Kindergarrrten Bus - Hardcover

A pirate bus driver tells his new kindergarten charges to buck up and not be afraid, but then something happens that shows him to be a fraidy fraud. On their first day of kindergarrrten, a rather unconventional bus driver greets six diverse kids whose fear (both of the new experience of going to school and of their driver) is more than evident. But the blatantly stereotypical (hook hand, peg leg, earring, hat, beard and mustache) pirate will have no blubbering on his bus: Pirates don t get scared!... / Cause we re rrrough! And we re tough! / And we ain t got time for that fluffy stuff! But when bumpy roads send his parrot flying out the window, the pirate's hornswogglin is revealed, and in a reversal, the children must convince the pirate that he can be brave and drive the bus even without Polly. An author's note tells adults how to help anxious children faced with new experiences. Barry s illustrations use fairly dark, somber hues to set the mood, and his fine-lined, scribbly style suits the pirate theme. The details will keep readers glued to the pages: Instead of stairs, the bus has a plank to walk, the windows are round like portholes, the steering wheel is that from a ship, and a jolly roger (the silhouette of a teddy bear head) flies from the roof. X marks the school: The treasure of all treasures! --Kirkus Review

With its over-the-top cartooning and abundance of crowd-pleasing "arrr" sounds, this clever comedy may be powerful enough to defuse the worry of an entire classroom of reluctant school-goers. --Publisher's Weekly

Yo ho ho! It's the first day of kindergarten. Just imagine all the fun things to learn and experience! And who better than a pirate captain to drive the bus to school? And it turns out that being a big, blustery pirate captain is no guarantee against feeling insecure and a little frightened in strange and uncomfortable situations. Who can help a rough and tough pirate captain get over his fears and back to driving the school bus? Using humor and pirate-speak, "Kindergarrrten Bus" is a delightfully entertaining and thoroughly 'kid friendly' picture book by the team of author Mike Ornstein and illustrator Kevin M. Barry that addresses some of the concerns and anxiety that many children ages 5 to 7 feel on their first day of school or at the start of any new undertaking. --Midwest Book Review