Scholastic’s Magic School Bus Arrives on a Barge for an Ocean Themed Lesson

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of “The Magic School Bus” series, Scholastic on Oct. 20 invited a class of second-graders from the United Nations International School to Pier 84 in Manhattan where the magical school bus rose from the Hudson River on a barge to serve as the backdrop for an oceanic themed lesson. The bus, which is part of an ongoing tour, traveled from Kingston, NY, to Manhattan on a barge pulled by a tugboat and docked at the branded bus stop at the Pier. From the barge emerged Ms. Frizzle from the series, author Joanna Cole and illustrator Bruce Degen and Scholastic executives.

The event, which also promoted the recently launched series console game and app, was hosted by emcee Scuba Sam. The students took part in a 15-minute hands-on lesson about creatures living in the Hudson River led by Dr. Kafka, former curator for the New York Aquarium.
“Our goals were to make sure that we brought awareness to a terrific milestone and did something fun and engaging for the kids in a way that only the Magic School Bus can do,” Daisy Kline, vp-marketing and brand management at Scholastic, told Buzz.  “The bus is an excellent marketing tool to engage locally, but for this program the idea was to use it in a new and fresh way, which is why we had the bus arriving along the water.”

The event concluded with a reveal of a secret treasure chest filled with books and the Nintendo DS game “Oceans” for the students. There was also a certificate for the school’s librarian for an entire collection of the series. The bus then took off on a victory lap to Liberty Island and back. Agency: Michael Alan Group, New York City.