The Wheels on the Bus

December 1, 2013

K-Gr 1-Cool dude Pete the Cat is now driving a yellow school bus and picking up kitties along his route. After covering the traditional lines about horns that go "beep, beep, beep" and wipers that go "swish, swish, swish," this book offers up a surprise conclusion. Pete picks up one lone dog and a few pages later, the pooch is seen driving the bus, while Pete the Cat croons from the rooftop, "Let's Rock Out!" The colorful yellow and blue artwork rendered in the artist's familiar pen-and-ink and watercolor will remind fans of the other Pete books, with their hero sporting that deadpan stare. If your library doesn't already have too many "Wheels on the Bus" clones, Pete the Cat's version is cool.-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 27, 2011
In his previous outing, blue cat Pete proved his ability to roll with the punches when his white sneakers were accidentally stained red. Sporting the red treads for the first day of school (they match his electric guitar), Pete is again unflappable. "Pete has never been to the library before! Does Pete worry? Goodness, no! He finds his favorite book and sings his song." School setting aside, little differentiates this book from its predecessor. There's humor to be found in the deadpan expressions of Pete and his fellow cats as he sits with friends in the lunchroom, plays at recess, and solves math problems on the board. But whether the simple refrain and Pete's blasé attitude actually assuage anxious schoolgoers is another story. Pete's song is available as a download. Ages 3â7.

October 14, 2013
Appropriately enough, Pete’s latest includes some valentines for readers: a large foldout poster, a sheet of stickers, and 12 punch-out cards. In the accompanying story, Pete starts out as a skeptic: “Valentine’s Day is not cool,” he tells his friend Callie. She responds that it’s her favorite holiday, and Pete needs no more convincing than that—as soon as he gets home, he starts making homemade cards. By book’s end, Pete has distributed valentines throughout his community; he forgets about Callie, but she’s understanding: “Hanging out with you... that’s way better than any card.” Just like Pete skateboards his way through town, he slides through these minor Valentine’s Day dramas effortlessly. Ages 4–8.

February 17, 2014
Pete the cat’s yellow, dead-eyed stare is always good for a laugh, and it’s even better when he’s wearing big white bunny ears, a buck-toothed rabbit snout, and a puffy white tail. It’s all in a day’s work for Pete after he agrees to lend the Easter Bunny a hand (“Find the eggs. Paint the eggs. Hide the eggs,” reads the note Pete discovers in his otherwise empty Easter basket). The story itself is quite thin—after painting the eggs, Pete quickly hides them and receives a “#1 Helper” ribbon from the Easter Bunny himself for his efforts (“Helping others can be lots of fun!” reads the tacked-on closing message). Readers are more likely to be drawn in by all the extras tucked into the pages, which include stickers, a foldout poster, and a dozen perforated Easter cards that can be removed and given away. Ages 4–8.

January 1, 2014
Slack-eyed, unblinking Pete puts down his guitar (for a bit) and drives a school bus. The sing-along standard serves as the text: the wipers swish, the signals blink, etc., and there are a few modifications as well: "Sit with us!"; "Let's rock out!" Not much happens and no one's expression changes, but it's a colorful ride nonetheless.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)