It’s Your First Day of School, Busy Bus!
Author: Jody Jensen Shaffer; Illustrator: Claire Messer
Published: July 3, 2018 by Beach Lane Books
Goodreads Summary: It’s the first day of school! But is Busy Bus ready? Find out in this darling picture book that showcases the excitement and worries little ones experience as they prepare for their first day.
Today is the very first day of school! Busy Bus is excited, but he also has some first-day jitters. Will the children like him? Will he be homesick? What if he gets lost?! Luckily, bus driver Ben knows just what to do to make sure that the school year gets off to a great start.
My Review: We have had so much fun with this book in our household. I read the book aloud, and my two sons act out the pages. Parents can substitute their children’s names for the bus driver to add a layer of fun! Almost all of the bus books that exist feature busses with children already on them. I loved the concept of this book—the bus is preparing for the first day of school and is very nervous the children won’t like him. This book is a must-have for bus-loving children, and it would make for a great first day of kindergarten read-aloud.
Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Children would have great fun re-envisioning this book with other vehicles and inanimate objects. For example, what might the classroom be feeling before the first day of school? Children could create their own books of their imaginations.
Discussion Questions:
- How does the bus prepare for the children?
- What is he worried about?
- How does the bus driver help him with his jitters?
- What other things might be nervous for the first day of school?
Flagged Passage:
Read This If You Loved: Dump Truck Duck by Megan E. Bryant, Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker, Demolition by Sally Sutton, Little Blue Truck by Alice Shertle, Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night? by Brianna Caplan Sayres
Recommended For:
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**Thank you to Jody for providing a copy for review!**
Thank you, Ricki! So glad you and your sons enjoyed it!