Old Blue Buggy

After Henry gets too big for his cherished blue buggy, his mother explains that it is time to give it a final good-bye as they wheel it to the curb to be taken away, in a touching and simple picture book about growing up and moving on.

Kindergarten-Grade 2-In this homey tale, a young mother buys a secondhand buggy for her new baby. As Henry grows, the Old Blue Buggy gets well used in the park, on walks, and for running errands. When the boy is too big for it, he and his mother push the carriage out of the apartment building and leave it for the trash collector. A few days later, they are happy to see the buggy being used by an old lady to carry her bundles. Thompson's busy, mixed-media illustrations communicate a comfortably lived-in world. An informal font and occasional word bubbles add to the eclectic effect. Henry and his mother have a nonsense song about the buggy that is repeated several times and lends itself well to reading aloud. Some pages have several smaller frames that are best suited to one-on-one or individual reading rather than group sharing. This is a good choice for those looking for a gentle story of growing out of things once cherished.
Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

PreS-Gr. 2. When baby Henry's mom finds an old blue buggy at a yard sale, she's delighted: "Perfect, Henry--just like you!" With it, the two visit the park, the library, and around the neighborhood, with Henry's mom singing: "Big buggy blue, blue buggy blue, be-bop-a, blue-bop-a, buggy-bop-a-boo." For Henry, the carriage means cozy naps, bouncy rides, and imaginary adventures--from captaining a ship to flying to the moon. After Henry outgrows the carriage, he is sad to let it go, but seeing it happily used by someone else makes Henry and his mom happy, too. Short, simple sentences celebrate the everyday buggy as practical and fun, as the story depicts a loving parent-child relationship. The "blue buggy" refrain is amusing, if a bit too tongue-twisty for little ones to manage aloud. Delightful illustrations, vibrant and animated, depict expressive characters, activities, and places in rich color and wonderfully appealing detail. A charming, affectionate portrayal of a familiar part of growing up. Shelle Rosenfeld
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