Loren Long - Only Picture Books

It’s been some time since I’ve been to an ALA conference (Orlando, I think and maybe Chicago before that). But in my new role as Editorial Director of Bushel & Peck Books, I was happy to cross the entire country and spend a week in San Diego. Here’s some of what I saw and did. Enjoy!

**This is not a chronological accounting but rather organized by how/when I found the photos I wanted to share.**

Wizards of the Coast had some GREAT swag. I even scored a physical copy of Monster Manual on the final day!

Here’s the Bushel & Peck Books booth, with the bus that drew crowds nonstop. Yes, we bought a bus from the city of Fresno and remade it into a bookmobile. We had a constant flow of people popping in to see what it looked like inside.

Rebecca Walker was signing Time for Us, a picture book about children’s caregivers.

Of course, Dan Santat was there doing a ton of signings. We chatted a bit about him doing an OPB interview at some point. Fingers crossed that his schedule permits that! (Sidekicks is a fun, fun book.)

Yep, there were robot things buzzing around.

Here’s Vicki Johnson, the author of Molly’s Tuxedo.

Here’s author/illustrator Steve Breen signing copies of Sky & Ty.

Kate Messner signed copies of The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class: Emma McKenna, Full Out.

Sophie Blackall signed copies of her picture book Farmhouse.

Blink-182 was playing a show one of the conference nights, and Petco Park was right by my hotel, so I sat outside and heard a couple of songs while watching the evening go by.

Bushel & Peck had a Pop Top Stage event with a lot of their authors. This is David & Stephanie Miles–the owners–introducing the event.

The author of the Stormbringer series (G.R. Boden) did a signing.

UNLV professor and literary rock star Jarret Keene signed copies of Decide & Survive: The Attack on Pearl Harbor and Heroes of World War II: 25 True Stories of Unsung Heroes Who Fought for Freedom while charming the crowd.

Carole Boston Weatherford was there, too, signing Bros and other books.

It was hard to miss the promo for Sherri’s cool-looking new picture book.

I got to see parts of some of the Chapter One Stage events as I hustled from meeting to meeting. Wish I could’ve stayed longer at this one!

Have you read The Maid and the Crocodile? Jordan Ifueko was signing copies at ALA.

Ngozi Ukazu was signing as well. Barda is terrific!

Lee Wind was signing copies of The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities around the World.

Kwame Alexander stopped by the Bushel & Peck Books booth and chatted for a while. He’s a hoot!

Lesa Cline-Ransome mugs for the camera with a fan whose copy of One Big Open Sky just got signed.

This was one of the coolest booths going–Fred Koehler’s Ready Chapter One is worth checking out if you don’t already know about it.

Here’s Joyce Uglow (in the dino mask/hat), a new Bushel & Peck Books author doing a signing with the ARCs of the picture book STUCK!, which is about the La Brea Tar Pits. I was working on the final edits for this right up until I got on the plane to head to CA.

Kemper Donovan signed copies of Loose Lips.

Kate DePalma signed copies of Let’s Celebrate! Special Days Around the World. Like a pro, she blew the ink dry before handing over a signed book to a fan.

Jenni L. Wash was signing copies of Ace, Marvel, Spy: A Novel of Alice Marble.

Ellen had another good book to launch. Her fans were everywhere!

Yep, San Diego is a sports city. Confirmed!

And I thought gas was expensive in Florida.…

I made it fairly far from the conference center in my quest to find great local food. There were tons of fantastic options here.

I made it to Balboa Park and visited a lot of the museums (after the conference). Here’s the Old Globe Theater, which wasn’t running anything the week I was there. 🙁

The Gaslamp District was right next to the conference center, so I visited this area many, many times for food, meetings, and just ambiance.

Here’s a cool LEGO sculpture at one of the Balboa park museums. I think this was at the Fleet Science Center.

Loved seeing this promo for Loren Long’s The Yellow Bus. (OPB created some activities to pair with it–check those out right here.)

And here’s the Bushel & Peck Books bookmobile, driving away from the convention center and heading back home to Fresno.

And that’s pretty much it, folks. Maybe next time I’ll get away from my press’ booth a bit more to get a wider range of photos. We’ll see!

The Yellow Bus
Author: Loren Long
Illustrator: Loren Long
25 June 2024
Roaring Brook Press
48 pages

Book description from Goodreads: “Perfect for fans of Love and Hello, Lighthouse, The Yellow Bus from #1 New York Times bestselling Loren Long is a tender and soulful story about a forgotten school bus that finds happiness and purpose in the most unexpected places–and in the journey along the way.

There is a bright yellow bus who spends her days driving. She loves carrying children from one important place to another. Every morning they climb in… Pitter-patter, pitter-patter, giggle, giggle-patter. And they fill her with joy.

As time passes, things change. The Yellow Bus gets a new driver, a new route, and new passengers, young and old. Until one day the driving stops for good, and the Yellow Bus is left on her own. And yet, no matter where she is, the Yellow Bus still finds joy and discovery in the world around her.

With stirring black-and-white artwork and powerful pops of color, The Yellow Bus is a poignant reflection on the many new beginnings life has to offer.”

Need some reviews for The Yellow Bus?

As a bonus, here’s a School Library Journal interview with Loren Long on this book.

As a another bonus, here’s a short Q&A with Loren Long at The Horn Book.

Educational Activities inspired by The Yellow Bus:

Before Reading–From looking at the front cover:
- Look at the front cover. What do you think The Yellow Bus might be about?
- What do you know about school buses and what they do?
- Who do you think might have ridden on the bus over the years?
- How do you think the bus will change as time goes by in the story?
- Can you think of other stories where objects like toys or cars can talk or have feelings? How did you feel about those stories?
- What questions would you like to ask the author–or the illustrator (who is the same person in this case)–before reading the book?
After Reading–Now that you’ve read the story:
- What was your favorite part of The Yellow Bus and why?
- How did the bus’s job change throughout the story?
- What made the bus happy in each part of her life?
- How did the pictures help tell the story?
- How did you feel while reading about the bus’s journey?
- How was the bus still useful even when she wasn’t taking kids to school anymore?
- What do you think the author wanted to tell us about using things in new ways?
- Would you tell your friends to read this book? Why or why not?
The Bus’s Adventure Map: On a big piece of paper, draw a long road for the bus. Add pictures of all the different places the bus went, like the school, the library, the city, and the farm. Color the bus bright yellow and the background in black and white, just like in the book.
Bus Sounds Fun: Think about all the sounds the bus heard, like kids laughing, goats bleating, and fish swimming. Use your voice, instruments, or things from around the house to make those sounds. Record them and play them back while reading the story.
My Object’s Story: Pick an everyday object, like a toy or a chair, and write a short story from its point of view. Imagine what happens to it over time and how it might find new ways to be helpful or bring joy.
Time Traveling Treasure: Create a time capsule with drawings, letters, and small objects that show your life now. Consider how things will change over time and how someone in the future might feel when they open it, just like the bus’s story.
Further Reading: Here are five other books that are also about busses. Which of these have you read before? Which of those new ones would you want to read first?

Only Picture Books

Tag: Loren Long

2024 ALA (San Diego) Conference Report

Educational Activities: The Yellow Bus by Loren Long