46 books like The Very Bumpy Bus Ride

By Michaela Muntean, Bernard Wiseman (illustrator),

Here are 46 books that The Very Bumpy Bus Ride fans have personally recommended if you like The Very Bumpy Bus Ride. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Ramona the Pest

Rae Lowery Author Of The Case of the Terrible Teacher

From my list on funniest books for kids.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a teacher, so I have to find books that are engaging enough for the kids to stay interested for long periods of reading time. Also, I have 11 kids and 19 grandkids (and still counting…) so we spend a lot of time reading at my house. The books on my list are the ones that the kids wait in line for and have a waiting list to get to have their turn with it.  Sometimes I just have 5 copies of the ones everyone loves. Simple mysteries are my favorite.

Rae's book list on funniest books for kids

Rae Lowery Why did Rae love this book?

I love that this book makes you feel like you are right there getting to know the characters. The author does a great job describing their actions and personalities and makes you fall in love with them. Even though this is a book for kids, as an adult, I wanted to finish reading it after I had read the first page. It is hilarious in a fun, not silly, way.

By Beverly Cleary, Jacqueline Rogers (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Ramona the Pest as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Newbery Medal–winning author Beverly Cleary expertly depicts the trials and triumphs of growing up through a relatable heroine who isn't afraid to be exactly who she is.

Ramona Quimby is excited to start kindergarten. No longer does she have to watch her older sister, Beezus, ride the bus to school with all the big kids. She's finally old enough to do it too!

Then she gets into trouble for pulling her classmate's boingy curls during recess. Even worse, her crush rejects her in front of everyone. Beezus says Ramona needs to quit being a pest, but how can she stop…


Book cover of Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective

Rae Lowery Author Of The Case of the Terrible Teacher

From my list on funniest books for kids.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a teacher, so I have to find books that are engaging enough for the kids to stay interested for long periods of reading time. Also, I have 11 kids and 19 grandkids (and still counting…) so we spend a lot of time reading at my house. The books on my list are the ones that the kids wait in line for and have a waiting list to get to have their turn with it.  Sometimes I just have 5 copies of the ones everyone loves. Simple mysteries are my favorite.

Rae's book list on funniest books for kids

Rae Lowery Why did Rae love this book?

This is a book series that poses mysteries that are short and fun to solve. The answers are not insultingly easy, nor are they so hard or obscure that kids can’t solve them. The main character is very likable and is described in a way that makes you feel like he is a kid you would want to be friends with.

By Donald J. Sobol,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Boy Detective as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.


Book cover of I Just Forgot

Rae Lowery Author Of The Case of the Terrible Teacher

From my list on funniest books for kids.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a teacher, so I have to find books that are engaging enough for the kids to stay interested for long periods of reading time. Also, I have 11 kids and 19 grandkids (and still counting…) so we spend a lot of time reading at my house. The books on my list are the ones that the kids wait in line for and have a waiting list to get to have their turn with it.  Sometimes I just have 5 copies of the ones everyone loves. Simple mysteries are my favorite.

Rae's book list on funniest books for kids

Rae Lowery Why did Rae love this book?

Mercer Mayer writes books for kids that are so funny that I seek them out and read them when I don’t even have any kids with me. His pictures do a great job of showing the sarcasm of the story. For instance, there is a page where the child is explaining how he does his chores. He says, “I didn’t forget to water the plants, but they looked fine to me.” 

The picture has a very droopy-looking plant. On almost every page, there are funny side critters to watch for, like a Where’s Waldo find. He’s a great author and illustrator.

By Mercer Mayer,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked I Just Forgot as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter is having a very forgetful day in this classic, funny, and heartwarming book. Whether he’s forgetting his lunchbox, forgetting to put on his rain boots, or forgetting to turn off the water, both parents and children alike will relate to this beloved story. A perfect way to teach children about responsibility!


Book cover of Miss Nelson Is Missing!

Rae Lowery Author Of The Case of the Terrible Teacher

From my list on funniest books for kids.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a teacher, so I have to find books that are engaging enough for the kids to stay interested for long periods of reading time. Also, I have 11 kids and 19 grandkids (and still counting…) so we spend a lot of time reading at my house. The books on my list are the ones that the kids wait in line for and have a waiting list to get to have their turn with it.  Sometimes I just have 5 copies of the ones everyone loves. Simple mysteries are my favorite.

Rae's book list on funniest books for kids

Rae Lowery Why did Rae love this book?

This is a book that teaches a lesson in a way that makes you laugh even when you have read it over and over. I like that the kids in the story don’t figure out the mystery, but the pictures help the reader to solve it. Funny pictures and a funny telling of a great story.

By James Marshall, Harry Allard,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Miss Nelson Is Missing! as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

The classic, hilarious story of a misbehaving class, their sweet teacher, and the legendary substitute teacher who restores order in their chaotic classroom.

Miss Nelson's class always acts up—especially when their teacher is absent from school! But after a week with their strict substitute, Viola Swamp, the kids can't wait for Miss Nelson to come back.

Full of tongue-in-cheek humor and James Marshall’s simply silly illustrations, this is the ultimate back-to-school book or teacher gift: Accept no substitute!

Plus don't miss the companion books: Miss Nelson Is Back and Miss Nelson Has a Field Day!


Book cover of Many Miles: Mary Oliver reads Mary Oliver

Lynda Allen Author Of Grace Reflected

From my list on life-changing world-rocking books.

Why am I passionate about this?

I think of myself as a listener and life in progress. As a poet and author, I’m always listening to the words that move through my heart. I’m also a spiritual seeker, always looking for the Divine in the world around me and almost always surprised by the ways it shows up when I’m paying attention. Yet, there’s another part of me that is a Jersey girl through and through, looking for humor or irreverence in the face of life’s challenges. All these aspects come together in an unusual harmony, creating an openness to being changed by the things that come into my life. Hence, a list of life-changing books.

Lynda's book list on life-changing world-rocking books

Lynda Allen Why did Lynda love this book?

I have found so many of Mary Oliver’s poems to be inspirational and thought-provoking that I could call any of Mary Oliver’s poetry collections life-changing. Her ability to be present in nature, to hold both the beauty and the sorrow found in nature in a few lines of a poem and invite me as the reader to hold them both in my heart, is astounding.

Hearing her read “When I am Among the Trees” from this collection makes my heart sing! Listening to “At the Pond” makes my heart ache for one small goose every time. One of my favorite lines from any of her poems, “Sometimes I need only to stand wherever I am to be blessed,” is found in this collection as well, in “It Was Early”. 

I chose this one specifically because it is an audio recording rather than a book. There is something so heart-opening about…

By Mary Oliver,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Many Miles as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Book cover of Delly Duck: Why A Little Chick Couldn't Stay With His Birth Mother

Anna Anderson Author Of Survival Without Roots: Memoir of an Adopted Englishwoman

From my list on growing up adopted.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am adopted. I am a birth mother and also a mother through adoption. I have lived through all ‘three faces’ of adoption and know how each ‘face’ affects millions of people's lives all over the world. I am passionate that conversations around adoption need to come out of the closet and the secrecy surrounding the subject must disappear. By writing my books, I am on a mission to support adoptees, birth mothers, and adoptive parents and help them realise they are not alone. After publication of my first book in the Survival Without Roots trilogy, I am humbled that people are reaching out to say that reading Book One has helped them so much.  

Anna's book list on growing up adopted

Anna Anderson Why did Anna love this book?

This book kickstarts a conversation around adoption at a child’s level. Whether adopted or not, the child will begin to ask questions and find out more after listening to/reading this book. Written around two characters – a duck and a goose – it is invaluable for parents, teachers, and children. Professionals working in the field of adoption will find this book a useful resource as it deals with many difficult and emotive ‘adoption’ questions through the power of a story and beautiful illustrations too.

By Holly Marlow, Suzy Garland (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Delly Duck as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This listing is for the original award-winning edition of Delly Duck, featuring one duckling. For twins/sibling groups, please click on the author's name or series title, and select the "Sibling Group Edition."

Created by Holly Marlow (adoptive and biological parent, and author of Room in the Nest, Adopting a Little Brother or Sister, So You've Adopted a Siblingand Cousins by Adoption) and her sister, Suzy Garland.

When Delly Duck lays an egg, she is excited for it to hatch. But she doesn’t really know how to keep an egg safe, or how to look after her chick when he hatches.…


Book cover of A Splendid Friend, Indeed

Cheryl Lawton Malone Author Of Dario and the Whale

From my list on children’s books about kindness and friendship.

Why am I passionate about this?

Fairy tales were my first love but I didn’t discover the true magic of children’s picture books until I left my 25-year career as an attorney to enter an MFA program. Wow, was I amazed. Picture books—books in which pictures tell an integral part of the story—not only create an instant connection between reader and little listener but stay with us into adulthood as memories. With this insight, I dove into the genre to discover what distinguishes picture books that are read and reread from those that fade. The answer turns out to be—tales that engender awe and wonder, yarns with heart, and narratives about friendship and kindness. Those are the stories that stay with us forever.

Cheryl's book list on children’s books about kindness and friendship

Cheryl Lawton Malone Why did Cheryl love this book?

A bear and a goose are so different. Bear is quiet and firm. Goose is loud and pushy. How could they possibly be friends? But that’s exactly what happens in this bestselling tale of a bear who wants to read in peace and a goose that needs a friend. Author-illustrator Suzanne Bloom captures the concept of making and keeping friends with toddler-appropriate language and sparse but colorful drawings. The simple text paired with hilarious illustrations make this book one of my all-time favorite read-a-louds. A Splendid Friend, Indeed is, indeed, a sweet reminder of why friendship and kindness matter.

By Suzanne Bloom,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Splendid Friend, Indeed as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Bear just wants to read and write and think while Goose wants to talk and talk and talk. Bear is getting increasingly frustrated as Goose keeps interrupting him. Then Goose announces that thinking makes him hungry and he needs to make a snack. Goose returns with the snack and a note that he reads to bear: "You are my splendid friend." Bear responds by giving Goose a bear hug. They are splendid friends, indeed.


Book cover of Mother Bruce

Marty Kelley Author Of Almost Everybody Farts

From my list on to laugh so hard milk shoots out your nose.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a full-time author and illustrator, and a recovering second grade teacher. I visit with tens of thousands of kids at schools every year and love sharing funny books with them. I’ve written and illustrated over 30 published books and know that kids appreciate subtle humor as well as in-your-face hilarity. I love writing stories that will make readers laugh and think. But mostly laugh.

Marty's book list on to laugh so hard milk shoots out your nose

Marty Kelley Why did Marty love this book?

This is probably the most perfect picture book. The illustrations are terrific – full of detail and bold colors. The humor is spot-on and works on multiple levels. Kids will adore Bruce’s cranky (but genuinely kind) attitude while adults laugh at the small asides that ring in a slightly more sophisticated way. 

By Ryan T. Higgins,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Mother Bruce as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, and 5.

What is this book about?



Bruce the bear likes to keep to himself. That, and eat eggs. But when his hard-boiled goose eggs turn out to be real, live goslings, he starts to lose his appetite. And even worse, the goslings are convinced he's their mother. Bruce tries to get the geese to go south, but he can't seem to rid himself of his new companions. What's a bear to do?


Book cover of And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe

Mike Thorn Author Of Darkest Hours

From my list on debut horror short story collections.

Why am I passionate about this?

Mike Thorn is the author of Shelter for the Damned, Darkest Hours, and Peel Back and See. His fiction has appeared in numerous magazines, anthologies, and podcasts, including Vastarien, Dark Moon Digest, and The NoSleep Podcast. His books have earned praise from Jamie Blanks (director of Urban Legend and Valentine), Jeffrey Reddick (creator of Final Destination), and Daniel Goldhaber (director of Cam). His essays and articles have been published in American Twilight: The Cinema of Tobe Hooper (University of Texas Press), The Film Stage, and elsewhere. 

Mike's book list on debut horror short story collections

Mike Thorn Why did Mike love this book?

This book's heightened literary consciousness suggests a lifetime of practice, but it is, in fact, Gwendolyn Kiste's debut (she has quickly become one of contemporary dark fiction’s most celebrated, leading figures). Throughout Untether, the author examines both societal and individual forms of suffering (e.g. depression, dissociation, and the dangers of socially imposed normativities). My favorite piece is “Skin Like Honey and Lace,” which depicts a group of women who achieve social induction by taking skin from strangers and applying it to their own bodies. A staggeringly accomplished collection. 

By Gwendolyn Kiste,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A murdered movie star reaches out to an unlikely fan. An orchard is bewitched with poison apples and would-be princesses. A pair of outcasts fail a questionnaire that measures who in their neighborhood will vanish next. Two sisters keep a grotesque secret hidden in a Victorian bathtub. A dearly departed best friend carries a grudge from beyond the grave.

In her debut collection, Gwendolyn Kiste delves into the gathering darkness where beauty embraces the monstrous, and where even the most tranquil worlds are not to be trusted. From fairy tale kingdoms and desolate carnivals, to wedding ceremonies and summer camps…


Book cover of Wild, Tamed, Lost, Revived: The Surprising Story of Apples in the South

Amanda L. Van Lanen Author Of The Washington Apple: Orchards and the Development of Industrial Agriculture

From my list on food for thought- books that will change the way you think about food and agriculture.

Why am I passionate about this?

I come from a family of eaters. Food was often at the center of family stories and celebrations. I first became fascinated with apples while I was working on my Ph.D. in history, and my interest has since expanded to include all things related to food history. I’ve taught classes on food history, and a few years ago, I started collecting cookbooks. I blog about my cookbook collection and other historical food oddities on my website.

Amanda's book list on food for thought- books that will change the way you think about food and agriculture

Amanda L. Van Lanen Why did Amanda love this book?

This book made me want to pour a glass of cider. Diane Flynt writes about her hunt for heirloom apples as the owner of Foggy Ridge Ciders in Virginia. Along the way, she shares the rich history of apples in the South.

Her writing is poetic. I could almost taste the apples and smell the evening air in the orchards as she checked on her trees. Flynt makes a strong case for why we need agricultural diversity and how the terroir of place is important for the food we produce.

My only regret in reading this book is that Flynt is retired, so I’ll never be able to taste her fine ciders.  

By Diane Flynt, Angie Mosier (photographer),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Wild, Tamed, Lost, Revived as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

For anyone who's ever picked an apple fresh from the tree or enjoyed a glass of cider, writer and orchardist Diane Flynt offers a new history of the apple and how it changed the South and the nation. Showing how southerners cultivated over 2,000 apple varieties from Virginia to Mississippi, Flynt shares surprising stories of a fruit that was central to the region for over 200 years. Colorful characters abound in this history, including aristocratic Belgian immigrants, South Carolina plantation owners, and multiple presidents, each group changing the course of southern orchards. She shows how southern apples, ranging from northern…


Book cover of Ramona the Pest
Book cover of Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective
Book cover of I Just Forgot

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Interested in apples, cows, and bears?

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