4.2 Stars

The picture book is in rhyming verse that’s easy to follow. The illustrations and the tone go hand in hand with the mood of the book. The Struggle Bus deals with the sadder and scarier emotions. The book shows that it’s okay to feel sad. There’s nothing wrong with being lost, not knowing what you want, or not being able to do something others can.

The book humanizes suffering, while also giving hope that one can overcome the fear, pain, and doubt by being persistent, asking for help, and trying to work things out. Making mistakes is fine, and they are chances to learn and do better.

Using the bus as a metaphor to deal with complex emotions is a lovely way to explain things to kids. The book would help start discussions with little ones.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Kind World Publishing and am voluntarily leaving a review.

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