One Boy Watching

K-Gr 2–In brightly endearing illustrations that have the appearance of digital colored pencil and watercolor, a boy’s trip to and from school is captured through the many things that can be counted and observed, especially out the bus window. Early in the morning, he is the first to climb on his bus in a rural farmland setting, counting the many things he sees. Eventually he arrives at school and “one by one, every kid hops off like crayons spilled from a crayon box.” As the day comes to a close, he wonders “how many things he will discover on the journey home.” A simple text encourages readers to notice the world around them. For those students who ride the bus, no matter the locale, this title will honor their experience and perhaps challenge them to take stock of the potential discoveries awaiting them while “packed like crayons in a crayon box.”