Sparky the Dragon Bus by Sue Wickstead
Sparky is a Playbus just like Jay-Jay the Supersonic Bus and Daisy Daydream and just like Jay-Jay and Daisy, Sparky was a real Playbus too. Now she has a fictional tale of her own. The Real Sparky Sparky the Dragon Bus, JGA 199N, was a project in Glasgow offering play opportunities to disabled children and their families. It was a unique Playbus containing many special features, such as a chairlift from the lower deck, allowing users an access to the upper deck. At the rear was an emergency exit slide. The slide started from the top deck with a large, soft mat on the ground to ensure safe landing. Sparky encouraged many children to come along to the play scheme where they played alongside children of all abilities. Sparky the Dragon Bus was quickly recognised for its valuable service, and even received a royal visit from Princess Anne.
Reviewed By Mamta Madhavan for Readers’ Favorite ; Sparky the Dragon Bus was a normal bus, just like any other double-decker busEvery bus on the city street looked the same except their number plates and destinations were different. It was a normal day and some important people came to the bus yard. They inspected Sparky's interiors and made notes. Sparky wondered what they wanted. She heard them saying they were going to make her a playbus. They took her to the garage and made a lot of changes to her upstairs and downstairs decks. There was even a competition held within local schools to design pictures for Sparky's exterior. She was renamed the Dragon Bus and she definitely looked different from the other buses. Let's get into the Dragon Bus and explore what Sparky has to offer. ; Sparky the Dragon Bus by Sue Wickstead is an adorable and charming story filled with lots of fun and excitement for young readers. The little girl who came in the wheelchair felt so included and happy inside the bus that she wrote an article and sent it to the local newspaper. Everyone wanted to know about the little girl and the Dragon Bus. The Princess met the little girl after reading her article and she wanted to see Sparky. The Princess's visit made Sparky happy and she was glad she was different and special. ;Justin Wyatt and Keiron Ward bring the story alive and palpable to readers with their magical illustrations filled with color and charm. It is wonderful to see Sparky having a story of her own to tell the other buses. This is a good storybook to help children accept their differences and celebrate them. Tutors and parents can use this book for read-aloud sessions in classrooms and homes to encourage children to appreciate their differences and uniqueness in a positive way. The fact that the story is based on a real bus makes it even more special to readers.
Wickstead, Sue: - Sue Wickstead is a teacher and an author and has written children's picture books with a bus theme. Sue's stories are about a playbus. Have you ever been on a Playbus? When Sue's two children were young, they attended a playgroup on a bus, but not an ordinary bus taking you on a journey, exciting though this is, but a Playbus stuffed full of toys to capture their imagination! For over 20 years, alongside her teaching career, Sue worked with the charity, The Bewbush Playbus Association, she painted the bus, worked in the groups, helped raise the profile of the project and its work and was part of the committee involved in raising funds to replace it with a newer vehicle. This led her to write a photographic history book about it. Sue remembers that it really was a fun journey to be involved in. The bus really got into her blood and became a work of the heart. Having written the history book Sue soon found that many children had never been on a bus before, let alone a 'Playbus' and they wanted to know more. She began telling them stories about the bus and then decided to write a fictional tale. The real number plate for the bus was JJK261 and this gave him Jay-Jay the supersonic Bus his name. 'Jay-Jay the Supersonic Bus, ' came out in print in 2014. It is the story behind the original project and is his journey from a scrap-yard to being changed into a playbus for children to play in. From Fact to fiction the bus journey continues. This story has now been followed more picture books about buses. Daisy Daydream is the bus Sue painted. 'A Spooky Tale' and 'The Christmas Play Rehearsal' do indeed have a bus connection as well as links to Sue's teaching journey. Sue undertakes events and author bookings and loves to share her stories, she is also 'a patron of reading',
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780993073786 |
| ISBN 10 | 0993073786 |
| Title | Sparky the Dragon Bus |
| Author | Sue Wickstead |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | JayJayBooks |
| Year published | 2019-11-03 |
| Number of pages | 40 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |