Yellow Bicycle

The Yellow Bicycle is the story of a young school-age girl getting her first bicycle which is, of course, yellow. The story begins with her riding around as a passenger on her mother's bike and then moves to her own exploration of her world on her own bike. In the end, she proclaims her deepest desire is for bikes to be used everywhere. This simple story about a young person’s experience of being on a bike and wishing everyone could have one educates and charms the reader. The end pages include “How to teach a child to ride a bike”, “Safety Tips for all Cyclists,” and “For Drivers - How to care for pedestrians and cyclists.” The illustrations are vibrant watercolours, featuring lots of smiles.

Where the book stumbles is in its use of ALL CAPITALS for the narrative. This choice clashes with the illustrations and detracts from the nuances of the book and makes it seem cheap. The book is written by three Brazilian-Canadians who love bicycles, and it has been translated from Portuguese.

Despite this hurdle, Yellow Bicycle would be a delightful read for any young learner.