"One day, a new driver came
and drove the Yellow Bus along
unfamiliar roads. Every morning
they climbed in ... shuffle - clunk,
shuffle - clunk, creak, creak - clunk."
Oh, I love this book, and the story of its evolution. You can read all about it when you are finished sharing its words with an engaged audience of young listeners. There is plenty of back matter in an author's note to let readers know how it came together.
Early on, readers watch as the bright yellow bus travels through the quiet streets of a small town on its way to do the important work of picking up children along its route, and taking them to school. The children fill the Yellow Bus with joy. When it is no longer needed for schoolchildren, it finds new life transporting the elderly from their care home to the library and to visit local attractions, including a waterfall. Its work is much appreciated by its riders. The bus is, once again, filled with joy to be making a difference in their lives.
No longer of use, the Yellow Bus is driven to the city where it is abandoned and becomes home to the homeless when shelter is needed. As they sit in quiet comfort, the bus is filled with joy once more. It isn't long until the Yellow Bus is moved to yet another place - a farm deep in a valley. Longing to hear the voices of the children it once carried, the elderly who appreciated its transport, and those who sought comfort on its seats, the Yellow Bus becomes home to a flock of goats. They climb its steps, use its roof for rest, and enjoy its presence. It fills the bus with joy.
The noise of trucks and machinery surrounds the farm paddock where it sits. Once that noise ends, a farmer retrieves the goats and leaves the Yellow Bus to its next life. When the river rises in the spring, the water fills the valley and submerges the bus in high waters. There, it finds final joy as fish and other sea creatures swim in and out, around and over it.
Loren Long's art is simply stunning! I could go on and on, describing its detailed spreads and unspoken stories, its changes in perspective, its use of color, the evolution of the village landscape, its riders and inhabitants, and its impact for readers of all ages.
Here's the description for how the art was created:
The art for this book was crafted with graphite pencil, charcoal pencil, and charcoal dust on Epson Doubleweight Matte paper; it was scratched out with X-Acto blades and smudged with Q-tips. The colors were created with acrylic paint, and all of it was mixed with whatever dust and dog hair may have been flying around the artist's studio.
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! If it matters at all, it was my choice for the Caldecott this year (a list that championed many other stunning books).
https://youtu.be/PcyTiM_pYxs?si=cWPuBMaIfl4uPabz
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