Where's the Bus?

Mouse and Rabbit decide to get the bus to Duck’s place (she’s invited them round to tea) because it’s too far to walk there. There’s plenty to keep them pleasantly distracted while they wait at the bus stop. Mouse smells strawberries nearby, so off they go to eat a few, not noticing the bus driving past their stop. They hear a flock of geese and watch them flying over, while in the background the reader sees another bus going by. ‘Where’s our bus?’ becomes the refrain as Rabbit and Mouse return after a paddle in a stream nearby. They’re so tired out by all the activity, they decide to lie down in the grass and have a rest; meanwhile, another bus goes by. They awake to see Duck getting off a bus coming the other way. She got so tired of waiting, she decided to bring the tea to them! ‘“Do you know,” said Rabbit and Mouse to Duck. “Not ONE bus came our way all day long.”’ We know better. The buses are different colours and there is a little blue bird and some insects to look out for as you turn the pages, so ample chance for developing vocabulary. The repetitive language invites the very young to join in the telling, with some enjoyable phrases to get their tongues round, such as ‘splishy, splashy stream’ and ‘swishy-wishy grass’. Although the illustrations are a little flat and simplistic they do convey the narrative well. A pleasant read-aloud for little ones.