The Dinos on the Bus is a new twist on the classic children’s song, brought to us by Kiwi writer Peter Millett, with bright, playful illustrations by Tony Neal. It’s the first in a new series of “sing-along stories” from Penguin Random House’s Ladybird imprint.
In this retelling, a bus full of rambunctious young dinosaurs (plus a few disapproving granny dinos) travels “all through the land” and narrowly escapes the snapping jaws of a T-Rex.
Young toddlers will enjoy hearing the familiar song with fun new words to say: “Roar roar roar! Pop pop pop! Eek eek eek!” Older pre-schoolers, not to mention parents, will appreciate the clever details in Neal’s illustrations: a triceratops dinging the bell with its horn, a sad subplot featuring a bunch of balloons and some raptor claws, the ominous foreshadowing of the T-Rex pursuit on an earlier page.
Crucially, Millett ends on a calming note, with the yawning dinos returning home to their parents, meaning this delightful book passes the not-too-exciting-for-bedtime test.
Reviewer: India Lopez
Ladybird, $17.99