Independence

October 19 – National New Friends Day

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About the Holiday

Friendships and making new friends are so important to our happiness that this national holiday is actually celebrated three times a year—on January 19, July 19, and October 19. Making friends is one of the first skills little ones learn as they begin to join playgroups, music groups, daycare, and engage in other social activities. As children grow older, sharing stories about friendship, that model good examples of talking, playing, and collaborating with others is a wonderful way to expand a child’s social and emotional development. Sharing life with good friends a joy to be cherished. Start your little one off on the journey with today’s book!

Thank you to Charlesbridge and Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for sending me this book for review!

Acacia: A Rapunzel Tale

Written by JaNay Brown-Wood | Illustrated by John Joven

Young Acacia lived a solitary existence, “locked up in a too-tall tower” by Ma Gothel, who gave her nothing but a single storybook to fill her time. While the stories were “filled with tales of grand journeys and brave heroes,” they never presented a brave princess or represented her actual life. Acacia’s dream was to one day have her own adventure. Every day, when she heard Ma Gothel’s voice calling, “‘Acacia, Acacia. Do let your hair flow,” Acacia dropped her long braid from the window so Ma Gothel could climb up.

Illustration copyright © 2026 by John Joven. Text copyright © 2026 by JaNay Brown-Wood. Published by Charlesbridge copyright © 2026.

One day, Acacia nervously asked when she might be able to leave the tower. Ma Gothel flew into a rage, calling Acacia ungrateful for protecting her from the “big bad wolves, evil witches, and hungry giants” in the world. Acacia protested, showing her the wonderful things in her storybook. At this, Ma Gothel plucked the book from her hands and took it away.

The next morning, while Acacia recited a favorite story, a little girl in a red cape named Mahogany heard her. She watched as Ma Gothel called for Acacia to lower her hair. After Ma Gothel left, Mahogany repeated the phrase, and climbed up. Acacia was thrilled to meet Mahogany. The girls were so excited to be friends that they planned to get together the next day—and many days after that.

Illustration copyright © 2026 by John Joven. Text copyright © 2026 by JaNay Brown-Wood. Published by Charlesbridge copyright © 2026.

During their visits, Mahogany and Acacia hatched a plan while Mahogany assured her new friend that there were more good things than bad in the world. When their project was ready, Acacia had just one request—a new do! With a quick twist-out, Acacia’s hair sprang loose just as Ma Gothel shouted out her usual request. With Acacia’s new, empowering natural hairstyle she thwarted Ma Gothel, and escaped to live the adventurous life she’d always dreamed of.

Illustration copyright © 2026 by John Joven. Text copyright © 2026 by JaNay Brown-Wood. Published by Charlesbridge copyright © 2026.

JaNay Brown-Wood’s ingenious update of the Brothers Grimm “Rapunzel” fairy tale will excite modern-day kids as Acacia and Mahogany, from Brown-Wood’s Mahogany: A Little Red Riding Hood Tale concoct a clever and self-propelled escape. Acacia and Mahogany’s fast friendship is joyfully supportive and Mahogany’s uplifting outlook on the world is welcome. Acacia’s quest for representation, independence, and adventure will resonate with all readers.

John Joven’s vibrant full-page and snapshot illustrations burst with personality, action, and fairy-tale visions as kids join Acacia in the sky-high tower dominated by the fear-mongering Ma Gothel. As Acacia and Mahogany plan Acacia’s escape, Joven presents two opposing world views, prompting kids to think and talk about their own perspective. Acacia’s unbraided hair cascades around her in a happy declaration of freedom and self-expression.

Fans of fairy tales, fractured fairy tales, and empowering stories of self-confidence and self-esteem, will treasure Acacia: A Rapunzel Tale. The book is a must for any public and school library collection and will be a favorite on home bookshelves as well.

Ages 4 – 7

Charlesbridge, 2026 | ISBN 978-1623543686

About the Author

JaNay Brown-Wood is a former early childhood professor and the author of several books for children, including Mahogany: A Little Red Riding Hood Tale, Grandma’s Tiny House, and Imani’s Moon. She also contributed to the poetry anthologies Thanku: Poems of Gratitude and No World Too Big. Much of JaNay’s work is intended to celebrate casual diversity, primarily featuring Black characters. She lives in California. Visit her at janaybrownwood.com and janaybrownwood on Instagram

About the Illustrator

John Joven is the illustrator of Mahogany: A Little Red Riding Hood Tale, The Plan for the Gingerbread House, and Preschool, Here I Come!. He grew up in Bogotá, Colombia, and studied graphic design at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. He still lives there with his wife, Ana, and two children, Avril and Ian. When not illustrating, he enjoys spending quality time with his children, playing soccer with his friends, watching movies, and traveling. Visit him at johnjoven.com and johnjoven_illustrator on Instagram.

You can purchase Acacia: A Rapunzel Tale from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Nobel | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

January 5 – National Bird Day

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About the Holiday

Coming at the end of the annual Christmas Bird Count conducted in conjunction with the Audubon Society, National Bird Day turns the focus on the special behavioral and physical needs of birds and works to ensure that all birds—whether kept as pets or living on farms or in their natural environments—are treated compassionately. The day also raises awareness of the dangers that threaten many species of birds with extinction. Now that winter has set in making food scarce for wild birds, ensure that feeders are kept full. If you don’t already have a bird feeder, consider hanging one in your yard. The birds that come to visit will enchant you all winter long. 

Little Bird Visits the Big City

By Domenico Granata

 

When Little Bird gazed out at the little city in the distance, he couldn’t help but compare it to his little forest. The houses he saw in the city had roofs, and he said that one day he would like a house with a roof. His mother reminded him that the branches and leaves were his roof and that in the woods they could find everything they needed. “But Little Bird was still curious to see what was out there.”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-little-bird-visits-the-big-city-plan

Copyright Domenico Granata, 2020, courtesy of Minedition.

One day Little Bird announced that he was going to fly to the city to see what he could find. His mother told him to be careful and suggested he take along some friends. “But Little Bird wanted to have an adventure of his own….” With a feeling of freedom, he soared over the trees to the edge of the city. He was proud of his accomplishment, but a bit weary. He searched for a tree to rest in, but there were few trees and all of the branches had been pruned back.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-little-bird-visits-the-big-city-ball

Copyright Domenico Granata, 2020, courtesy of Minedition.

As Little Bird explored the city, he had no words for the many things he saw, and so many things—like cars and bicycles and dogs on leashes—made little sense to him. He was even confused by all of the children running around. After a near miss with a big red ball, Little Bird found that he was hungry. Fortunately, the park was full of seeds, but as he gobbled them down, he noticed that other birds “glared at him angrily when he came too close to their seeds.” Little Bird did encounter one friendly face when a boy was excited to discover him perched on a bench. After he’d left with his mother, Little Bird “wished he had a friend here with him now.”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-little-bird-visits-the-big-city-boy

Copyright Domenico Granata, 2020, courtesy of Minedition.

As nighttime fell, Little Bird began to feel alone and he missed his cozy nest. Just then, he became aware of something moving behind him. He turned and saw a pile of leaves walking his way. “He was scared out of his wits,” but a voice assured him there was nothing to be frightened of. With a shake and a laugh, the leaves fell away to reveal Little Bird’s forest friends.

After Little Bird recovered from his shock, the three friends flew “back home to their cozy little forest.” Perhaps when they were older, Little Bird thought, they could take another trip—one even farther than the little city—but one they would take together.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-little-bird-visits-the-big-city-friends

Copyright Domenico Granata, 2020, courtesy of Minedition.

Domenico Granata’s sweet story of a little bird who wants to prove his independence by exploring a far-off city by himself only to feel homesick for his friends and familiar comforts reassures children that no matter where they go, home and friends are always close by. As little ones head off to daycare or preschool and older children begin navigating the world of extracurricular activities, sleepovers, and other activities, Granata’s story resonates with the kinds of experiences—surprising, disappointing, and confusing as well as friendly and empowering—that everyone encounters on their way to growth and knowledge. His heartening ending lets kids know that the journey to independence can be taken one step at a time and with friends.

Granata’s bright illustrations that make evocative use of simple shapes to convey his story will charm readers. Soft, rounded birds, leaves, and a winter-clad boy denote friendship while the unfamiliar city offers angular trees and buildings. Readers will giggle at images of Little Bird’s friends hiding as a pile of leaves and his shocked reaction to seeing them. Early hints to the presence of the little boy help kids realize that friends can be found in any new experience.

An original story for those who are ready to strike out on their own as well as for those who are still thinking about it, Little Bird Visits the Big City would make a thoughtful storytime read at home and in the classroom, and a terrific addition to public library collections.

Ages 3 – 6

minedition, 2020 | ISBN 978-9888342037

National Bird Day Activity

cpb-bird-feeder-i

Pinecone Bird Feeder

 

Pinecone bird feeders are quick to make and great for your backyard fliers. The combination of peanut butter, lard, or vegetable shortening and a quality seed mixture provide birds with the fat and nutrition they need to stay warm and healthy during the winter.

Supplies

  • Pinecones
  • Peanut butter, vegetable shortening, or lard
  • Birdseed
  • String
  • Knife or wooden spreader
  • Spoon

Directions

  1. Tie a long length of string around the middle of the pinecone
  2. Spread the peanut butter, vegetable shortening, or lard on the pinecone
  3. Sprinkle a thick coating of birdseed on the pinecone, pressing it into the covering so it will stick
  4. Tie the pinecone feeder onto a tree branch or other structure
  5. Watch the birds enjoy their meal!

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-little-bird-visits-the-big-city-cover

You can find Little Bird Visits the Big City at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

June 9 – It’s Potty Training Awareness Month

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About the Holiday

Toilet training is a major milestone for kids – and their parents and caregivers. The end of diapers means more independence and leaving babyhood behind. But getting to that big day can be difficult and stressful. Potty Training Awareness Month celebrates this accomplishment with kids while also offering support for the adults involved. With patience, love, and a humor, adults can make potty training a confidence booster – as you’ll see in today’s book. For some tips on making potty training easier, visit Baby+Co.

Sloth Went

Written by Adam Lehrhaupt | Illustrated by Benson Shum

 

Today was the day. Sloth “was excited. And nervous.” He was a little worried about if something happened but also if nothing happened. Sloth’s mom was encouraging, though. She said, “‘You’ll make it,” and promised him a surprise afterward. Sloth was interested in the surprise, so he agreed to go. He clung to the tree waiting to go while a caterpillar descended, crawled over his back, and continued on its way.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-sloth-went-frog

Image copyright Benson Shum, 2020, text copyright Adam Lehrhaupt, 2020. Courtesy of Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

Sloth was feeling tired and a little dejected when Butterfly flitted by to see how things were going. “‘I don’t think I’m gonna make it,’” Sloth grumbled. Butterfly told him that was okay “‘as long as you keep trying.’” Sloth clung tighter to his tree and gave it all he had while a snail descended above him, crawled over his leg, and kept on going.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-sloth-went-listen

Image copyright Benson Shum, 2020, text copyright Adam Lehrhaupt, 2020. Courtesy of Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

Frog dropped by to wish Sloth well, but Sloth gave a pessimistic report. Hearing this, Frog had some advice that spurred him to keep trying. Sloth looked around from his lofty perch and saw a perfect spot under a nearby tree. He clambered down and raced over. He waggled his stubby tail, then sat down “to take care of business.” He pondered, he pushed, he strained. Then he smiled. He’d done it! He covered it up with a happy dance and climbed back up his own tree. “He couldn’t wait to tell everyone,” and when he reached the top, they were all waiting to celebrate his good news with cheers and hugs and a special surprise treat.

Back matter explains the fascinating facts about sloth digestion, poop, and the dangerous path they take to “take care of business.”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-sloth-went-did-dance

Image copyright Benson Shum, 2020, text copyright Adam Lehrhaupt, 2020. Courtesy of Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

Adam Lehrhaupt’s humorous and unique look at potty training based on the intriguing facts of sloth behavior reflects the feelings and fears that can accompany this major milestone for little ones. Lehrhaupt’s subtle language, emphasizing the words “go” and “make it,” create a story as much about meeting challenges and adventure head on as it is about potty training. Butterfly, Frog, and Mother Sloth’s encouragement to keep trying and to listen to yourself is good advice anywhere along life’s path and especially as little ones become more independent.

Benson Shum’s adorable sloth makes a sweet companion on a child’s adventure to diaper-less living. His facial expressions clearly demonstrate his nervousness about his “big day as well as the boost that his friends’ support provides. Kids will giggle appreciatively as little Sloth grimaces and strains to do what will come naturally. When he finally succeeds in going, little ones will want to join him in his victory dance—a desire that should have them asking for and using the potty in no time. Shum’s vibrant colors and close-up images will captivate kids, who will ask for this book over and over again.

A funny and encouraging addition to potty-training books that gives little ones an endearing companion on their journey of independence, Sloth Went would make a top pick for home and public library collections.

Ages 3 – 6

Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2020 | ISBN 978-1547602452

Discover more about Adam Lehrhaupt and his books on his website.

To learn more about Benson Shum, his books, and his art on his website.

Potty Training Awareness Month Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-potty-buddy-off-potty-craft

Potty Buddy

 

Sometimes a little encouragement from a friend can help kids try something new. This easy-to-make, kind-of-silly Potty Buddy can be designed by the trainee to be just the friend they want along as they make that first step toward independence.

Supplies

  • Toilet paper tube
  • Toddler size sock or cloth
  • Several feet of yarn
  • Googly eyes (optional)
  • Scrap of foam, colored paper, or cloth
  • Glue

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-potty-buddy-on-potty-craft-3

Directions

  1. Pull a toddler-size sock over the paper towel tube and fold down the top to make a collar. Alternately, wrap cloth around the toilet paper tube and glue in place.
  2. Glue googly eyes on the tube
  3. Cut a small triangle or other shape for a nose from the foam or colored paper
  4. Loop the yarn about 20 times in a 5 – 6 inch length
  5. Tie the yarn in the middle
  6. Fold and glue into the top opening of the tube for hair.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-sloth-went-cover

You can find Sloth Went at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local bookstore, order from 

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

May 15 – Bike Anywhere Week

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celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-bikes-for-sale-cover

About the Holiday

May is National Bike Month and today’s date was usually set aside for riders to replace their usual method of commuting to work with pedaling instead. This year, though, Bike to Work Week has been moved to September 17 – 27 and Bike to Work Day will occur on September 22. In it’s place we have Bike Anywhere Week! Biking is a great activity for getting much-needed exercise and enjoying the warm weather.  So. bring out your bikes, pump up the tires, and take to a street or trail near you!

Bikes for Sale

Written by Carter Higgins | Illustrated by Zachariah OHora

 

“They were new once. And then they weren’t.” The yellow bike with the lemonade stand attached to the front belonged to Maurice. He rode through town to the grocery store, into the 3rd Street park where he picked lemons, and out to a spot mid-way between the grocery store and the park snack bar. Everywhere he went, he found customers for his twenty-five-cent cups of “squeezy drops of sunshine”—cup included. After a while, Maurice moved on to another spot even though there were still people who wanted his thirst-quenching lemonade.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-bikes-for-sale-Maurice

Image copyright Zachariah OHora, 2019, text copyright Carter Higgins, 2019. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.

The red bike with the basket on the back that was perfect for collecting sticks belonged to Lotta. “She rode it to the woods, through the ditch on 5th street that had the best mud, and to the fort.” Wherever she rode, Lotta was always on the lookout for more sticks. She built up her fort with sticks and gave some away. She thought sticks were “the best thing to collect.” After a while, she would ride on even though there were still people who wanted a stick.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-bikes-for-sale-Lotta

Image copyright Zachariah OHora, 2019, text copyright Carter Higgins, 2019. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.

They rode all over—sometimes leaving sticks and lemon peels in their wake—until for Maurice “…what looked like a small stick was really a smashup,” leaving him without his lemonade bicycle, and for Lotta “…what looked like some petals was really some peels,” leading to a catastrophic crash. They both took up walking—which left the lemonade buyers and the stick collectors out of luck.

“Meanwhile…. To someone new, the rust sparkled. The deflated tires still held hope. Sid could read the stories the bikes had to tell. Then one day, Maurice happened by a corner store with a sign that read: Bikes For Sale: Abandoned & Discarded, Found & Restored. Come See Sid. At the same time, Lotta read the sign on the other side of the corner. “And then they went to see Sid.”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-bikes-for-sale-Sid's-shop

Image copyright Zachariah OHora, 2019, text copyright Carter Higgins, 2019. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.

Now “Lotta rode her bike to the woods,” into the 3rd Street park, and “through the ditch on 5th Street…” and “Maurice rode his bike to the grocery store,” to the 3rd Street park, and into the woods on their new bicycle for two. “They had new adventures,” and even the lemons and sticks took on a new sheen. And Maurice and Lotta each discovered a new friend. “And that’s how friendships begin. They are new once. And then, they aren’t.”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-bikes-for-sale-tandem

Image copyright Zachariah OHora, 2019, text copyright Carter Higgins, 2019. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.

In her overlapping story about Maurice and Lotta and their beloved bikes, Carter Higgins creates a layered celebration of what makes life—and particularly childhood—so rich. In her sparse, lyrical prose, Higgins explores the ideas of freedom, independence, self-assurance, loss, renewal, and friendship. Lotta and Maurice are industrious and joyful as they ply their trades around town and then zip off to discover new environs. When they both lose their bikes, they don’t complain or give up but wait for a new opportunity—and are open to it when it comes. Once solo contractors, Maurice and Lotta embrace their tandem lifestyle, which makes even their lemons and sticks shine brighter and gives them a permanence they didn’t have before.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-bikes-for-sale-Maurice

Zachariah OHora’s wide-eyed Maurice and smiley Lotta happily tool around on their bikes, gathering supplies and handing out their wares around town and in a park centered around a lake complete with swan boats. OHora’s colorful palette is as fresh as a sunny summer day and invites kids along for the ride through the city, into the ditch, past the dog walker, the construction workers, and the recipients of Lotta’s sticks who find fun and creative ways to use them. An aerial view of Lotta and Maurice as they pass each other on the path that will, literally and metaphorically, deprive them of their bikes and unite them in the end is a clever touch that will have children guessing what comes next. The final two-page spread of the finished fort—which now serves as Lotta and Maurice’s new lemonade and stick stand—paired with Carter Higgins’ touching truism about friendship makes a moving ending that will tug at readers’ hearts.

An emotional charmer, Bikes for Sale is a can’t-miss addition to home, classroom, and public library collections.

Ages 5 – 7

Chronicle Books, 2019 | ISBN 978-1452159324

Discover more about Carter Higgins and her books on her website.

To learn more about Zachariah OHora, his books, and his art, visit his website.

Bike Anywhere Week Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-bike-coloring-page

Come Bike with Me! Coloring Page

 

Here’s a bike just for you! Draw yourself riding it and fill in where you go. Will it be to the park, through town, or somewhere else? Print this page and have some fun!

Come Bike with Me! Coloring Page

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-bikes-for-sale-cover

You can find Bikes for Sale at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-MillionBook

To support your local independent bookstore, order here

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

 

 

August 1 – It’s Get Ready for Kindergarten Month

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About the Holiday

It’s the day you and your child have been looking forward to: Kindergarten and being a big kid! But starting school can also be a little intimidating. Today’s holiday gives kids and adults a chance to talk with their kids about starting school and the changes ahead. Sharing picture books that reflect a variety of views of this momentous occasion can help ease the transition. Today’s book is a great place to start!

So Big!

By Mike Wohnoutka

 

With six words and cover-to-cover cuteness, Mike Wohnoutka takes kids on a journey from home to school, making stops along the way to experience many of the emotions of that very first day. Little Bear wakes up with a smile on his face. On the calendar hanging by his bed, the day is circled with a big red star, and this bear knows he’s not so little anymore. In fact he’s “so big.” How big? “So-o-o…big” that he can dress himself, reach the cereal box on the counter, and make his own breakfast.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-so-big-waking-up

Copyright Mike Wohnoutka, 2019, courtesy of Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

He’s “So, so, big” that he can pack up his backpack, tie his shoes, and walk to the bus stop all by himself. He waits proudly next to a little elephant who looks a bit uncertain and a tiny squirrel who’s in awe of the much bigger Bear. But then the bus pulls up, and it is “SO big.” Now it’s Bear who looks a little uncertain as he climbs in and in awe of the much bigger elephants, rhino, and giraffe he sits near.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-so-big-eating-breakfast

Copyright Mike Wohnoutka, 2019, courtesy of Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

When the bus drops him in front of the school, Bear looks up and up at the enormous building. It’s “SO BIG!” While the little elephant he met at the bus stop heads through the open doors, Bear sits on the steps and sheds a few tears, feeling “not so big.” But then the squirrel approaches and looks up, up, up, up at the enormous building and bursts into a flood of tears at the “TOO big” school. Bear notices his distress and even though he’s a little intimidated himself, he reaches out his hand to Squirrel and they enter the school together.

The hallway seems okay—it’s “not so big…,” and when their teacher welcomes them to their room, they see that the desks and the other kids are “just right!”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-so-big-backpack

Copyright Mike Wohnoutka, 2019, courtesy of Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

Mike Wohnoutka’s bright, honest look at the first day of school through a child’s eyes and from their perspective is encouraging in every way. As Bear gets ready for his first day of school, his independence will spark confidence in readers. Squirrel’s reaction to meeting Bear and Elephant at the bus stop, and Bear’s feelings on seeing the bus and the school building encourage kids and adults to discuss the emotions involved in the first day of school and other new experiences. Bear’s kindness to Squirrel will help readers develop a sense of camaraderie between the themselves and their new classmates while also fostering an early appreciation for empathy and friendship during this transformative time.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-so-big-bear-and-squirrel

Wohnoutka’s minimal text takes on various meanings with a touch of italics or the juxtaposition of Bear and Squirrel to their surroundings, allowing for further conversation about internal feelings and physical size. His clever uses of these simple phrases combined with illustrations that put the characters in proportional proximity to kitchen counters, a child’s backpack, the school bus, larger and smaller children, the school building, and more also provide adults with clear visual portrayals of relative size that can encourage math talk and exploration at home or in the classroom.

So Big!—a story that offers so much for kids just starting school or other activities—is highly recommended for children taking new forays into the world. The book makes for a sweet and satisfying go-to story for home, classroom, and public library collections.

Ages 3 – 6

Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2019 | ISBN 978-1547600793

Discover more about Mike Wohnoutka, his books, and his art on his website.

Get Ready for Kindergarten Month Activity

celebrate-picture-books-empty-School-Bus-Coloring-Page

Let’s Ride the Bus! Coloring Page

 

Riding the school bus is fun! With this coloring page you can fill the bus with your friends—and don’t forget to add yourself! Then grab your colored pencils, markers, or crayons and color it in!

Let’s Ride the Bus! Coloring Page

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-so-big-cover

You can find So Big at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

May 28 – National Bike Month

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celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-bikes-for-sale-cover

About the Holiday

Established in 1956 and sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, National Bike Month celebrates all the fun and benefits of cycling. Communities around the country celebrate with special events, tours, and safety lessons. The month also hosts Bike to School and Bike to Work days to encourage people to leave their cars at home, get fresh air and exercise, and have fun at the same time. Enjoy the rest of this month and the whole summer biking with your family and friends!

Bikes for Sale

Written by Carter Higgins | Illustrated by Zachariah OHora

 

“They were new once. And then they weren’t.” The yellow bike with the lemonade stand attached to the front belonged to Maurice. He rode through town to the grocery store, into the 3rd Street park where he picked lemons, and out to a spot mid-way between the grocery store and the park snack bar. Everywhere he went, he found customers for his twenty-five-cent cups of “squeezy drops of sunshine”—cup included. After a while, Maurice moved on to another spot even though there were still people who wanted his thirst-quenching lemonade.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-bikes-for-sale-Maurice

Image copyright Zachariah OHora, 2019, text copyright Carter Higgins, 2019. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.

The red bike with the basket on the back that was perfect for collecting sticks belonged to Lotta. “She rode it to the woods, through the ditch on 5th street that had the best mud, and to the fort.” Wherever she rode, Lotta was always on the lookout for more sticks. She built up her fort with sticks and gave some away. She thought sticks were “the best thing to collect.” After a while, she would ride on even though there were still people who wanted a stick.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-bikes-for-sale-Lotta

Image copyright Zachariah OHora, 2019, text copyright Carter Higgins, 2019. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.

They rode all over—sometimes leaving sticks and lemon peels in their wake—until for Maurice “…what looked like a small stick was really a smashup,” leaving him without his lemonade bicycle, and for Lotta “…what looked like some petals was really some peels,” leading to a catastrophic crash. They both took up walking—which left the lemonade buyers and the stick collectors out of luck.

“Meanwhile…. To someone new, the rust sparkled. The deflated tires still held hope. Sid could read the stories the bikes had to tell. Then one day, Maurice happened by a corner store with a sign that read: Bikes For Sale: Abandoned & Discarded, Found & Restored. Come See Sid. At the same time, Lotta read the sign on the other side of the corner. “And then they went to see Sid.”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-bikes-for-sale-Sid's-shop

Image copyright Zachariah OHora, 2019, text copyright Carter Higgins, 2019. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.

Now “Lotta rode her bike to the woods,” into the 3rd Street park, and “through the ditch on 5th Street…” and “Maurice rode his bike to the grocery store,” the 3rd Street park, and into the woods on their new bicycle for two. “They had new adventures,” and even the lemons and sticks took on a new sheen. And Maurice and Lotta each discovered a new friend. “And that’s how friendships begin. They are new once. And then, they aren’t.”

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Image copyright Zachariah OHora, 2019, text copyright Carter Higgins, 2019. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.

In her overlapping story about Maurice and Lotta and their beloved bikes, Carter Higgins creates a layered celebration of what makes life—and particularly childhood—so rich. In her sparse, lyrical prose, Higgins explores the ideas of freedom, independence, self-assurance, loss, renewal, and friendship. Lotta and Maurice are industrious and joyful as they ply their trades around town and then zip off to discover new environs. When they both lose their bikes, they don’t complain or give up but wait for a new opportunity—and are open to it when it comes. Once solo contractors, Maurice and Lotta embrace their tandem lifestyle, which makes even their lemons and sticks shine brighter and gives them a permanence they didn’t have before.

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Zachariah OHora’s wide-eyed Maurice and smiley Lotta happily tool around on their bikes, gathering supplies and handing out their wares around town and in a park centered around a lake complete with swan boats. OHora’s colorful palette is as fresh as a sunny summer day and invites kids along for the ride through the city, into the ditch, past the dog walker, the construction workers, and the recipients of Lotta’s sticks who find fun and creative ways to use them. An aerial view of Lotta and Maurice as they pass each other on the path that will, literally and metaphorically, deprive them of their bikes and unite them in the end is a clever touch that will have children guessing what comes next. The final two-page spread of the finished fort—which now serves as Lotta and Maurice’s new lemonade and stick stand—paired with Carter Higgins’ touching truism about friendship makes a moving ending that will tug at readers’ hearts.

An emotional charmer, Bikes for Sale is a can’t-miss addition to home, classroom, and public library collections.

Ages 5 – 7

Chronicle Books, 2019 | ISBN 978-1452159324

Discover more about Carter Higgins and her books on her website.

To learn more about Zachariah OHora, his books, and his art, visit his website.

National Bike Month Activity

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Come Bike with Me! Coloring Page

 

Here’s a bike! Draw yourself riding it and where you go. Will it be to the park, through town, or somewhere else? Print this page and have some fun!

Come Bike with Me! Coloring Page

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You can find Bikes for Sale at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Picture Book Review