The Walking School Bus
by Aaron Friedland and Ndileka Mandela; illus. by Andrew Jackson Obol
Primary    Greystone Kids    48 pp.
10/23    9781771644693    $18.95

In this story set in an (unspecified) African village, a brother and sister find a creative solution to circumstances preventing them from attending school. Baba has to leave home to work in the mines, so he cannot accompany Shaka and his younger sister, Nandi, on the long, hot walk to school. It is too dangerous for the kids to walk alone, so they have no choice but to stay home and miss school. One afternoon, while playing outside, they discover a toy school bus. Their mother’s explanation of the vehicle’s purpose stimulates Shaka’s imagination. His first two ideas (buying a bus or building one) are (unsurprisingly) unsuccessful; he is close to giving up when it occurs to both kids: “We’ll walk together like a moving bus—except there is no bus! It’s just us.” A week later, the plan having spread to neighboring villages, Shaka and Nandi lead fifteen children to school, excitedly walking and singing. Inspired by true stories, Friedland and Mandela (granddaughter of Nelson) have written an uplifting tale about the determination of global children to get an education. Obol deftly brings this story to life through colorful and expressive cartoonish illustrations that speak to themes of perseverance and pride.

From the September/October 2023 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.