01/16/2017
Public transit gets a springtime makeover as Paquette (Ghost in the House) and Withrow (You’re My Boo) introduce the Bunny Bus, an anthropomorphized conveyance with a fluffy tail, two large ears, and a bucktoothed grin. Dapperly dressed owls, cats, and other animals clamber aboard: “Room for more? Of course! Pile on!/ The Bunny Bus rolls on and on.” Withrow’s scraggly pencils, lined-paper backdrops, and splashes of color and pattern create an exuberant atmosphere that’s only briefly interrupted when the overloaded bus temporarily breaks down, sending carrots and painted eggs flying. It’s a novel spin on familiar Easter themes. Ages 2–4. Author’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Chris Tugeau, Christina A. Tugeau Artist Agency. (Jan.)
"With a quick-paced gait, the rhyming verse celebrates every stop Bunny Bus makes...Illustrator Withrow's bright characters are reminiscent of Richard Scarry's, with jolly animals dressed in their Sunday best, resplendent with plaids, patterns, and purses." —Kirkus
"Featuring cheerful, colorful art, rhyming text, cute animal characters, and an animated bunny-shaped bus,
this upbeat Easter-themed read is a playful secular take on the holiday...The detailed, Richard Scarry–like illustrations, incorporating varied textures and patterns, cartoonish touches, and springlike hues, have childlike charm and appeal, as do the brightly attired animal characters and expressive bus, perky ears, fluffy tail, and all. Playful details throughout and decorative endpapers with an embellished egglike motif add further flair to this entertaining celebration of the springtime holiday."—Booklist
"The illustrations are adorable and playful...The charming spirit of those riding the bus, who pitch in and share the burden, results in a heartwarming message. Paquette’s rhyming, repeating text makes this a suitable read-aloud, with audience participation at the refrain of “hop, hop, stop!” VERDICT For libraries looking to diversify their holiday collections." —School Library Journal
"Withrow’s scraggly pencils, lined-paper backdrops, and splashes of color and pattern create an exuberant atmosphere that’s only briefly interrupted when the overloaded bus temporarily breaks down, sending carrots and painted eggs flying. It’s a novel spin on familiar Easter themes." —Publishers Weekly
12/01/2016
PreS-K—The Bunny Bus rolls into town, picking up more and more friends. Yet as the bus gets more crowded, with a "hop, hop, stop!," it becomes overwhelmed with celebrants and must cease its ride. However, the passengers are undeterred and fix up the Bunny Bus and share the load, and the book ends with an Easter parade. The illustrations are adorable and playful. The Bunny Bus's face droops more and more as the weight on the vehicle increases, until the bus stops with a smudged and dirty frowning face that is simultaneously cute and induces an audible sigh of disappointment. The charming spirit of those riding the bus, who pitch in and share the burden, results in a heartwarming message. Paquette's rhyming, repeating text makes this a suitable read-aloud, with audience participation at the refrain of "hop, hop, stop!" VERDICT For libraries looking to diversify their holiday collections.—Kaitlin Malixi, Bucks County Free Library, Doylestown, PA
2016-09-19
A smiling, bunny-shaped bus generously picks up one and all until it breaks down.The white-eared, smiling Bunny Bus operates in a picturesque town, full of flowers, pretty buildings, and rolling hills. Well-dressed, gleeful animals hop aboard at stop after stop, overjoyed to see their fellow townsfolk. With a quick-paced gait, the rhyming verse celebrates every stop Bunny Bus makes. "Room for more? Of course! Pile on! / The Bunny Bus rolls on and on. // Hop… Hop… Hop… / STOP!" This communal event comes to a sudden and literal halt when the bus breaks down with an Easter egg- and carrot-spewing BOOM! Will there be a happy ending? Illustrator Withrow's bright characters are reminiscent of Richard Scarry's, with jolly animals dressed in their Sunday best, resplendent with plaids, patterns, and purses. The emotional setting seems a bit saccharine, as the animals' smiles don't fade even when the bus breaks down. Although happy passengers work together to solve the problem, the illustrations seem to imply that washing the bus will repair whatever broke during the explosion. Now sparkly, the long-eared bus is ready to roll, or hop, once again, with banners and balloons signaling the start of a surprising Bunny Bus Easter Parade. For those who have room on the seasonal shelf as well as bus-obsessed readers. (Picture book. 2-4)
