Note: I received a digital galley of this book through NetGalley. ( )

Met de bus. Tekst en tekeningen Marianne Dubuc.

Als enorm grote fan van Boven op de berg (haar vorige boek bij Querido) keek ik erg uit naar dit boek. En hoewel, voor mij, niets kan tippen aan dat boek stelde Met de bus me niet teleur.

Beide boeken bevatten heel veel prachtige tekeningen en weinig tekst. Maar samen vertellen die een heel verhaal. In Met de bus is dat het verhaal van een meisje dat voor het eerst helemaal alleen met de bus naar haar oma gaat. Mama heeft haar een jasje tegen de kou (heeft ze nooit nodig zegt ze zelf) en wat lekkers meegeven. Meer heeft ze niet nodig want op de bus gebeurt genoeg om naar te kijken: een slapende bever, een familie wolven, een bok die bloemen uitdeelt,…

Heel tof is dat de vorm van het boek (lang en liggend) ook aan een bus doet denken. De tekeningen (die zich quasi allemaal in de bus afspelen, wat wonderbaarlijk genoeg niet gaat vervelen) komen daardoor goed tot hun recht.

Doordat er zo weinig tekst is en doordat de tekeningen zoveel details bevatten is er ruimte om zelf invulling aan het verhaal te geven en het keer op keer voor te lezen zonder dat het telkens helemaal hetzelfde is. Het gaat dus niet gauw vervelen.
Een prachtig voorlees-of zelfleesboek dat smaakt naar meer. Querido mag van mij verder gaan met Dubucs werk te vertalen… ( )

A cute story about a little girl taking the bus alone for the first time. She is going to visit her grandmother. Once on the bus she has many adventures, imaginary of course. She shares a cookie with a wolf, scares away a pick pocket, meets many other assorted animals, gets mixed up when they go through a dark tunnel, and eventually ends up at grandmas with lots of interesting stories to tell her. The illustrations appeared to be coloured pencil drawings but they had a lot going on that would elicit many discussions in their own right. The story was rather simplistically told and not really as interesting as the illustrations were. Definitely discussions about talking and sharing food with strangers would be needed.

I would like to thank Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review ( )

This story was about a little girl who takes the bus alone to go see her grandmother for the first time. On her way, she encounters wolves, huge bear, a sleepy sloth, a thief, and more. Her cookie was stolen, the lights when out when she passed a cave, and she even encountered a thief. She seemed to be able to handle traveling alone well and when she finally gets to her grandmothers, she tells her that “I have so much to tell you.” Personally, I wasn’t a huge fan of this book. I did not like the idea of a young girl traveling alone and this is not something I would keep in my library. The illustrations that were also by Marianne Dubuc were amazing. I really enjoyed looking through the pictures. ( )

Marianne Dubuc's deceptively simple, understated art offers a chance to explore both story and imagination and this new title is no exception.

Clara is very excited to be taking her first solo bus ride. As the bus travels, she quietly observes the changing scenery, including the different animals that get on and off the bus. As they pass through a tunnel, Clara interacts with new friends, and finally arrives at her destination, there many subtle changes in the scenery and passengers. A sharp-eyed reader will pick out the details, as well as the fairy tale hints in the various characters.

Dubuc's soft pastel pencils are enlivened with spots of color; red cheeks, clothes, an apple, and accessories. The rectangular design enforces each picture, which mostly take place on the bus itself. The simple background scenery is almost unchanging, focusing the reader's attention on the activity within the bus.

Verdict: The simple story and almost drab illustrations are unlikely to make this a storytime hit, but with a little more time and a thoughtful reader, the details and tiny shifts in the story shine through and will make this a favorite for a special child. An additional purchase if your budget is limited, but if you are looking to fill your quotient of special books for specific children, something I try to add a few of every year to balance out all the Pinkalicious and Disney, this should definitely be on that list.

ISBN: 9781771382090; Published 2015 by Kids Can Press; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library