Bunnies on the Bus

Sunny Town Bunnies

by Philip Ardagh, Ben Mantle (Illustrator)

A romping, riotous read-aloud from best-selling author Philip Ardagh and award-winning illustrator Ben Mantle.

Bunnies on the bus!
Bunnies on the bus!
No wonder there’s a fuss
about the bunnies on the bus!

There are bunnies on the bus, and they’re causing mayhem in Sunny Town! Watch as they whiz past the bus stop, fly by the swings, and zoom over the crosswalk — these bunnies aren’t stopping for anyone. They finally reach the station, but where are they hopping off to now? Uh-oh . . . Acclaimed author Philip Ardagh’s rhyming, high-energy text and “Bunnies on the bus!” refrain is ideal for library or classroom read-alouds, and Ben Mantle’s colorful illustrations are chock-full of zany details perfect for repeat reads.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Humor, Childrens, Storytime, Transport, Rabbits

32 pages, Hardcover

First published December 5, 2019

About the author

Over six-and-a-half feet tall, with a bushy beard, Philip Ardagh is not only very big but also very hairy. He is the author of the Eddie Dickens Trilogy and when not writing silly books, Mr. Ardagh is quite serious and frowns a great deal. He lives in a seaside town somewhere in England with his wife and their son, Fred.

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

The adult in me thinks this story has no plot, but the kid in me thinks this book is fun! The animals, the catchy chant, and the silliness of it all appeals to youthful spirits. The bright and busy illustrations capture the eye, and there is much to take in, including a side story. The rhyme and repetition of the text provides an opportunity for kids to chime in and focuses attention on the action happening in the scenes. It’s a happy, silly read that leaves you smiling and singing “Bunnies on the bus! Bunnies on the bus!” while merrily imagining the antics to come in the next book.

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been six and a half weeks since the first (and only) time I’ve read this book before today and throughout that time my brain has involuntarily and quite randomly been singing/chanting at me:

Bunnies on the bus!
Bunnies on the bus!

No wonder there’s a fuss
about the bunnies on the bus!

So, parents beware: this book comes with its own built in earworm. And I still love it!



The repetition not only helps the rhymes to flow well, but also gave me the same weirdly soothing feeling as The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round.

Besides the chaos caused by the bus roaring past the citizens of Sunny Town, there’s another adventure being told solely through the illustrations. There are plenty of details to enjoy over multiple readings.



I get the feeling this isn’t the last time I’ll be reading this book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read this book.

Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly amusing and exciting illustrations in a silly book with bunnies.

This is light and fluffy with no real lessons learned, but it sure is fun.
I think most tiny humans (and adults alike) will love the giggles this brings.
Much love to NetGalley & Candlewick Press for my DRC.

[Stace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com

Bunnies on the Bus is a laugh-out-loud young children’s book which as you might have guessed is about bunnies on a bus. The bunnies are travelling on a bus driven by what I can only say is a manic rabbit. He swerves around corners on two wheels, drives exceptionally fast, and even flies over bumps in the road.

The bunnies all seem to be enjoying themselves, the other animals on the street not so much as the bus won’t stop for them or they have to move out of its way.

The wording is quite minimal and the first two phrases are repeated. This will help new readers to read. It also rhymes and I know kids love a rhyming book.

The illustrations are so much fun. There is a lot to see in each picture and plenty to laugh at.

I can see this book being a big hit and I will predict children will want to read it over and over again.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where's the plot?

I can see this one becoming a favourite of kids... while being detested by their parents. A bunch of badly behaved rabbits are on a bus that zips madly through town, driven in a reckless (and dangerous) manner. Where are the bunnies going? Who knows? At the end of their rush, they get off the bus and onto a train. Maybe the journey is the destination, but... this is boring.

The pictures are cute, but they can't make up for the lack of story. I don't think I'd recommend this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing a digital ARC.

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bunnies are obviously terrible bus drivers but they do make a cute subject for a picture book!!

A rhyming book about bunnies wrecking havoc on a bus. Super simple with no lessons except maybe how NOT to drive a bus. But overall just a fun read for young kids. The illustrations are bright, funny and colorful.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I actually wanted to read this during Easter (because bunnies), but I just wasn’t in the right mind for it. So here I am a day later and it is a happy belated Easter read.

This is a hilarious read about a bunny bus driver who gets a whole bunch of happy and naughty bunnies in his bus and ends up having a whole party with them and driving like he is in the movie SPEED (for reals though, I do hope that he normally drives a bit more carefully and with less flying).
In the mean time we see what happens on the streets as the bus drives by and it was HILARIOUS. There are many things happening and the expressions on many of the animals were just so so funny. OMG, I was just laughing so hard and this is just what I needed to read. We see people getting newspapers in their faces, a lion isn’t going to be happy about his haircut, good luck with your stuff and I hope you caught that vase family of pandas. And then there is more. You will have a delightful time seeing everything happening. In the mean time the bunnies don’t know (or maybe they do) what their party is doing to the other animals.

I loved how it was written and I could almost sing along as it felt like a song.

And there is something else happening as well.. something to do with a pair of baddies who have escaped. I won’t tell more than that, but I loved that this was added to the mix.

The ending had me in stitches. Well done author, well done. This is just perfection.

The illustrations were just fab and I love their style, I should really check out what more the illustrator has done. I am quite curious and eager to have more.

All in all, HIGHLY recommended. Funny, hilarious, and crazy to the max.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Philip Ardaghin "Kanijengi kaahaa" (Mäkelä, 2020) on vauhdikas kuvakirja bussista, joka joutuu railakkaan kanijoukon kaappaamaksi, ja sitten painetaan nasta laudassa pitkin eläinten kansoittaman Aurinkolan katuja kuin Steve McQueenin Bullitt -elokuvassa. Lopulta saavutaan juna-asemalle, ja sitten kaikki alkaa alusta...

Ei tässä kaikessa olisi mitään järkeä, ellei Ben Mantlen kuvitus olisi niin riemastuttava. Sivuille on kätketty monenlaisia pieniä yksityiskohtia ja minitarinoita, joissa seikkailevat muun muassa pankin rosmonneet oravat, epäonninen postinkantaja ja romanttinen karhu. Suojatietä ylittämässä nähdään myös neljä koppakuoriaista - vanha vitsi lämmittää aina Beatles-fanin sydäntä!

Suomenkielinen käännös toimii hyvin, riimit putoilevat paikalleen mukavasti.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another one that my granddaughter and I read together and loved. You could hear us all over the house shouting, "Bunnies on the Bus, Bunnies on the bus! No wonder there’s a fuss about the bunnies on the bus!" My son came upstairs to see what was going on. Probably not the best choice for a bedtime story though. This story was simple but hilarious. We laughed and then tried to make up our own story about bunnies on a train (we didn't do very well), so we read it again. The illustrations make this book so much funnier and enjoyable. A great read aloud and when we finished it, I had to read it to my grandson before he went to be and he loved it too. The publisher gifted me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

[Amber Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bunnies on the Bus would be a fun read for toddlers or younger. The simple phrases, repeated text and fun and engaging pictures make it a joy to read and easy to follow. I love how the end left it open for more adventures or giving the reader an opportunity to create their own adventure.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations - impecable - so much detail. You can make up your own stories from it. The main story though - a bit weak, a bit lackluster. But still highly recommended!

[Rosemary Standeven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a hilarious children’s book – not so much for the words of the story (in nice rhyming couplets) but for the wonderful pictures. There is so much happening on each page. The basic story is a bus full of bunnies careering around town, causing chaos. But in the background are two masked squirrels (?) planning, then carrying out a bank heist, and two hamsters rolling down the road in Zorb balls – you can follow them through the book. A bit like “Where’s Wally?”, only more surreal.
There are lions, pandas, hedgehogs, pigs, bears, elephants, sheep, monkeys, cats, dogs, frogs, rhinos, hippos, sheep, chickens, a fox, a penguin and a giraffe – maybe more. So many animals to point out to a child and name. Each time I read the book, I see more animals, and more to make me laugh.
A great book to buy for a child, that will enthral parents too.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this lively book about active bunnies on a bus! The illustrations had a lot of details to examine! The rhymes were great! Recommended for all preschoolers and kids!

[Lucy Therese · Rating 5 out of 5]

These bunnies are just as silly as Billie! Personally I would not trust Billie to drive a bus…

[Heather Buchanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Officially my new favorite kids book! I love the flow of the writing and the multiple subplots incorporated into the backgrounds of the pictures. Very engaging for toddlers!

[Cat Strawberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow this book is hilarious and such a fun story! It’s a lovely day in Sunny Town and all the animals are getting along, but then a bunch of bunnies takes over the bus and some crazy antics ensue. ‘Bunnies on the Bus’ is around A4 in size and is filled with lots of very colourful illustrations and text on some thick matt paper.

The story is a very simple one and follows the crazy bus full of bunnies as it zips around the town causing all sorts of havok and not stopping anywhere until it gets to its destination. Inside the bunnies are just crazy, moving around, causing non-stop silliness as they laugh, jump, end up on the roof, and basically become a bit of a silly boistrous nuisance, much like some children can sometimes be when gathered in a large group and having fun. Each part of the story has a great rhyme to it and there is even some repetition of phrases like ‘Bunnies on the Bus’. The whole story, or bus ride, ends well too and will definitely spark the imagination of the antics the bunnies will get up to on the next part of their journey.

The illustrations are so perfect and I don’t think this book would be so great if it wasn’t for them! Every double page has a lot of colour and a lot happening. The twon is populated with lots of other animals and you can see them going about their day and doing lots of different things. Although the story focuses on the bus and the bunnies on it, there is so much going on beyond the bus (as well as the action on the bus) that you can spend a really long time just staring at one page trying to spot all the fun details. One of the best is the on-going story of some squirrel criminals who appear on every double page and have their own tale of robbing somewhere and trying to get away. Other parts of the illustrations have fun little extras like the names of some books or the name of a newspaper that made me laugh as its animal inspired. The pictures are so fun that it makes this a great book for adults to enjoy along with children and I know I would have loved looking at this book and re-reading it again and again as a child.

This book has certainly made me smile. It’s so funny, has so much detail to see and you can’t help but enjoy the silly ending, and wonder how bad/hectic things could get in the place the bunnies are going next. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone and I hope there are more like this!
-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy for review.

[Elles_shelves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bunnies on the Bus by Philip Ardagh is and adorable preschool book that is clearly written to be read aloud. The illustrations by Ben Mantle are engaging without being a distraction from the story. I enjoyed reading this story with my child and looking at the pictures and seeing all of the small details. For example, by looking at the illustrations, one sees a cute subplot about two with two masked squirrels who have escaped and are on the run.
My favorite illustration was the hamsters in their balls rolling around on the sidewalk. As a teacher, I think younger students would love the language in the fun book. I love the rhyming words and the repetition. I also really like that this book invites children into the story to spend time looking at the illustrations while talking about the everything that they see. I see this as a book that could be enjoyed many times (not just for a single read aloud to never be picked up again). I also think children would enjoy looking at the illustrations by themselves and using their imaginations to make the story come alive. I recommend this book and feel it would be fun to share with children!

[Jane Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the funniest children's books I have read in a long time. Recommended for ages 3 -7 this 33 page picture book has something to appeal to everyone. #BunniesontheBus #NetGalley Each page is jam packed with brightly colored animals going through their day while a bus full of mischieveous bunnies speed through town not stopping for anyone. You will want to read this book over and over again so you don't miss out on any of the antics., many of which tell their own story from the first to the last page. This is packed with nonstop word play , it is full of rhyming and alliteration. While full of surprises there are also patterns throughout that are just what is needed for young children in the early stages of learning to read on their own.
I highly recommend this book for read alouds, for reading together with others, for beginning readers and even for non readers who will stay entranced endlessly. with all the action. There should be at least one copy in every home, school and library.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very silly book. Sometimes we need silly books. Silly rabbits taking over a bus, and racing through town, with a great refrain.

"Bunnies on a bus, bunnies on a bus, NO wonder there's a fuss, about the bunnies on the bus."

Reminds me a bit of the "Wheels on the bus go round and round". Could well be sung, as well as read.

Recommended for reading out loud.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute illustration style (if not a little busy--I realized at the end that for all the clues of the bandit squirrels in the newspapers, I hadn't followed how that thread had wrapped up). A rambunctious bunch of bunnies race around the city on a bus. Mostly I just felt bad for all the animals at the bus stop that the bus driver was zooming past and blowing off? Cute as the illustrations were I felt there was some sense of purpose missing.

[Wendi Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter and I really enjoyed this picture book about a bunch of hyper bunnies overtaking a bus, and wrecking havoc on their city. The illustrations are cute, and we liked searching for the squirrel "bad guys" in the background of almost every page. My daughter requested a "keep forever" copy, so this was definitely a winner!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should delight toddlers and preschoolers.  With vivid, highly detailed illustrations and rhyming text (along with repetition), it reads quickly.  Young children will enjoy their chaotic journey on this bus...and what happens at the end?  Read this one to find out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book with my daughter at bedtime yesterday and she really enjoyed it!

I liked the images and thought that they worked well with the story and I loved that the hamsters went by in their balls!

The only downside for me was I would have liked a bit more of a story but the book did work and the main target was happy with it!

[Ada · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book! We loved how art rhymed and was full of action and adventure. Those little bunnies definitely flew through the town. Ada loved that they were on the bus and were zipping round, causing trouble. The illustrations were great and we will definitely be reading this to her again, soon.

[Etienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5/5. Well illustrated and a funny adventure, that was too light for my personal taste, but still entertaining and with rhythmic and rimes in the writing to make it perfect for reading out loud. Well done, even if not my style!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A totally ridiculous picture book about a group of off-the-charts zany bunnies that commandeer a bus. There isn't much of a plot, but the detailed colorful pictures and the bouncy rhymes work well to make this an entertaining high-energy read aloud!

[Bettendorf Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bunnies take over a city bus for a wild ride full of hilarious antics. Bunnies on the Bus is a hopping good time both for the story and the illustrations, which lend themselves to repeated readings/viewings.
— Christine

[Christine Irvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follow the antics of a bus full of bunnies, as they zoom and zip around town, creating chaos and mayhem in their wake.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so fun! Would make a great read aloud!

[Andrea Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very busy kinda cute pictures with very bad behaving bunnies. Not a favorite, but I'm sure there will be kids that love it!