About the Holiday

For many children across the country August is the month for going back to school—or just starting on that journey. Some children eagerly look forward to spending the day in a classroom with other kids and learning new things from their teacher or teachers. For others the transition from home to school is a little more daunting. Finding ways to reassure hesitant students can go a long way toward happiness and success in school. Books can help! Through the experiences and feeling of all types of children and characters in picture books, chapter books, and middle grade and young adult novels, kids can share their feelings, whether they are excited or more uncertain about the school year ahead.

I received a copy of It’s Your First Day of School, Busy Bus! from Beach Lane Books to check out. All opinions are my own. I’m happy to be partnering with Jody Jensen Shaffer on a giveaway of the book. See details below.

It’s Your First Day of School, Busy Bus!

Written by Jody Jensen Shaffer | Illustrated by Claire Messer

 

It’s morning on the first day of the school year, and Ben the bus driver greets his fleet of buses. He welcomes Busy Bus to the crew that includes Bossy Bus, Zippy Bus, Bouncy Bus, and Big Bus. Already, “Busy Bus is wide awake. He can’t wait to meet the children! He hopes they will like him.” Ben has a checklist to make sure Busy Bus is ready for his route.

First, he checks Busy Bus’s tires and makes sure his gas tank is full. Then he “swivels Busy Bus’s mirrors. ‘Now we can see everything,’ he says.” Inside, Ben checks that Busy Bus’s stop sign and all his lights work. He ensures that all emergency equipment is stocked and functioning. As Ben continues to fill out his checklist, Busy Bus wonders, “Will the children have fun riding with me?”

Now it’s time for Ben to check Busy Bus’s engine. He turns the key, and “Busy Bus purrrrs like a kitten.” He inspects all the gauges and tries all the knobs. The brakes work, the steering wheel turns, and Busy Bus’s windshield wipers swish, swish smoothly across the glass. “HONK!” Busy Bus says cheerfully.

With a quick shining of the windshield, Ben announces that Busy Bus is all ready to meet the children. Suddenly, Busy Bus feels a little nervous. He worries about being homesick and making friends. Then Ben attaches Busy Bus’s very own name tag and drives to the first stop on their route, where a crowd of smiling children are waiting to climb aboard. As Busy Bus gives them a ride to school, he feels loved and knows that he’s “going to have a great year!”

Young readers anticipating the beginning of a new school year will find a cheerful and empathetic friend in Busy Bus, who also happens to have first-day jitters. Children experiencing their first school-bus ride will find reassurance and familiarity in the details that Jody Jensen Shaffer provides as Ben the bus driver completes his inspection of Busy Bus. Busy Bus’s thoughts and feelings mirror those of students nervous about being away from home, the bus ride, making friends, and fitting in. Shaffer’s straightforward and honest storytelling encourages kids to discuss their own feelings and questions about school.

Claire Messer’s Busy Bus—smaller than the other buses in the barn—is endearing as he wakes up to the first day of school under a smiling sun with an excited HONK! Bold, colorful images of the bus barn with its gas pump, extra tires, and other equipment as well as Busy Bus’s dashboard, interior, and emergency gear will fascinate detail-oriented kids. As Busy Bus experiences last-minute apprehensions, his expression changes, giving children an opportunity to recognize and talk about feelings of sadness, worry, fear, and confidence.

It’s Your First Day of School, Busy Bus! is a book to be shared by teachers, parents, and caregivers to make those first days of school smooth, happy, and exciting for all students.

Ages 3 – 8

Beach Lane Books, 2018 | ISBN 978-1481494670

Discover more about Jody Jensen Shaffer and her books on her website.

To learn more about Claire Messer, her books, and her art, visit her website.

It’s Your First Day of School, Busy Bus! Giveaway

I’m excited to be partnering with Jody Jensen Shaffer to offer a giveaway of:

• One (1) copy of It’s Your First Day of School, Busy Bus! written by Jody Jensen Shaffer | illustrated by Claire Messer

To be entered to win, just Follow me on Twitter @CelebratePicBks and Retweet one of my giveaway tweets during this week, August 13 – 19. 

A winner will be chosen on August 20.

Giveaways open to US addresses only

Back to School Month Activities

Tea Box School Bus

 

With a small tea box, some paint, and the printable template, kids can have fun making a model school bus to play with or display. Make your bus as detailed or simple as you’d like!

Supplies

• Printable School Bus Template
• Small tea box: 20-bag size
• Bright yellow craft paint
• Scissors
• Craft glue
• Paintbrush

Directions

1. Print 2 copies of the School Bus Template
2. Carefully take the tea box apart at the seams, invert it, and glue or tape it back together

To Make the Passenger Side of the Bus

1. Cut the Door from the template
2. Glue the door to the box near the front
3. Cut out and trim the row of windows from the template
4. Glue the windows near the top of the box
5. Cut out and trim two of the solid black lines from the template
6. Glue the stripes onto the side of the box below the windows
7. Cut out two tires from the template and glue them to the box

To Make the Front of the Bus

1. Cut out two of the red and orange paired lights
2. Glue one on each side of the box near the top with the red light on the outside
3. Add a School Bus sign between the lights
4. Cut out the windshield in the lower corner of the template and glue it in place
5. Cut and trim grill and glue it beneath the windshield
6. Cut and glue white circles for headlights on either side of the grill
7. Cut, trim, and glue the wide black strip to the bottom as the bumper.

To Make the Driver’s Side of the Bus

1. Cut and trim the row of windows from the template
2. Glue the windows near the top of the box
3. Cut out and trim two of the solid black lines from the template
4. Glue the stripes onto the side of the box below the windows
5. Cut out two tires from the template and glue them to the box
6. Cut out and glue the Stop sign over the two stripes near the front of the bus

To Make the Back of the Bus

1. Cut out two of the red and orange paired lights
2. Glue one on each side of the box near the top with the red light on the outside
3. Add a School Bus sign between the lights
4. Cut out the two small rounded corner windows
5. Glue them underneath the lights close to the edge of the box
6. Cut out and glue the bigger rounded corner window between the smaller windows
7. Cut out and glue the yellow, red, and white lights underneath the small windows with the yellow light on the outside
8. Cut out and glue the black rounded corner window centered beneath the lights
9. Cut and trim the wide black stripe and glue it near the bottom of the box for the bumper

School Bus Coloring Page

Kids will also have fun coloring in one of these printable School Bus Coloring Sheets!

School Bus Coloring Page for Older Kids |  Easy School Bus Coloring Page

You can find It’s Your First Day of School, Busy Bus! at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Picture Book Review