The Wheels on the Bus at Halloween

In Kieley’s energetic rendition of the favorite kids’ song, a bus ride looks decidedly different on Halloween night; holiday characters hop aboard the Spooky Town bus, with a big, purple, friendly-faced monster behind the wheel. As the route bypasses such sites as Haunted Mansion and Pumpkin Cottage, shown in a map at the book’s start, the lyrics take a Halloween turn: wide-mouthed ghosts on the bus go “Boo! Boo! Boo!” while pumpkins say “Trick or treat! Trick or treat! Trick or treat!” and anthropomorphic candies—including smiling candy corn—say “Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!” Busy, bright scenes bursting with passengers present opportunities for counting or color identification practice, too. Ages 3–7. (Aug.)