The Wheels on the Bus

by Paul O. Zelinsky

When The Wheels on the Bus , by Caldecott medalist Paul O. Zelinsky, broke on the scene ten years ago, it created a sensation with its clever characters, sly subplots, luscious colors, and the incomparable flair of its moving parts. Almost a million young readers have enjoyed the wheels that go round, doors that open and shut, wipers that swish, people who go bumpety-bump --and much more. Today it remains as fresh and engaging as when it was first published. A dazzling, updated cover will herald the book's tenth anniversary and help introduce this watershed interactive book to a whole new generation.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Storytime, Music, Transport, Fiction, Nursery Rhymes

16 pages, Hardcover

First published October 25, 1990

About the author

Born 1953

Paul O. Zelinsky grew up in Wilmette, Illinois, the son of a mathematics professor and a medical illustrator. He drew compulsively from an early age, but did not know until college that this would be his career. As a Sophomore in Yale College he enrolled in a course on the history and practice of the picture book, co-taught by an English professor and Maurice Sendak. This experience inspired Paul to point himself in the direction of children's books. His first book appeared in 1978, since which time he has become recognized as one of the most inventive and critically successful artists in the field.

He now lives with his wife in Brooklyn, New York. They have two grown daughters.

Among many other awards and prizes, he received the 1998 Caldecott Medal for his illustrated retelling of Rapunzel, as well as Caldecott Honors for three of his books: Hansel and Gretel (1985), Rumpelstiltskin (1987), and Swamp Angel (1995).

(Source: http://paulozelinsky.com

Reviews

[Shirley Revill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant book for younger children. Recommended.

[IvyInThePages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.75 leaves out of 5
Characters: 4/5
Cover: 5/5
Story: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Genre: Children/Picture Book
Type: Book
Worth?: Yes!

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had alot of fun reading and singing to this book with my granddaughter Maddie! I highly recommend it!!🥰 It's one of her favorites too!

[Alison Ridens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you looking for a catchy tune and visual retelling of a classic folklore tale? The Wheels on the Bus by Paul Zelinsky boasts interactive movable parts and repeating vocabulary words, making it perfect to use as an interactive read-aloud book that would keep students engaged! Starting with the doors on a busy bus, this picture book follows the busy day of adults and children holding various objects driving through the bumpy and rainy streets of town. With interactive flaps showing babies crying and the bus moving all through the town, this timeless tune seeks to entertain students. My favorite spread was of the babies and children crying on the bus while their mothers attempt to comfort them, as the movable parts involve opening and closing the mouths of the screaming children. I also loved the closing spread of the book showing the bus zooming around the buildings of the town while bouncing the whole way through, which brings the resolution of the story to an end as the bus goes all through the town. This book was so engaging and entertaining to read and interact with, and I simply could not put it down!

[Carmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this in the 1990s when it came out, but appreciate it on a whole new level now.

We were given this pop-up book as a gift and in the last week it has become my 17 month old daughters OBSESSION. I read Wheels on the bus at least 30 times this weekend. We keep it up on a high shelf because it is a more delicate book and she will stand in front of the shelf and yell, "Bus! Bus! Bus!"

While I may be tiring of singing the song, I still love Zelinsky's illustrations. This maybe my favorite pop up book of all time because he doesn't try to wow you with any amazing pop-out paper architecture, the moving parts work in harmony with and compliment the illustrations. For example, the page where the babies on the bus cry 'wah! wah! wah!' there are only a few eye and mouth movements, but it creates the illusion of an animated panorama of wailing babies and distressed mothers in only a couple slight movements.

Also, even the pull tabs for the moving parts are integrated in to the illustrations- one is a food, or when pulled it reveals additional text.

The testament to the true strength of the illustrations is that the book stands up to marathon rereadings- 10 times, 20 times in a row and there is still something new to notice in the illustrations. endless subplots playing out only through the illustrations...the boy with the box of kittens, the musician with the guitar whose end destination is the city library, the orange scooter that tails the bus a while. Then the last page is a montage of smaller pop up scenes of the bus in the context of a map of the town we have just traveled through.

Paul Zelinsky, you are a genius and deserve your Caldecott.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My littles and g'littles all LOVE this song! It's so fun to sing. This book is a great pull-out, pop-up version of the story and song with beautiful, engaging illustrations. It allows for interaction with the book, as the children sing their way through the story!

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful pop-up edition of the classic children's song.

[Megan Gallagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: The Wheels on the Bus
Author: Paul O. Zelinsky
Illustrator: Paul O. Zelinsky
Genre: Toy or moveable book (repeated/patterned phrase)
Theme(s): Movement, People, Society, Singing, Sounds, Family, Bus and its their parts
Opening line/sentence: The wheels on the bus go round and round.
Brief Book Summary: This exciting, interactive story brings the reader through a bus ride. Each page introduces a new part of the bus along with a movement/sound that the bus does.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1 (cut & paste):
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, 1990)
Special kudos to paper-engineer Rodger Smith for his extraordinary (and sturdy!) animation of Zelinsky's lively, sophisticated yet accessible, delightfully detailed rendition of this preschool favorite--including a reprise that rivals a last burst of fireworks. Destined to be a classic. 1990, Dutton, $14.95. Starred Review. © 1990 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.
(PUBLISHER: Weston Woods Studios ([Norwalk CT]:), PUBLISHED: c2004.)



Professional Recommendation/Review #2 (cut & paste):
CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, 1990)
The wheels on the bus go round and round...all over town." A delightfully inventive full-color picture book edition of a favorite contemporary action song contains durable pages with manipulative functions such as bus doors that open and close, windshield wipers which swish back and forth, abus driver who gestures "move on back" to his passengers, windows that go up and down, and riders who go bumpety-bump. Visual sub-plots in this sturdy, inviting book feature various passengers as well as a bus stop in front of thepublic library. A final double page spread cleverly recapitulates the bus trip and the verses. Theadult/child/infant passengers are from diverse racial backgrounds. CCBC categories: Picture Books. 1990, Dutton, 15 pages, $14.95. Ages 3-7.
(PUBLISHER: Weston Woods Studios ([Norwalk CT]:), PUBLISHED: c2004.)


Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both reviews discuss the illustrations, stating how they are lively, sophisticated, and colorful. They point out how sturdy the pages are, which is important for a children’s pop-up book to be, so it does not break/rip easily. It seems that both reviews were pleasantly happy with the story as well.


Evaluation of Literary Elements: Perhaps the most important part of this book is the illustrations, they are bright and colorful and have added movement pieces. The plot itself is exciting and fun and provides a different type of story for young readers. The language used in this story is important because it provides a musical tone with sounds that the readers can make.


Consideration of Instructional Application: This book is perfect for a preschool and kindergarten class. Musically students can sing along to the story as well as make motions that go along with the story. Children can also think of new things to sing about on the bus and create their own movement to go with it. This can be shared in a class discussion.

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. Awards received: This book has received the Parenting Magazine Reading Magic Award and the Redbook Award.

2. Appropriate grade level(s): This book is appropriate for preschool to grade 2.

3. Summary: This book is based on the traditional song of “The Wheels on the Bus”. It is adapted and illustrated into an interactive book for young readers. Each page of the book introduces a new part of the bus along with the movement/sound that the bus does/makes. There are moveable parts, flaps, and wheels that spin that correspond with a part of the song. For instance on the page where the “wipers on the bus go swish swish swish”, there is a tab that when pulled, the wipers are able to convey that motion.

4. I absolutely love this book. The brush illustrations and the colors used to paint them bring the song to life. The illustrations contain so much detail and have a storyline behind them. The song and adapted book took on another level of fun with the physically interactive parts of the book. Children will have fun learning about the different parts of a bus/automobile.

5. Uses in the classroom:
-The students can draw a diagram based on the parts of the bus.
-The students compare/contrast a bus to another automobile.
-The kids can draw themselves to be placed into the bus (used as a helper chart, an attendance tracker, etc.).

[Amanda Oquendo · Rating 3 out of 5]

1. Awards: Parenting Magazine Reading Magic Award, ALA Notable Book, Redbook Award

2. Grade Level(s): Preschool - Kindergarten

3. Summary: The book “The Wheels on the Bus” by Paul O. Zelinsky is a colorful story, that illustrates the lyrics to the classic children’s song The Wheels on the Bus. The book is interactive and has many movable parts throughout. As the characters are on a bus ride, the story discusses different parts of the bus and the noise each part make, which children will enjoy singing along the noises.

4. Review: Overall, I think that this is a fun and interactive songbook because children can interact with the story by singing along and by playing with the movable parts. Also, the story can educate children about different forms of transportation if they are unfamiliar with using the bus or children will be able to relate to the song if they have ever rode the bus. Many children will easily be able to memorize the lyrics of the song and be capable of “reading” the book on their own, which will build their confidence in reading.

5. In-Class Uses:
- Come up with body motions or dance that go along with each part of the song.
- Have the children participate in an arts and crafts activity where they create their own bus with interactive/movable parts.
- Have a lesson about different forms of transportation and discuss how many children ride the bus.

[Renee Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. Awards: A Book-of-the-Month Club selection, Bratislava Biennale selection, Parenting Magazine Reading Magic Award, ALA Notable Book, and a Redbook Award.
2. Grade Level: Preschool to first grade
3. Summary: This song book demonstrates numerous people getting on the bus holding different things such as a guitar, a bird, a box, and bags. Pull-outs reveal different parts of the story. The song is about the bus going through town and at the end you can see the whole town.
4. Review: The pull outs allow children to see the story in a hands-on way while singing along to the book. This will keep children entertained and want to keep rereading the book. The illustrations are vibrantly colorful as well.
5. Possible In-Class Use: This book fosters children’s fine motor skills by using the tabs which is a great purpose in itself. Children can create their own bus on a large piece of cardboard or paper. They could then make a portrait of themselves and the teacher can laminate it and then put the children on the bus (in the windows). This builds classroom community. The bus could even be used as a job helper chart (since people in town have different jobs) or an attendance chart. This could also be an introduction to learning about their local community.

[Giselle Aguilar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul O. Zelinsky shows strong use of illustration to depict or describe the action words that are given. Upon reading the book, you can tell that it is musically driven however, I feel that this is because I know the rhythm that comes with this book from prior experience with it. I can say that the book's illustrations would help bring rhythm into the book for those that have never listened to the song ("Wheels on the bus"). An example of this would be how the illustrations are not only two-dimensional but they are three-dimensional which can provide examples of the actions mentioned in the story. For example, on one of the pages, we see that the pop-up can be moved up and down and as you are reading the words that are involved with this action, the tones of what you read change; "up" pitch goes high, "down" pitch goes low. Overall, I think that the bright colors involved in all illustrations also bring up a warm interpretation of imaginative sound, and the book itself engages readers to continue reading and observing because of the hands-on experience.

[Francesca · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wheels on the Bus by Paul Zelinsky
1. Awards: Parenting Magazine Reading Magic Award, ALA Notable Book, Redbook Award.
2. Grade Level: Pre K - 1
3. Summary: A classic song about a bus ride. This adaption has great illustrations with hidden gems all throughout.
4. Review: This book also featured movable parts and pop-ups which I really like for young students. As most of the lyrics are about movement it makes sense to show the movement in action.
5. In Class Uses:
1. Have students come up with their own line to the song about other characters that could be on the bus. _____ on the bus goes __ ___ __. Ex: Cats on the bus go meow meow meow
2. Have a sing-along and let students act out the movements. Could set up chairs to simulate the rows of bus seats.
3. Here are two more activities for young children to practice sequencing and fine motor skills. https://skidz.co.za/activities/the-wh...

[Annissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Copyright: 1990
Number of Pages: unnumbered
Book Format: hardcover
Reading Level: PreK-K 1-2, GR Level J
Genre: Fiction
Lit Requirement: engineered book

Summary:
The Wheels on the Bus goes along with the commonly known song. It goes through each part fo the song like the wheels on the bus go round and round. On that page, the wheels spin. Each page has a different kind of pull tab or other ways the page moves. The last page of the book shows all of the different verses through the entire book.

Review:
This book was amazing. I love how detailed the pictures are and the movements amazed me. I can only imagine how much a child would love to read, or sing along, to this book while seeing moving pictures as well. I recommend this book as I believe it will capture childrens attention and teach them about a bus and bus riders.

[Gabriella Balbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A. N/A

B. PreK- 1st Grade

C. The Wheels on the Bus is a fun and catchy tune that has all the children singing about their transportation to school.

D. This song is great for educating young children about their ride to school by creating a positive picture regarding bus rides which can potentially be an overwhelming experience for some children. It does a great job using repetition, helping children with their memorization skills.

E. Transportation- This song helps educate young children on the different transportation methods that can be used. A lesson on cars, planes, and trains can be created to help them better understand what each of them look like through visuals like play models.

Vocabulary- Engaging the students by playing the song and having them sing along which helps with vocabulary and strengthens their listening abilities.

[Taylor Ball · Rating 5 out of 5]

Appropriate Grade Level: PreKindergarten-Kindergarten
Summary: There is a lot of commotion on the bus! Through the use of a song, "The Wheels on the Bus" goes through all of the sounds and actions that children may see on a bus. Paul O. Zelinsky provides interactive tabs throughout his songbook to enhance the visual component for the readers.
Review: I love this version of the wheels on the bus! Paul O. Zelinsky does an amazing job with making the book interactive! These components of the book make singing the song and following along in the book an easy task for young children!
In Class Uses: This book could be used as a way to regroup the children and regain their focus. The singing of the song through the use of this book will allow the children to dismiss of some of the energy.

[Nancy Kotkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Text: 3 stars
Art & Design: 5 stars

An interactive pull-tab / lift-the-flap picture book. The text is taken from the old children's song "The Wheels on the Bus," so it's nothing new. But it's the design of this book that makes it special. Little hands can push and pull, open and close, and watch those effects come to life before their eyes. The book is very delicate though. My library's copy is kept behind the desk and doesn't circulate, yet the pages are damaged. I imagine that personal copies are beaten up even more quickly at home. Someone needs to invent a paper-like substance that is strong enough to withstand children's enthusiastic handling.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. None
2. PreK-K
3. This book is a version of the classic song "The Wheels on the Bus," that features pop-up flaps and components.
4. I loved this book, ever since I was a child, because the song is a familiar one but the interactive nature of this particular copy was entertaining to read/play with. The illustrations are amazing and the tabs and flaps create a fun hands-on experience with reading.
5. This book would be better suited for either small groups or individual use. The tabs/flaps/pop-up pieces allow for young children to practice using/developing fine motor skills and the lyrics are repetitive and easily memorized.

[Scott Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: The Wheels on the Bus
Author: Paul O. Zelinsky
Awards: Red Book Award

Summary: The classic Wheels on the Bus song brought to life as a pop-up book. It is a beautifully illustrated classic that will captivate young readers.

Review/Application:
This is an exceptional children's songbook that is readily available for use with Kindergarten classes. It would be an excellent introduction to the concept of Sequencing Events. Young students can be brought through the visual tool of "What comes next" and begin to incorporate these early concepts into their own beginners toolbox for literary concepts to come.

[Jordyn]

Awards- Parenting Magazine Reading Magic Award, ALA Notable Book, Redbook Award
Grade level- Pre-k Kindergarten
Summary- A classic nursey rhyme told and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. Every page has an interactive feature.
Review- So many kids love this book because of all the different ways they are able to interact with the pages. From pop-ups to spinning a wheel to make the wheels move, there is something to keep every child entertained.
In class uses- read aloud and then each student can illustrate their own bus, pass around and let the students interact with the pages

[Shannon]

My daughter was *obsessed* with this book when she was about one and a half. There were a few days when we read this book about 50 times. We actually have two copies, both of them pretty trashed because she wasn't the gentlest with the interactive elements. We plan to get a clean copy at some point.

It's a great book. The artwork is perfect for the song, the paper construction elements are all terrific and it seems to have been absolutely addicting for my own child. She still likes to look at to this day.

[Brianna Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is for Pre-K through Kindergarten.
The book covers the song The Wheels On The Bus.
The book is a pop up book which truly holds children's attention and is fun to touch.
I'd use the book to sing the song but also to cover how you should interact with your books. How you would hold a book, how to gently turn pages as well as play with the pop ups.

[Haylieboyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

As all young children learn or listen to this book it may be helpful for older children. Once children are done with prek they begin to ride the big bus all by themselves. hey may be very nervous going to a new school and being on a bus with know one you know. This familiar book/song may help some fears.

[Danielle Andino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grade level(s): PreK-2
Summary: Enjoy this classic book that millions of readers have enjoyed! The wheels that go round, doors that open and shut, people who go up and down!
Review: This is such a classic. The illustrations are fun, vibrant, and enjoyable.
Uses: Music time in the classroom.

[MacK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me: yes, it's repetitive and incessant, but details are so fun, I'll deal.

Alex: move on back! Move on back! Move on--I broke it, can I get another?

Owen: Bumpity bump! Bumpity bump! Bumpity--I broke it, can we get another?

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wheels on the Bus was the first song my daughter became obsessed with, so naturally I had to get her this book. It became an instant favourite and we read it many, many times. She’s now seven and obsessing about other things, but this book will always have a special place in our library.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd completely forgotten about this book, but as it was reintroduced to me, memories came back of a teacher reading it to me many years ago. It is still so much fun. It's possibly the best book version of The Wheels on the Bus ever.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the version with pull tabs or windows on each page that reveal the action of each verse. I sang it to my Grands. It wasn't possible for me to just read it. The music is on the back cover.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite fun.

[kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute version with movable parts, but it's a little hard to read the text and the parts aren't easy for a toddler to manipulate themselves