Home > Categories > Books > Kids - General > The Wheels on the Bus review
"The wheels on the bus go round and round ..." Everyone knows the song. But now the bus is going around beautiful New Zealand and its passengers you just might know: kiwi, penguin, tuatara, fantail and many more. Come along for the ride!
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Another classic with a Kiwi twist is a must add to any kids reading list. Its another Donovan Bixley favorite in our house which we know takes much longer than the norm to get through as there is so much happening on each and every page as you make your way through it.
Much of the time is spent trying to find the gorgeous bird hidden throughout the pages, but more so trying to also explain why black sheep are playing rugby and just how it is even possible to fit so many animals into one bus? And yes of course you always end up going back two or three pages on more than one occassion to see something again.
The song is sung loudly, the actions are even bigger and the "woah" or "cool" moments as our 3.5 year old suddenly finds something he has missed are always great. He is particularly fond of the last beach scene and loves the whales and the beach balls - I guess this resonates with this kiwi kid who loves the beach and loves anything to do with water.
We have loved this so much ourselves that it has also been one of our go to gifts for 1st birthday's as quality books are one of those things that stay with your kids for life sometimes, we love it.
This book is without a doubt the most popular book in the Nursery which I work in with both past and present children being completely drawn to it and requesting it over and over throughout the day. I think the reason for it's popularity is due to the fun and bright colours and illustrations on the front cover and also as it is a very popular song with littlies which is familiar to them and so they can sing along with it.
The Wheels on the Bus book comes in either hard cover or paper back form. It is based on the ever popular children's song the Wheels on the Bus, but this particular version has a twist of New Zealand thrown into it, with various illustrations throughout the book that are focused on NZ icons such as the pavlova, Hokey Pokey ice cream , it also features New Zealand places (with a map in the back of the book which pin points cities where the bus has traveled) this is also a really good discussion point for children as it allows you to talk to them about where they live and teaches them more about there country. As well as the New Zealand icons and cities featured in the book there are also a lot of native New Zealand animals within it such as the Kiwi, Tui and Tuatara. The graphics are gorgeous, bright, animated and colourful, all very well done.
The book does follow through the original version of the Wheels on the Bus, but it also has added some of its own verses such as "the lambs on the bus cry baa baa baa" which isn't a usual line to the song. Children love this and I must admit I have brought several copies of this book for birthday presents this year, knowing how much my daycare kids love it I knew it would be a hit for them as a birthday present, and I was right apparently they want it read non stop!
A awesome Kiwiana interpretation of the book, that is sure to be loved and well treasured for many years to come.
My daughter won a copy of The Wheels on the Bus in a competition. So it was with great excitement she opened the package that day to find a book from someone she did not even know lol Donovan Bixley is one of my favourite childrens authors. You always know you are in for a treat when you have a book with either his nane or Kyle Mewburns name on the cover.
The Wheels on the Bus is a Kiwi take on the original with same name. With a rrp in the vacinity of $25, I am first to admit that I would not buy the book for that price. I believe $25 for a toddlers/young childs book is craziness BUT in saying that, it is an excellent read. It is a board book (I like boardbooks) and unlike most board books, it has good quality serious thick board pages. Plus the art- work us amazing. So although I freely admit I would not pay $25 for the book, I do confess if for the right child, I perhaps may be enticed it to buying it as a gift.
Due to the high quality of the book, and the brilliant funny read that it is, I believe it would make a beautiful gift. The thickness of the board pages means it would last a lot longer than most books, which is great, because like my daughters copy it will get read over and over and over again. Price aside, I highly recommend this fantastic book to everyone.
After hearing this book being read by a fellow work mate (early childhood teacher) i instantly knew i wanted a copy for myself and to this day love the copy i own. The wheels on the bus is always a childhood favourite for many, older children know the words and younger children are attracted to the catchy tune so its always enjoyed by everyone no matter what the age.
This New Zealand version is awesome and has a few different lines i hadnt heard before "the children on the bus step out and in" as well as "the lambs on the bus cry baa baa baa". The illustrations are simply gorgeous and definately focus on New Zealand based items (animals especially) as well as places ~ cape reinga etc. The last page features a map of New Zealand which is a great starting point for teaching children about our country and where in the map you live.
I also love how each page features a picture within itself, my niece often sits with this book for hours on end and points out a range of different things (some i hadnt even noticed the first time round). Truly awesome version and highly recommend to everyone :)
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