Review: The Yellow Bus

By Loren Long

New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2024. Picture Book.

This picture book chronicles the life of a yellow bus as it's used for a multitude of purposes. The bus starts as a school bus for children, then becomes a shuttle for the elderly. Eventually, it is left under a city bridge where it becomes a shelter and gathering place for unhoused individuals. You may think the story ends there, but the bus is towed to another location where it becomes a playground for goats, and finally for fish.

The gorgeous grayscale landscapes in this book contrast from the bus, and the individuals that use it, creating the feeling of life within the bus. Sweeping bird's eye views were drawn after the artist created a model town that he could use for perspective. If you like last year's The Tree in the River and want another book about how things change over time, check out The Yellow Bus.

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