The Wheels on the Bus

PreS-K–A slightly different version of the popular song, with animals riding around at the zoo. Things start to go wrong when the hippos get on the bus (“squish squash SQUEEZE”), the tires blow out (“hiss BANG POP!”), and the vehicle turns upside down. Order is restored when the elephant goes “puff puff puff” and blows air through his trunk into the tires, and the bus continues on. The lively, colorful illustrations fill the pages, but in some instances they are confusing, and the familiar score is not included. Many versions of this song are available in book form, including Jane Cabrera’s stunning rendition (Holiday House, 2011). It uses some of the same animals, except that they are in the jungle riding to the water hole, and a couple of the actions are similar. This one is in a bit larger in format, suitable for storytimes, and the actions are good ones for young children to imitate. An additional purchase.–Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA