BUNNY BUS

A smiling, bunny-shaped bus generously picks up one and all until it breaks down.

The white-eared, smiling Bunny Bus operates in a picturesque town, full of flowers, pretty buildings, and rolling hills. Well-dressed, gleeful animals hop aboard at stop after stop, overjoyed to see their fellow townsfolk. With a quick-paced gait, the rhyming verse celebrates every stop Bunny Bus makes. “Room for more? Of course! Pile on! / The Bunny Bus rolls on and on. // Hop… Hop… Hop… / STOP!” This communal event comes to a sudden and literal halt when the bus breaks down with an Easter egg– and carrot-spewing BOOM! Will there be a happy ending? Illustrator Withrow’s bright characters are reminiscent of Richard Scarry’s, with jolly animals dressed in their Sunday best, resplendent with plaids, patterns, and purses. The emotional setting seems a bit saccharine, as the animals’ smiles don’t fade even when the bus breaks down. Although happy passengers work together to solve the problem, the illustrations seem to imply that washing the bus will repair whatever broke during the explosion. Now sparkly, the long-eared bus is ready to roll, or hop, once again, with banners and balloons signaling the start of a surprising Bunny Bus Easter Parade.

For those who have room on the seasonal shelf as well as bus-obsessed readers.