Puppy Bus

August 1, 2022
A story that’s got all the markers of a classic anxiety dream becomes an amusing balm for hesitant school-goers in Brockington’s deftly comic picture book. The protagonist, a pink-skinned kid with a round-headed, angsty Peanuts mien, isn’t thrilled about starting at a brand-new school: “The teachers will be different. I’ll have to make all new friends. I won’t even know where the bathroom is.” But these worries end up constituting a massive understatement: having somehow boarded the bus to Leroy’s Puppy School, endearingly goofy cartooning reveals, the child is the only human on the premises (even the principal is a dog). The first class covers rolling over, the lunchroom serves kibble, and the toilet is a fire hydrant. But consoling licks from a canine classmate draws the child into the swing of things, and in short order, fetch, puppy piles, and howling seem like the most natural thing in the world—at least until the second day of school. Ages 4–8.

September 1, 2022
Heading to the first day at a new school, this story's young narrator boards the bus looking glum and apprehensive. Typical concerns about different teachers and friends are quickly overshadowed by a more immediate problem: "I'm on the wrong bus! AUGHHH!!!" And that's not the only issue: this bus is filled with puppies instead of children, and the oblivious (human) driver drops everyone off at puppy school. The ridiculous canine twist addresses familiar new-kid/first-day anxieties and insecurities with humor and understanding. The narrator's remark that "everything about this school is strange and different" will resonate with anyone who's been in a similarly disorienting situation. Brockington's spirited cartoonlike art is in on the joke: there's the all-dog cast's speech bubbles ("Woof + Woof = ?"), dog food for lunch ("disgusting"), and a fire hydrant instead of a toilet in the bathroom stall. When things seem the most hopeless for our protagonist, a few friendly (furry) faces and recess help make puppy school more welcoming. "Maybe this school isn't so bad after all." And hopefully that's what young readers embarking on new adventures will carry with them. Also, make sure you're on the right bus. Kitty Flynn

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from May 1, 2022
A child winds up on the wrong bus on their first day at a new school. The narrator, who is light-skinned with dark curly hair, isn't excited about attending an unfamiliar school; things get even worse when it turns out that the bus is filled with dogs. At school, the protagonist tries to find a grown-up, but everyone here is a canine--even the principal--so it's off to class with the puppies. When the child is feeling down, their seatmate from the bus cheers them up, and when they learn that this school has recess, things really improve. The cartoonish art and simple text offer humor on many levels, from bathroom jokes (the bathroom stall contains a fire hydrant) to witty background details (a poster of the food pyramid depicts a pile of bones). Brockington also explores what first days at new schools have in common, whether the students are human or canine: feeling confused, out of place, and lonely until an overture of friendship is extended. The child's expressions shift from freaked out to grossed out to blissed out as they lie in a pile of puppies at recess. The child comes home happy, ready to return to puppy school tomorrow, but of course there's a twist ending that will have readers laughing again. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A fabulous, funny take on the new-kid and first-day-of-school concepts, especially for animal lovers. (Picture book. 4-8)

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July 1, 2022
Heading to the first day at a new school, this story's young narrator boards the bus looking glum and apprehensive. Typical concerns about different teachers and friends are quickly overshadowed by a more immediate problem: "I'm on the wrong bus! AUGHHH!!!" And that's not the only issue: this bus is filled with puppies instead of children, and the oblivious (human) driver drops everyone off at puppy school. The ridiculous canine twist addresses familiar new-kid/first-day anxieties and insecurities with humor and understanding. The narrator's remark that "everything about this school is strange and different" will resonate with anyone who's been in a similarly disorienting situation. Brockington's spirited cartoonlike art is in on the joke: there's the all-dog cast's speech bubbles ("Woof + Woof = ?"), dog food for lunch ("disgusting"), and a fire hydrant instead of a toilet in the bathroom stall. When things seem the most hopeless for our protagonist, a few friendly (furry) faces and recess help make puppy school more welcoming. "Maybe this school isn't so bad after all." And hopefully that's what young readers embarking on new adventures will carry with them. Also, make sure you're on the right bus.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)