Max thinks he’s too old to play with the younger children. Gloria, the once bright red London bus, now painted with vividly colored pictures to attract children, provides a fun, safe place for children to play during the holidays. Gloria is a Playbus. But Max thinks it’s only for little children. He’s angry that his mother wants him to play on the Playbus. At first he kicks the soccer ball against Gloria. Then he splatters paint all over the inside of the bus and pulls out the costumes from the chest. In spite of himself, though, and in spite of his anger, Max starts to have fun with the other children. Gloria the Playbus has worked her magic on this angry little boy. Sue Wickstead has woven a charming tale around a converted London city bus. Gloria the Summer Fun Bus tells her story of providing fun times for children during their holidays. It’s a clever idea, one that re-purposes old buses for a positive use. The story begins with Gloria’s re-creation, but the plot really starts developing when Max enters the story along with his festering anger. The young reader will enjoy the journey Max takes to discover all that Gloria has to offer: crafts, dress-up, and so much more. While the key to this story (based on a real Playbus) is safe fun for everyone, it opens young minds to creative possibilities and how one’s imagination can be nurtured in such an environment as the Playbus. What a wonderful idea and what a great story! Love the pictures!

.0 out of 5 stars A lovely, fun story with a lovely moral! Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 July 2020 This was such a lovely, yet fun read! Not only this but I love the little lesson behind the story about giving things a go, and not pre-judging and just getting involved and trying new things! My eldest son Harry is 3 1/2 years old and this was PERFECT for him! I was worried it may be a little long for his age but it wasn't! He was so engaged all the way through! The language was basic enough for him, there was plenty of dialogue to change voices, and tonnes of descriptive words that I used use my voice to emphasis and he sat and listened and enjoyed all the pictures from start to finish! The illustrations were beautiful and so colourful and really portrayed the way Max was feeling well and I can't believe how much the picture of the Bus in the story looks like the real thing at the back! When I was reading it I remember thinking WOW wouldn't this be an incredible thing if this is was real! How amazing it would be for so many local communities to have something like this! And then turn to the back and there is it the REAL Gloria, the REAL fun bus! I wish we had something like that round here I'd totally get my children involved! He loves anything transport and it's such an amazing idea! I love how Gloria had feelings and the way the author describes her being hurt is how I describe it to Harry! I say things like 'Don't hurt the bus that's not nice' like he has feelings! I just think it's an amazing way to try to teach children about damaging things and making them think and consider what they are doing! Honestly I absolutely LOVED this story and have seen the others from the Author in the back on the book and I'd love to buy them for my children! Such a lovely little story, even though I wanted to give Max a kick up the bum (not physically I must add) to start with (his mum was so laid back) but also fun, and colourful with an amazing little lesson! Definitely one I'd recommend and I could not even THINK of giving it any less than a very worthy 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ when it really managed to grip my crazy, on the go, excitable toddler the WHOLE way through!