Jason's Bus Ride

by Harriet Ziefert, Simms Taback (Illustrator)

Jason is riding the bus when a dog sits down right in the middle of the road. He will not get out of the way! A lady tries to move him and a policeman tries, too. But only Jason knows how to get that dog to move . . .

32 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1987

About the author

Harriet Ziefert grew up in North Bergen, New Jersey, where she attended the local schools. She graduated from Smith College, then received a Masters degree in Education from New York University.

For many years, Ziefert was an elementary school teacher. She taught most grades from kindergarten to fifth grade. "I liked it," she said, but she stopped teaching when she had her own sons. When her children were older, Ziefert wanted "a bigger arena" for her work. She went to work at a publishing company, Scholastic in New York City, developing materials for teacher's guides for kindergarten language arts and social studies programs.

"About twelve years ago," says Ziefert in a 1995 interview, "I tried to get a job as an editor, but no one would hire me as a trade editor. So I decided to write my own books." Since then, she has written several hundred books, mostly picture books and easy-to-read books. "I write books very quickly," she says, "in about twelve hours. I rewrite them three times over three days, and then they're done." She writes about twenty books a year.

Reviews

[Edward Sojuwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harriet Zeifert is a kid's author who, as I see it, has hidden hardcore areas of defiance of status quo in her books she herself probably never intended, stuff that kids might consider edgy-cool! Like naming her young lead character Jason, which is a name usually associated with machismo, as in Jason Bourne, Jason Vorhees from Friday the 13th, or even Jason and his Argo-nuts, ahem, Argonauts. Jason in this book is a humble kid taking a nice bus ride. All goes well, and Jason likes seeing the sights of the city with all it's traffic and smog....until a big dog with spots plops it's big butt in the path of the bus and will not budge. (Very tenacious that dog. Must be female! Rah for the female, if that's so!) No one can get the dog out the way....until Jason steps out, approaches the pup, pats her on the head and says...."Good dog", and the two take the bus home together. As I said, hardcore and funny-cool. How more Rockin' is Ms Zeifert? I've been a fan of hers for years, and this book cements it! Go Zeifert, and I'll leave the riding to the grey hound...with spots.
Four stars
Jason BORN TO RIDE THE BUS!

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unpredictable book that fosters imagination, keeps children's attention to know what is next and what would happen with the dog. Perfect book for developing different ways of riding from one place to another.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple easy reader, Level 1 but one with a fun plot and a repetitive line ("But the dog would not get out of the way!") to improve fluency.