When Michael McMichael boards the Thirteen Bus one gloomy November night, he immediately knows that something isn't right. The bus-driver has frightening white teeth, the other passengers are rather creepy, and the bus itself is spooky. Determined to deliver his special present to his grandmother however, he stays on the bus until he is the only passenger left, at which point he discovers that he is about to be eaten by the bus itself. Fortunately for Michael, that special gift he's bringing to his grandmother is even more terrifying than the bus, and its monstrous driver...

Having greatly enjoyed author Bonny Becker's picture-books about Bear and Mouse - A Visitor for Bear, A Birthday for Bear, etc. - I picked up The Frightful Ride of Michael McMichael with a great deal of anticipation, curious to see how the author would handle a spooky story, when her other titles (that I have read, in any case) are so heartwarming. Unfortunately, although I appreciated the story idea here, I found her text somewhat awkward. The rhyming poetry sometimes felt a little disjointed, and didn't scan very easily for me. The artwork by Mark Fearing, who has also illustrated such titles as Great, Now We've Got Barbarians!, is colorful and creepy, well-matched to the subject matter, but overall I finished the book with an indifferent feeling. It isn't terrible, but it certainly isn't the best monstrous picture-book out there. ( )