On Our Way With Mr. Jay
Cheer for the district’s most intrepid school bus driver as he races to get everybody to school before the bell rings!
A school is an entire community of its own, but many of its members never get celebrated. This book, the hero is the school bus driver! The first staff member kids see in the morning and the last they say goodbye to, the bus driver has a crucial part to play—and Mr. Jay is up to the challenge.
With the clock ticking all the while, Mr. Jay picks up kids from all over town—out in the country, up a hill, in the busy city, always piloting his bus with jaunty rhymes and a can-do attitude. Along the route, he’s called upon to settle stomachs, clean up pony poo, and fix a diorama. He avoids a stampede, settles down an intruding dog, and even fights off hostile swans! But will he get the kids to school on time?
Chelsea Lin Wallace and Thyra Heder deliver a rollicking, high-energy ride with On Our Way with Mr. Jay, the first in a series of books about school heroes. Whether eager for the start of school, nervous about new experiences, or fond of their own beloved driver, kids will be giggling and cheering their way through this irrepressible, fun-filled read-aloud.
Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review!
★ Sporting a purple Hawaiian shirt and gray ponytail, and sipping from a thermal mug whose sticker reads “Be nice to the bus driver/ it’s a long walk home,” Mr. Jay commands School Bus 3—and the 18 kids on the route adore him. Lavishly energetic slice-of-life marker, pencil, and ink artwork by Heder shows Mr. Jay bringing unshakable cool to bear on an obstacle course of switchbacks, cobblestone roads, and an interstate, but his true appeal lies in his attentiveness—from pulling over for a carsick kid to rescuing a treed diorama and wrangling enthusiastic animals. Digital clock numbers count down the minutes until the 8:05 start of school, but though time is tight, there’s never any doubt that Mr. Jay will hit his mark. Wallace’s rhyming text, which scans cleverly across running lines and dialogue balloons, returns to an anchoring refrain: “That’s okay./ We’re on our way!” And after the chorus of charges disembarks, Mr. Jay sends them off with a warm farewell, tidies the bus, and boards a ride of his own—one that grandly reveals how he comes by his own skills. Starring a beloved adult who brings everyone together, this jubilant picture book hails its school-commute VIP accordingly: “When problems happen on the road,/ when little things make heavy loads,/ there’s nothing like a trusted guide/ to keep you safe inside the ride.” Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–8. (July) –Starred Review, Publishers Weekly