore, snore," etc. The penultimate verse has all the animals saying, "Are we there yet?" as the giraffe driver delivers them to their water-hole destination where they all happily "Splish! Splash! Splosh!" The exuberant oil illustrations are beautifully bright and lush, done in tropical colors that provide a vivid backdrop for the bus and its passengers. Although several books are based on the song, this one should be a surefire winner, and it will certainly enliven storytimes. Not to be missed.—Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA