"At Birdy's stop the children grin,
as Noodle sprints and pounces in.
He greets each kid with slobber-licks,
then shows off all his doggy tricks.
Noodle! Hey!
He took my seat!
Here, let me offer him a treat."
Chelsea Lin Wallace begins this new series, School Heroes, with someone who is a mainstay in many schools. Mr. Jay takes his bus driver job seriously, arriving right on time on public transit to prepare for his early morning round. As he eats his breakfast, he carefully checks his bus before leaving the yard.
The gas tank is full; he is happy to be on his way to pick up his eighteen riders on a sunny day. He has one hour and three minutes to make the journey across town, board his charges, and be back to the school so they won't be late. At each stop, events differ and often cause short pauses. Mr. Jay remains welcoming and familiar with each of his riders. He knows what they like, and helps them with their needs (including removing horse poo from Lulu Leo's shoes).
Soon it's 7:20 and they must get on with it. It matters not what dilemmas arise along the way; Mr. Jay tackles them with help and humor. Time passes quickly. From country roads to city streets, he maneuvers them safely through whatever the route demands. Will a traffic jam stop them? No! Mr. Jay knows what to do. Their approach to school is steep and bendy ... still, they are ON THEIR WAY. They pull in at 8:05, just as the school bell sounds. As they depart, he gives his usual Good Day, Little Buddies, has a snack, cleans the bus and heads back to catch the bus home. The ending spread is so sweet: it's sure to make you smile.
The rhyming text, the thoughtful and energetic Mr. Jay, the lively full-color mixed media artwork all add to the appeal this book will have for young readers as they pore over each page to see what they can see there. Speech bubbles assure that children have a voice in this morning routine.
Can't wait to see who's up next. What's your guess?
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