Axle Annie

The schools in Burskyville never close for snow because Axle Annie is always able to make it up the steepest hill in town, until Shifty Rhodes and Hale Snow set out to stop her. By the illustrator of Green Wilma.

PreSchool-Grade 3-Axle Annie is not your average school-bus driver. She tells jokes, does magic tricks, and manages to retain her optimism even when snowstorms strike. In fact, the schools there never have a snow day because Annie always assures the superintendent that her bus will make it to the top of Tiger Hill. Enter the villain, Shifty Rhodes. The meanest bus driver in town, he hates his job, especially in winter. Determined to foil Annie, he enlists the help of the new ski-resort owner, Hale Snow. Will a snow machine plus a blizzard keep Annie from delivering the kids to school? Arnold's cartoons add just the right touch of humor to this cross between Virginia Burton's Katy and the Big Snow (Houghton, 1973) and Watty Piper's The Little Engine That Could (Platt & Munk, 1930), with a dash of old-fashioned melodrama thrown in for good measure. The book is sure to be a seasonal hit, especially when hopes for a snow day have been dashed.
Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

On wintry days, the Burskyville school superintendent calls school bus driver Axle Annie to see whether she can drive her route: "If you say no, I'll close the schools. My decision depends on you." Annie always answers, "Do snowplows plow? Do tow trucks tow? Are school buses yellow? Of course I'll make it up Tiger Hill!" Thanks to her, the local schools never have a snow day. This enrages Shifty Rhodes, a lazy bus driver whose very name suggests icy conditions. With a crooked ski-resort owner (aptly called Hale Snow), Shifty conspires to use a snowmaking machine on Tiger Hill. Needless to say, Annie (with a little help from her friends) rises to the challenge. Pulver (Nobody's Mother Is in Second Grade) creates a memorable character in Annie, who welcomes both children and stranded motorists aboard her bus. Arnold (Green Wilma; Huggly Takes a Bath) portrays her as a woman who joyously greets a snowstorm by standing in front of an open window. Annie's excited smile never leaves her face, and she sports a brown leather aviator's jacket, a woolly flight cap and goggles when she takes the wheel. True, Annie pushes the envelope of safety, and the author doesn't account for the glee of Annie's young passengers, who can't wait to get to school. Nevertheless, this lively tale of an idiosyncratic bus driver may warm a chilly crowd on a would-be snow day. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Pulver (Homer and the House Next Door, 1994, etc.) delivers a rambunctious wintry tall tale about how a valiant bus driver, Axle Annie, defeats a dastardly scheme concocted by fellow driver Shifty Rhodes. Annie is famous in her town of Burskyville for her amazing ability to maneuver her bus through any snowstorm. Not even the specter of the towering incline known as Tiger Hill can intimidate her. Thus the Burskyville schools never close, much to the disgruntlement of Shifty, who'd like a snow day now and then. When Shifty conspires with Hale Snow, owner of a local ski resort, to whip up a doozy of a snowstorm on Tiger Hill (with a little help from Hale's snowmaking machine), it appears that Annie has met her match. However, her generosity in the past to all the stranded motorists is returned when they push her up the hill. With hilarious, over-the-top characters, this satisfyingly outrageous tale will tickle readers' funny bones. Arnold's spunky illustrations capture the tongue-in-cheek spirit of the text and his characterization of the curmudgeonly Shifty help make this blustery tale the perfect antidote for the winter doldrums. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

There's one reason the schools in Burskyville never have snow days: the school bus driver extraordinare, Axle Annie. She puts the pedal to the metal and gets the bus up the snowy hill to school every time. Of course, not everyone is appreciative, and heading the list is fellow bus driver Shifty Rhodes, who would like to stay in bed on snowy days. Shifty hooks up with a local ski resort operator to get some extra ice and snow on the hill so Annie can't climb it and the schools can finally close. There are some tall tale elements here, along with a touch of villainy and plenty of laughs. The watercolor-and-ink pictures shiver with energy and fun. A great read-aloud for primary-school kids on days when the snow is falling. Ilene Cooper