by
Patricia Derrick
Riley the Rhinoceros has an exciting job. He works as a jungle bus and gives rides to baby animals when they’re on their own. He gives them a ride on his back until they find their way home.
However, the baby animals aren’t the only ones who notice Riley’s job. Riley’s other friends want a ride, too and often try to get on his back. Everyone wants to ride on Riley, from Leopold the Leopard to Cherika the Cheetah!
Unfortunately, Riley can’t be everyone’s jungle bus ’cause that would be preposterous. While many of Riley’s friends asked for a favor, Riley knew he simply couldn’t.
Eleanor the Elephant wanted to ensure Riley was alright and decided to stay by his side. Unlike the rest, she knew that Riley couldn’t be everyone’s bus because that would be preposterous.
Patricia Derrick writes a memorable and quirky children’s book about some key lessons. From expressing your boundaries to sticking by your friends, “Riley the Rhinoceros” comes with pages full of beautiful illustrations. Buyers considering getting a physical copy will find an added surprise—a musical CD that’ll help enhance a child’s reading experience.
What makes this addition great is that the song lyrics on the disk is the actual text of the book. When the child learns to sing the song, they can read every word in the story along because the song lyrics are the same as the book’s text. This book offers an excellent resource for increasing vocabulary, all while ensuring your little one enjoys the joys of reading.
With colorful illustrations, this handy book is excellent for children ages 2–8. Teachers contemplating what material to help children read can find this book particularly worthy. It’s also a perfect choice for teaching language and development, considering the story focuses on rhyme and phonics. If you want to encourage children to learn through music, the CD will surely come in handy for the whole class to enjoy.
Overall, “Riley the Rhinoceros” is an excellent book for children and a great addition to any educator’s library. If you need a fun and whimsical book for kids, this book would be a great gift this holiday season. If your kids like music and singing, consider making it a point to learn the lyrics and song together!
– The Moving Words Review
Official Entry: The Most Moving Book Award, Jan. 2, 2023
