Wheels on the Tuk Tuk

Description: In this twist on the classic song "The Wheels on the Bus," the wheels on the tuk tuk go round and round all over the city in India.

Brief description: Jess Golden was born and raised in the lovely little town of Hopkinton, Massachusetts. A childhood filled with coloring books, art lessons, and Play-Doh eventually led her one state over to the Rhode Island School of Design, where she graduated with a BFA in Illustration. Jess now lives in a little village just outside of Boston with her husband Jordan. Many doodles and dreams of the ultimate-canine-companion float from her little studio window.

Review Quotes: Motorized rickshaws are used around the world, and in India and other parts of Southeast Asia they are called tuk tuks. "Tuk tuk wala says 'Squish in together!' All through the town," write the Sehgals (A Bucket of Blessings), a mother-and-son team, in this lovely take on "The Wheels on the Bus," set in an Indian city. As an overstuffed tuk tuk makes its "bobble-bobble-bobble" way through town, "People in the street jump on and off," paying their fare with rupees that go "ching ching ching." Readers get a taste of Indian life as the book nods to Hindi beliefs and customs (the tuk tuk stops for a cow, and readers are taught the greeting "namaste-ji"), poppadoms, and the joyous festival of Diwali. Golden (Snow Dog, Sand Dog)--working in bright watercolors, pastels, and pencils with the texture and hues of Diwali color powder--portrays a busy, friendly metropolis where getting sprayed by an elephant can be par for the course. It's a wonderfully accessible introduction to daily life in another place. Ages 4-8.--Publishers Weekly "August 24, 2015"