Sample:
Billy Bananas, the tour guide extraordinaire, can take you anywhere in his magical bright red tour bus, and teachers, Rosemary Tantrum and Kim Larder; have booked Billy to take their class to the zoo.
Meet the main cast - April, Olivia, Tom, Virginia, Chloe, Max, and Peter the outcast.
At first none of the class wants to go on the trip, but Billy is persuasive. So with the touch of the yellow button on the dashboard, the bus is up, up and away through the skies.
Welcome to Paradise Wildlife Zoo.
The fun begins as Billy introduces his visitors to a lion called Redge, Hix the rhinoceros, Candy the giraffe and Siegfried a spider to name but a few, and with his magical binoculars everything starts to happen. But where is Kim? Still on the bus of course, too scared to get off until Redge arrives.
When tea-time comes, the group eat with the chimpanzees, and Peter’s daredevil lion cup rescue makes him a hero, especially with April who has pretended not to like him, and friendship blossoms.
But as darkness falls, normality returns to the Zoo and sadly it’s time to go home. The end of an adventure everyone will remember.
Chapter One
“All aboard”, shouted Billy at the top of his voice. “All aboard.”
“Quickly children,” Rosemary Tantrum, their teacher said, pushing the children lightly on their backs as they climbed into the bus.
“Hold on a minute. Peter!” Kim Larder, their other teacher, added grabbing Peter’s shoulder. “ Let Chloe get up the stairs first, will you.”
Peter’s cheeks went bright red; he liked to push.
“All aboard, there’s no time to waste, all aboard!” called Billy again from his driver’s cab. He smiled as he watched each child climb the stairs hurrying along the aisle and finding a seat.
“But I want to sit at the back ,”called Peter. “Is there room?”
“Plenty of room for all, sonny!” replied Billy.
“Out of the way!” Peter tried to squeeze in next to April.
“Peter. Stop pushing!” said Olivia ,not moving to let him in. “Go and sit over there. We were here first.”
“No but …”
“Go away Peter,” spat April.
“Leave us alone, Peter.” Added Olivia.
Peter went and sat just in front, putting his thumb into his mouth. He hated most girls anyway, but he liked April.
Soon all the children were seated and the two teachers sat in the front seats just behind Billy.
The little fat man stood at the front looking at the children’s faces. Then picking up the microphone he spoke into it slowly.
“Welcome everybody and I’m William, well, Billy actually, to my friends. And you’re all my friends, aren’t you? Billy Bananas , that’s me,” he cried pointing to himself, his voice speeding up with enthusiasm.
The children were silent.
“Hello children,” he cried throwing his left arm into the air, then putting his hand to his ear, as he waited for a reply.
“Hello, Mr Bananas.” shouted Peter.
“Just call me Billy,” he smiled.
Then all the other children replied too.
“Hello Billy,” they called, but not all together.
The two teachers nodded without saying a word.
“And today we’re off to the zoo,” cried Billy. “Isn’t that exciting?”
Again the children were silent.
“Yes. We‘re off to the zoo,” Billy continued. “Yippy-yippy-yippy! We’ll see the lions and the tigers and the pandas and the giraffes.”
Still there was silence.
“And the creepy crawlies.” Billy added hopefully.
But the children just looked at Billy as if he was mad, their glum faces staring at him.
Peter shook his head and called back to Billy. “It’s too cold for the zoo Mr Bananas ,uuurrr Billy.”
“It’s raining,” added April glancing miserably out of the window.
“I went to the zoo on Saturday for my birthday,” called Tom sticking his finger up his nose.
“Couldn’t we go to the circus instead and see the chimps.” Olivia suggested, standing up.“ I like the circus better.”
“So do I.” added April, her golden pigtails moving from side to side.
“But we’re going to the zoo,” chipped in Kim, folding her arms across her chest. “I want to go to the zoo.”
“I don’t like the circus at all ,” Rosemary shook her head. “ Haven’t been to the zoo in ages and I’ve been looking forward to it all term.”
“We can’t change our minds now. Anyway, we’ve booked the zoo,” Kim continued.
Rosemary got to her feet, turning towards the children. Her face was like thunder and her cheeks were reddening. She clapped her hands. “Now listen children. Billy is taking us to the zoo and that’s final,” she said, stamping her foot.
“Boo .booo .boooooo!” all the boys booed together.
Kim got up now too, standing beside Rosemary. “Yes. We’re going to learn more about the animals. I thought you all liked animals.”
“Not really,” groaned Max. “Well, perhaps the creepy crawlies,” he shrugged, “but that’s it.”
Billy stood next to the teachers. “Now listen,” he butted in. “Why don’t we see where the bus takes us.” He winked at Kim and Rosemary. “ And we’d better get going otherwise we won’t be going anywhere and we don’t want that, do we?” he shook his head.
“No, definitely not,” nodded Kim returning to her seat by the window, followed by Rosemary.
“Do we children? You want to go somewhere, don t you?” insisted Billy.
“Oh yes PLEASE, Mr Bananas, uummm, Billy,” shouted back Peter, almost biting off his thumb.
“Yes PLEASE, Billy,” called the others.
“Well then. Be prepared.” He winked.
CHAPTER TWO
Billy turned round and got into his seat, starting up the tour-bus engine.
With a rush, the bus burst forward.
“Here we go,” cried Billy with a laugh. “Here we go!”
He pressed the yellow button that had large black letters on it which said SUPER CHARGE.
The bus roared, and purred, and sped along the road at top speed.
“Be careful Billy. You re going far too fast,” warned Kim, holding on tight to Rosemary. “ I don t like going so fast,” she added.
“Don’t be silly Kim,” laughed Billy. “Our ride has only just begun.” His blue eyes twinkled.
The bus gathered speed, through the village, passed the children’s school, passed the shops, by the village hall and the church, passed the big supermarket and out into the countryside. The grass was green, the hedges were greener and the sky was grey. The windscreen wipers on the bus flashed from side to side, swishing away the rain which was beating down against the windscreen. The bus was weaving round the corners.
“Whee whee,” the children called.
The bus swayed. Billy was standing at the wheel, turning it first one way then the other.
“Whee whee whee,” the children called, loving every minute.
“Not so fast, Billy,” exclaimed Rosemary.
“Oh Rosemary,” laughed Billy. “Sit back and relax,” he called.
Then, as the bus came to a hill, it slowed.
Rosemary sighed with relief.
Chug, chug .chugger, chug, the bus grumbled, as the hill got steeper.
Billy’s hand came down on the green button, which said OVERDRIVE. Whoosh whoosh ..the bus responded immediately. Billy giggled, as the bus sped forward. Billy pressed the yellow SUPERCHARGE button again. There was a roar as the bus gathered speed. So he pressed a blue button, the one which said LIFT OFF. The bus gave one last roar taking off, up into the sky, leaving the grass behind.
“Oooh, what’s happening?” cried Kim.
“We’re going U..UP,” hiccupped Rosemary.
“Oh no, I hate flying,” cried Kim shutting her eyes.
“Kim ,” said Rosemary grabbing Kim’s arm. “The bus - I mean the plane has no wings.”
“No wings!” Kim put her hand over her mouth.
“Yes it does. Watch,”, Billy called, pressing the pink Button saying WINGS, and out of the sides of the bus came bright red wings just like you see on a bird.
The bus was floating through the sky.
“Wow, this is great!” exclaimed Peter, looking out of the window at the fields below.
“Where are we going?” April asked Olivia.
“I don’t know.” she shrugged. “Up I suppose.”
And away they went, upwards, through the clouds. Below them the cows were grazing in the fields. The cars were getting smaller and smaller. The houses were just dots now and the trees a blur. Flying alongside them were some geese, who were cackling and looking through the window.
Billy was laughing. He slammed his hand down again on the yellow button and the engine roared again, this time even louder.
