The bus stop

In this cumulative story, a diverse group of people with a variety of intentions wait for the bus, which finally comes. Features partial and cut-out pages.

PreS From England comes this simple novelty book for toddlers. There's no plot, nor much cleverness, except that as each successively shorter page is flipped, a person is shown waiting for a bus. When it comes, all seven of them are visible through the die-cut windows of the red vehicle. The print under each person, on the left side of the book, is tiny and brief (so children may as well memorize itit's easy enough). The refrain, "but can you see the bus yet?" is in much larger type and covers the right side of this very wide book. The size may be awkward for some to hold while reading aloud, but size does allow the characters to be drawn fairly large. Each person is described numerically ("First comes Mrs. Bishop"; "Second is. . .") and then their destination (shopping, to school, etc.).The people are uniform looking, resembling cut-out figures from a board gameall smiling and stiff. All are are dressed in bold colors outlined in black. The background is similarly simple if not dull (but after all, the town is called "Plainville"). If you must have a gimmicky, quick book for toddler story time, this will do in a pinch. Marianne Pilla, formerly at Long Beach Public Library, N.Y.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Cheery, bright graphics and a clever design give this book its charm. On the first spread, a bus stop is shown at the edge of a town, with nary a person or a bus in sight. One by one, passengers appear: Mrs. Bishop, going shopping; Jane Jackson, on her way to school; Mr. Knudson, heading for the office, and so on. Pages (of a thick stock) are of decreasing widths, so that each new person joins the queue without obscuring those who have come before. And "windows" are cut into a page on the last spread, which flips over to install all the patient passengers into a cherry-red bus. "The bus is here at last! Off they all go!" A simple idea, well executed, with plenty of child appeal. Ages 2-6.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.