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Red Car, Red Bus
Red bus.
Red car, red bus.
Yellow car, red car, red bus.
This beautifully simple picture book introduces the concept of patterns and sequencing to the youngest child. With an ever-growing traffic queue and entertaining background storylines, this highly original book provides plenty to amuse young readers while also being very suitable for early years education. It could be used to introduce topics of patterns, colour and vehicles.
Susan Steggall is developing a name as an inventive and original author and illustrator. Her use of collage and colourful artwork is both distinctive and appealing. Rattle and Rap was praised and selected for Kirkus Reviews Best Books and shortlisted for Southampton's Favourite Book to Share 2009.
The very simple, repetitive text in this book makes it suitable for the youngest child, while the subtly developed back story will encourage young readers to go back and look at it again and again.
Red car, red bus.
Yellow car, red car, red bus.
This beautifully simple picture book introduces the concept of patterns and sequencing to the youngest child. With an ever-growing traffic queue and entertaining background storylines, this highly original book provides plenty to amuse young readers while also being very suitable for early years education. It could be used to introduce topics of patterns, colour and vehicles.
Susan Steggall is developing a name as an inventive and original author and illustrator. Her use of collage and colourful artwork is both distinctive and appealing. Rattle and Rap was praised and selected for Kirkus Reviews Best Books and shortlisted for Southampton's Favourite Book to Share 2009.
The very simple, repetitive text in this book makes it suitable for the youngest child, while the subtly developed back story will encourage young readers to go back and look at it again and again.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
January 8, 2013
Turn to the first page of this picture book and you will see people waiting at a bus stop. Another page turn has them aboard the bus and only two words: “Red bus.” The next page has a red car join the red bus and readers will see two people dashing for the bus stop. By the time the bus reaches its next stop, the page is filled not only with a yellow van, yellow car, the red car and the red bus, but the people running for the bus have dropped their teddy bear. As the pages turn, the road gets more crowded with vehicles and it becomes all the more fun to figure out what the story is on the side of the road. The only words in the book describe the colors of the vehicles and name the vehicles themselves, otherwise it is more of a wordless book as the complicated action takes place in pictures only.
Steggall has created a picture book that really plays with the reader. At first, I thought it was going to be a very simple color and vehicle book for toddlers, but it is something much more. The intricate cut paper illustrations tell the story along the roadside, as each page turn moves the reader further down the road. There is a wonderful sense of motion to the entire book. The vehicles appear in patterns with colors and sorts of vehicles.
This is a delight of a read, surprising in its depth and yet fully appropriate for the youngest reader who enjoys cars and trucks. This is one to linger over and discuss, talking about the story that is told wordlessly, perfect for curling up with your special little one. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
Steggall has created a picture book that really plays with the reader. At first, I thought it was going to be a very simple color and vehicle book for toddlers, but it is something much more. The intricate cut paper illustrations tell the story along the roadside, as each page turn moves the reader further down the road. There is a wonderful sense of motion to the entire book. The vehicles appear in patterns with colors and sorts of vehicles.
This is a delight of a read, surprising in its depth and yet fully appropriate for the youngest reader who enjoys cars and trucks. This is one to linger over and discuss, talking about the story that is told wordlessly, perfect for curling up with your special little one. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
August 31, 2021
Mister really loved this. I told him that his magic word was "red" and he found it all throughout the book and felt so proud of "reading" the word "red" all throughout. He enjoyed looking at all the vehicles and talking about what they were doing and where they were going and the adventures they were having. We had fun with this simple book.
September 9, 2017
I liked it, but would be much better 1:1 than in a classroom.
February 18, 2018
E really likes it; I find it a bit boring.
August 7, 2019
Elliot’s favorite book at 22 months
December 9, 2024
Toddler and preschool
March 3, 2012
With minimal text, this book traces the journey of a red bus, with changing scenery, and a growing convoy of other vehicles (cars, vans and lorries of various colours, and another bus). The pictures also depict pedestrians and a bus stop. There is plenty to discuss, but I unfortunately missed the little boy's loss of his teddy (mentioned by other reviewers). The pictures are clear and make great use of primary colours. Would work for a colours, traffic or vehicles storytime, particularly if you want to promote a discussion about the pictures.
Read in toddler storytime 28/feb/2012
Read in toddler storytime 28/feb/2012
April 1, 2016
Colorful mixed media vehicles make their way through the town with riders and drivers in tow and meeting pedestrians along the way.
I didn't think this book was amazing at first glance, but The Boy (2.75) sure likes it, and upon repeated readings the details in the story and the textures and mixed media started to jump out at me a little more (though I noticed the clever bits used to make rain right away). It has a nice pattern and it's fun to follow the individual characters along their journeys.
I didn't think this book was amazing at first glance, but The Boy (2.75) sure likes it, and upon repeated readings the details in the story and the textures and mixed media started to jump out at me a little more (though I noticed the clever bits used to make rain right away). It has a nice pattern and it's fun to follow the individual characters along their journeys.
May 19, 2013
Age: infant-preschool
Things That Go: Cars, trucks, vans, bikes
A repetitive picture book that reinforces the ability to distinguish objects by their color and type. The words are simple and merely a description of the vehicles on the page so the repetition is a bit obnoxious IF the parent is unwilling to talk about the pictures as they read along. I like how Steggall group the alike objects on the second to last page, allowing children to see alike and different.
Things That Go: Cars, trucks, vans, bikes
A repetitive picture book that reinforces the ability to distinguish objects by their color and type. The words are simple and merely a description of the vehicles on the page so the repetition is a bit obnoxious IF the parent is unwilling to talk about the pictures as they read along. I like how Steggall group the alike objects on the second to last page, allowing children to see alike and different.
August 23, 2015
Simple concept and aesthetically rich. Ll at 15 months likes to point out all the vehicles but also people, clouds, washing lines etc, and we talk about the people and what they are all doing, as well as reading the text.
*EDIT*
We reborrowed this from the library and Ll at 17.5 months had to read it about seven times in a row, so much fonder has absence made his heart. There is just so much in this book for him. Five really big stars.
*EDIT*
We reborrowed this from the library and Ll at 17.5 months had to read it about seven times in a row, so much fonder has absence made his heart. There is just so much in this book for him. Five really big stars.
July 7, 2014
If you have a transportation fan, Steggall has a collection of wonderful books. Rattle and Rap and Busy Boats are two of our favorites. This one is a delightful addition. It is a simple format. The book begins with a Red Bus. Trucks, cars, and vans of all different color and size are added one by one to the page as the bus flows through the street and back to the edge of town. This is a great book for identifying types of vehicle, labeling colors, and counting.
October 15, 2012
Another wonderfully different children's book. The size and shape are a horizontally oriented rectangle. The art is and text are simple yet complex. Great for a lesson or story time about colors or vehicles!
December 13, 2012
What fun for storytimes or lap-reading. Not just colors, but sorting and ordering concepts are adeptly and unobtrusively covered in this handsome offering. There's plenty to see besides the vehicles in the cut and torn-paper collages, but the pages are full without seeming overly busy.
March 25, 2013
I don't remember why I put this on my list of books to read. There weren't really many words, and the while the entire book was annoyingly gigantic, the pictures were too small to make me want to look at them for a long time.
December 18, 2014
Dana está aprendiendo los diferentes tipos de vehículos y, después de la eeciente mudanza, identificó la furgoneta amarilla como "la de papá". El libro, además de combinar colores con vehículos, cuenta una historia divertida.
June 9, 2016
My 5 yr old son loves this book, he would probably rate it a 5 star. We read this book over and over again, we were able to discuss each page. It is a very simple book with fun illustrations and simple vocabulary that is good for early readers.
June 17, 2012
This simple picture book looks at colors, and vehicles, and also maintains an a,a,b,b pattern as colors are introduced.
June 30, 2012
Simple, minimal text listing the vehicles on the road and their colors.
Could be good for a Toddler Time about transportation or colors.
Could be good for a Toddler Time about transportation or colors.
July 12, 2012
Beautiful beautiful cut and torn paper illustrations. The cars (accurate; e.g. a Mini Cooper), architecture and people are all crafted from what is obviously a European city-dweller's observation.
July 17, 2012
Cumulative story about transportation and color. Papercut illustrations. Add this one to your fave color books list.
November 19, 2012
PB29 - This is a good book for younger kids to teach them colors and names of different types of vehicles.
January 10, 2013
Love the story the pictures tell about the red chasing the red bus.
July 10, 2013
2 1/2 stars
August 9, 2013
What beautiful illustrations. I found them so expressive. I can't wait to read this at story time.
October 20, 2013
Nice book for helping children identify wheeled vehicles (including bikes) and their colors. There's no plot - just the vehicle and color and really nice textured/cut-out illustrations.
April 8, 2014
Really great simple book - perfect for early reading with simple text and repetition. Illustrations tell their own story which adds an additional fun element.
July 15, 2014
Already gave a book report on this book today it is very elementary but the repetition is good for a young boy who is learning to recognize words.
September 3, 2015
From simple to complex this amazing illustrator adds vehicles until at the end there is a bustling busy street and the lonely bus stop.
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May 17, 2017Mama read this to me the other night.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews