A Ticket to Ride: Stories and Rhymes

by Sue Wickstead

This collection of light-hearted poems and stories is perfect for a cosy afternoon reading with your little ones. Perfect for sharing.

Around the corner and up the hill, jumping off when the bus stops still.

Animals and friends hop on and off the bus as it travels through lands near and far, on special days and everyday afternoons. On this journey, you can meet everything from cats and elephants to one very celebratory bee, telling jokes and adding their opinions.

A Ticket to Ride is a fun collection of cheerful poems with a few short stories sprinkled in. I love the silliness as well as the thoughtful moments, and who doesn't need a few extra knock-knock jokes to brighten their day? This book is a great read-along, with poems for anytime you want to celebrate.

32 pages, Paperback

Published October 20, 2025

About the author

Sue Wickstead lives in the UK and writes children’s picture story books.
Her stories relate to both her experiences as a teacher as well as her play-work adventures with a Playbus.
The Playbus was a real double-decker bus full of toys, arts and crafts, as well as a lot of fun to play on. She wrote a photographic social history book about the project which led to her story telling and her writing. All of Sue’s books do have a bus included in them somewhere.
When not writing Sue builds models with Lego, she also loves spending quality time with her young grandson and enjoys creating models to share with him on his visits.
Her grandson features in her book ‘Barty Barton; the bear that was loved too much’ which was published in 2020.
Two of Sue’s most recent books were written about her younger brother David and his imaginative play adventures. Perhaps Nanny and Alexander might have a few adventures of their own one day too.
Many of Sue’s books have been entered and shortlisted in ‘The Wishing Shelf Book Awards’, the book ‘A Spooky Tale’ was a silver medal winner in 2019. The story was written with her class in school.

For more information about the author as well as play adventures with her grandson and her Lego why not visit Sue’s website:
www.suewickstead.co.uk

Reviews

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre ~ Stories and Rhymes for Children
Publication date ~ September 20, 2025
Est Page Count ~ 32


There are 17 stories included in this collection. Most are rhyming and a couple are just plain stories. The rhymes are simple and easy to follow along. There are a few jokes sprinkled, too, that gave me a little chuckle.

Mouse Maze was fun and interactive because you have to move the book around in order to follow the mouse and the words to the story. Of course, since I read this on my computer I wasn't able to join in, but I'm sure it'll be a fun few pages for the kids.

The illustrations went along nicely with each story. The giraffes driving a speedboat was my favorite because giraffes are my favorite animal. Also, I liked the lion getting a bubble bath.

According to Amazon the recommended reading age is 3-10 years, but I think 10 might be a little too old, so I'll say 3-7 1/2.

Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ X





My blog tour day on October 20, which would have been my grandfather's 106th birthday. Obviously this has nothing to do with the review, just sharing for the fun of it 🤣

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Ticket to Ride is the latest book by the talented author, Sue Wickstead, but rather than a whole story it is an enchanting collection of poems and short stories.

I am eagerly looking forward to sharing this book with my Beaver Scouts. Although my grandchildren are still a bit too young, I plan to introduce them to Sue’s works when they’re a few years older! I’m confident that the Beavers will adore it as it’s read to them while they snuggle in their sleeping bags for the night during our upcoming sleepover.

However, I do have some reservations about the format of Mouse Maze. While I understand its design, I believe that some children (and maybe even adults) may find it challenging to follow the pattern, even turning the book. But, like all children, they might just surprise me!

Overall, this is a fantastic book, and I highly encourage everyone to grab a copy as soon as possible!

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is aimed for ages 3 to 10 year olds. Little A is four and this is her own thoughts alongside her mummy's.

Little A - This book is great! I like all the pictures and the Lion story is my favourite. Its the wheels on the bus for animals!

Mummy - This is a lovely book for children to have read to them snuggled up with a grown up. Its beautifully presented and I enjoyed reading all the rhymes and stories with A.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolutely delightful selection of short stories and rhymes to share with little ones. One thing I really liked was how some of the stories and rhymes were based on or were adaptations of classic ones. Each makes you smile with some featuring animals, some adventures with family and some about travelling around on a red bus. With lovely illustrations and with the way the book is set out it’s a book that can be explored encouraging little ones to develop their imaginations.

[Bookworm86 · Rating 5 out of 5]

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'A Ticket To Ride' by Sue Wickstead.

Another fantastic children's book by this absolutely brilliant author!! Myself and my children have previously read 'Daisy Daydream Bus Rhymes And Jokes', 'Maggie's Red Circus Bus' and 'Bus Rhymes And Playtime' which we all loved so we were looking forward to reading this one and we were not disappointed!!! This book is such a charming, fun and funny book for babies, children and adults alike. Amazon has placed the reading age from 4 years to 8 years old but I am 38 years old, my partner Daz is 37 years old and we have 7 year old twin boys Hunter and Ryder (hunter is in the photos) and a 12 year old son Malaki and we all loved reading/listening to this brilliant story. This book is ram packed with fun stories and rhymes, animals, humour, jokes, brilliant illustrations and so much more.
We all enjoyed creating and doing the actions to the rhymes as well as reading/listening to the stories and rhymes. Not only is this a great book to get your children into reading but also a brilliant way to get up, dance and have some fun with your family as you do the actions to the rhymes!!! We all had our favourites so grab your copy to find yours!! My favourite just had to be 'Mouse Maze' as I loved the way the poem went around the book with the mouse but Electric Elephant Rain was definitely a close second with it being an acrostic poem!! Daz's favourite was 'The Lion In The Bath' as he did something similar to his lion teddy as a child. Malaki loved 'Love From Nanny Sue' as his Nan was Nanny Suz, she has sadly passed away now but it was a lovely poem that reminded him of her. Hunter loved Giraffe Speedboat as his favourite animal is a giraffe and Ryder picked Gutter Beetle as he loves bugs and insects. There is definitely a story, rhyme, poem and/or joke for everyone. We all love Sue's play/bus stories as they remind me and Daz so much of a children's programme that I used to watch and love as a child along with them reminding me of a PlayBus that actually used to come to Kidwelly many, many years ago! !! It isn't just full of fun rhymes though but is also filled with jokes, Daz especially enjoyed the jokes which he is adding to his Dad joke collection!. This would make a fantastic book to include on bookshelves in nurseries, playschool, libraries, doctors along with many other places that will keep the kids busy reading and having fun!!! At the back of the book there is information on Sue's inspiration for the Bus books and that they were inspired by her PlayBus experiences which was lovely to read. This book is filled with bright and eye catching illustrations and my children loved looking and naming all the different items in the background. Some of the rhymes were made extra fun with all the rhyming words and my children loved guessing what word came next and laughing at some of the silly suggestions we came up with. One of the things I love about rhymes are that it helps children when it comes to rhyming words and with their English in general. We had lots of fun naming all the different things that the children could see in the photos and naming all the colours. It is a fantastic book and I would say it is suitable for any child from new-born up. This book is lovely and can be a quick read or be made into a fun long read reading a few rhymes and jokes a day, whichever the reader wishes. The font is a nice style and size making it easy for adults and children to see and read too which is definitely a bonus as I have struggled with some fonts that authors have used in children's books in the past. It would be a great book for children to be read to by their teachers in school. I am looking forward to reading more books by Sue to my children and hope that she is busy writing and illustrating the next one already!

Congratulations Sue on another great book filled with fantastic illustrations and a great story

Overall a lovely illustrated and fun book filled with brilliant stories and rhymes

#ATicketToRide #SueWickstead #JayJayBooks #RachelsRandomResources #rararesources

@SueWickstead @JayJayBooks @RachelsRandomResources @rararesources



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[Billy Buttons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: A TICKET TO RIDE
Author: Sue Wickstead

Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Content: 7/10
Cover: 3/5

Of the 15 readers:
11 would read another book by this author.
10 thought the cover was good or excellent.
13 felt it was easy to follow.
11 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘keeping children amused’.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘making the book fun’.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
13 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
11 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ Comments
“Fun for young children, say 4 – 7, but I wouldn’t recommend it for older. Sweetly illustrated with a little added humor here and there. I think this would go down well with most children/parents/schools.” Mum of 6 year old
“I liked the book. I liked that there were animals in it. And I liked saying the poems out loud with my teacher. I understood most of it.” Girl, aged 6 – with a little help from her TA
“Mouse Maze was the best. I thought that was clever. There are funny bits in it too which were fun. It’s not too long – that’s very good, as I get a bit restless.” Girl, aged 8 – with a little help from mum
“Sort of silly, but I like silly. These are the sort of poems that are fun to read out loud. They are not difficult. I think the person who did the drawings is very good too.” Boy, aged 7 – with a little help from his TA
“A story here, a poem there – excellent for restless children. I felt the artwork was strong with plenty of colour and lots to look at. Personally, I felt the poems were the strongest.” Primary school teacher, aged 54
“Happy, cheerful, funny – parents can’t go too wrong buying this book for little kids.” Mum of 7 year old boy

To Sum It Up:
“Packed full of fun, this whimsical picturebook will go down well with children aged 4 – 7. A RED RIBBON WINNER and highly recommended!” Wishing Shelf Book Awards

[Deborah J Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Ticket to Ride is another truly wonderful children's book from Sue Wickstead.

Filled with brightly coloured pictures, jokes, poetry and riddles, this book will entertain and excite younger readers. The jokes are dreadful! I absolutely loved them! I hopped on the bus the other day… is my favourite. I'd not heard that one before. The calligram poem is a novel idea, and had me turning the book in all directions trying to follow the trail of words. I bet that will cause lots of merriment when the grandchildren try reading it!

A Ticket to Ride is a fantastic book to read with the children and I think it works for adults as well. Some children's stories I have read have bored me to tears, so I lose interest and therefore the children do too. But A Ticket to Ride has the mix of poems, easy-to-read stories and groan-inducing jokes that will hold the adult’s attention as well as the child's. My grandchildren are now learning to read by themselves and I believe this will become a favourite for them to read at bedtime.

I am a big fan of Sue Wickstead's books for younger readers and this one has something for everyone to enjoy.

I think this is probably my favouite now and highly recommend for early readers.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Ticket To Ride: Stories & Rhymes by Sue Wickstead is a most beautiful book for children aged five years and older. Whatever your age, these rhymes will delight you.
The book covers a variety of topics from bumble bees to lions, from arks to buses. There is something here for everyone to enjoy.
There are unique takes on familiar rhymes such as Jingle Bells, and stories such as Noah’s Ark. Sue Wickstead gives a new, fresh perspective that entertains not only the children, but the adult reading aloud too.
All the poems are beautifully illustrated. Each picture is a wealth of information and colour. It is a starting point for discussions with our children.
Sue Wickstead always produces the most beautiful books that will enhance any child’s personal library.
The poems are various line and verse lengths. All have a good bouncy rhythm.
Did I have a favourite poem? Definitely. I loved Bossy Cat best. I could definitely recognise my cat’s traits in Emmy.
Give the child in your life a treat, and buy them a copy of A Ticket To Ride today.
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

[Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read a Sue Wickstead book before and found it to be colourful, fun, and ideal for young children. “A Ticket to Ride, Stories and Rhymes” is Sue’s latest book and as always, features her traditional red bus headed for ‘there and back’, inspired by her own Playbus experiences and time spent with her own grandchildren.

I love the gorgeous illustrations that accompany this book (beautifully created by the very talented Jo Anne Davies, by the way). Each page comes to life alongside Sue’s funny and entertaining stories and rhymes. Little jokes (that you can’t help but snigger at, no matter your age) are dotted throughout, with poems and stories featuring adorable animals - from giraffes to bumblebees - and even an exciting maze to decipher the adventures of a cat and mouse.

As a nanna myself, I especially loved the ‘Love from Nanny Sue’ poem and intend to follow its advice by enjoying my fun time with my very young grandson. I look forward to reading this collection of imaginative fun with him as soon as he’s able and I know without a doubt that all young children will love reading this delightful book too or having it read to them at bedtime.

#ATicketToRide - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[The Book Elf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another lovely addition to the library of Stories and Rhymes that are all bus related by Sue. A Ticket To Ride is a wonderful collection of short stories, rhymes and jokes that will keep any little one entertained for hours whilst they are either read to , or reading it for themselves. Like all the previous books there is a bus weaving its way in and out of the pages as the stories and rhymes travel along, wondering where it will take you next.

As with all the books there is also a huge thank you needed for the superb illustrations by Jo Anne Davies which make sure that there are lots of things to talk about on each page with your little one.

These are books that should be in every child's home, library and school .

[theweebookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another wonderful addition to Sue Wickstead's "bus" series. All her books are about buses or feature one in it.

This is a great collection of rhymes and stories, interspersed with jokes, which are printed on a ticket. In addition, in the middle of the book, there is a maze which children will love as you turn the book to read the story.

It is the perfect book for reading to very young children or reading with older children. The illustrations are so bright and colourful that this will engage youngsters as well.

[D.L. Finn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun collection of stories, poems, and beautiful illustrations. I like nothing more than the engaging flow of rhymes to read aloud to children, but even reading it alone, it brought a smile. The stories mixed in are charming with just the right amount of silliness, and a bonus was the jokes I know would bring a smile to a young child and the reader. A quick and enjoyable read that would be a great gift to parents and grandparents for story time. I can recommend this for all young readers and those who read to them!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Ticket to Ride is full of cheerful language and delightful characters that capture a child’s attention from the first page. The poems are cleverly written and the short stories add satisfying variety perfect for repeated readings. A charming addition to any child’s library.

[Kathy Robinsion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wickstead’s warm tone and imaginative scenarios make every poem feel like a mini-adventure. The book lends itself well to family reading or classroom activities and offers moments of laughter and thoughtfulness alike. A delightful and dependable read.

[Nacy White · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-paced collection with a consistent, cheerful voice throughout. The poems are memorable and the short stories provide a nice counterpoint that keeps the book feeling fresh. Ideal for parents who want joyful, high quality read-aloud material.

[Dorothy S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s a genuine sense of fun and imagination in every piece here, and the recurring bus-journey theme gives the book a pleasing cohesion. The rhymes are lively and the stories are short but satisfying great for bedtime or quiet afternoons. A true crowd-pleaser for young listeners.

[Sue Wickstead · Rating 5 out of 5]

My grandson loves the poems for Emmy cat and my granddaughter loves singing the Jingle Bells Rhyme on the way to Nanny's house.
We certainly love a bit of imaginative playtime

[Alisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection strikes a lovely balance between silliness and gentle reflection, which makes it appropriate for a wide range of ages. The cadence of the rhymes makes reading aloud effortless and enjoyable. I appreciate how accessible and engaging the writing is.

[Teresa S.Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers playful, engaging verse alongside brief stories that complement the overall tone. My students responded enthusiastically to the humor and rhythm, making it a useful resource for classroom reading. Thoughtful and entertaining.