The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks is a children’s science picture book by Joanna Cole, illustrated by Bruce Degen, and the first classic adventure in The Magic School Bus series. The story follows Ms. Frizzle and her class on what seems at first like an ordinary field trip to the waterworks, until the trip turns into a journey through the water cycle, from clouds and raindrops to pipes, purification, and the school sink. Through a mix of story, humor, busy illustrations, speech bubbles, and factual notes, the book introduces young readers to evaporation, condensation, rain, water treatment, and where drinking water comes from. It is suited to children who enjoy science, school stories, and imaginative adventures where learning happens through surprise, questions, and a bus ride that does not go quite as planned.
Author: Joanna Cole
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year published: 2004
Number of pages: 40
Age range: 4–8