The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Grandits, John

Ten Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break If You Want to Survive the School Bus

32 pp. | Clarion | July, 2011 | Trade ISBN 978-0-618-78822-4 $16.99

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Michael Allen Austin. Kyle's older brother gives him ten rules to endure the school bus ride (e.g., "Never make eye contact"). It turns out Kyle does just fine by (inadvertently) disobeying them. This spunky tale of self-reliance can be a little wordy. Austin's quasi-realistic, semi-grotesque style shows the theoretical bullies as ferocious beasts while the human characters have rubbery, blue-tinged faces.

Reviewer: Nell Beram