Let's Go on a Bicycle

Two children set out on an epic bike ride out of the city into the countryside, accompanied by their amazingly fast dachshund. They are prepared with lunch and some maps, as well as food for their faithful dog. They even make sure to wear protective gear and have remembered not only helmets but also knee pads. They even have a puncture kit, which comes in handy when one of the children gets a flat tire. The countryside is full of flowers and sunshine, and they stop to have their picnic under a tree, near some friendly cows, before heading back to the city, getting back to the city just as the sun is setting. This is part of a Let’s Go series that includes traveling by bus, train, plane, ferry, digger, submarine, and even rocket!

Good Points

The illustrations in this are so happy and bright, with lots of small details. I reread the book just to follow the dog’s antics! I loved how kitted out the children’s bikes were; they have tire guards,, luggage racks, fron baskets, and flags. These are some dedicated bikers whose helmets are firmly attached to their heads!

I am very picky about the meter of picture books in verse, and the scansion in this is particularly well done. This means that, when read aloud, it’s easy to let the words flow smoothly, and there’s no annoying break in the cadence. This isn’t always the case, but is especially important in a book about gliding effortlessly on a bicycle. (The children even seem to go up the hills fairly easily!)

While there are plenty of picture books about bike riding like Slater’s Wild Blue, Rascha’s Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle, Boldt’s Can Do, Lim’s I Am A Bird, Medina’s Elena Rides, and Gibb’s especially Two Wheels (which has an entire album of songs to do with it), this is the first board book that I have seen. It would make a perfect baby shower or first birthday gift along with a bike seat and a helmet! Can’t start thinking about bike riding too young!