The words of the nursery rhyme will be familiar to adult readers, and, hopefully, children as well. What is different here is the way the bus journey has been brought to life by illustrator Mandy Foot, who has the red and white bus travelling Australia with a wombat at the wheel and passengers including a kangaroo, an emu and a koala. Visiting Bondi Beach, the Daintree forest, the Great Barrier Reef and more iconic destinations, the animals admire the views as the song progresses. At the back of the book there is simple sheet music for the tune, conducted by the animal cast.

There is much to find and admire in the illustrations, including a cheeky gecko hiding somewhere on each spread. Lots of fun for birth to school aged children.

The Wheels on the Bus, illustrated by Mandy Foot
Lothian, 2009

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.