I was taught to ride my two-wheeler by my mom, who could not ride a bike herself. But then again, that was par for the course as I learned to ride my trike by watching my teenaged uncle (all six feet plus of him) riding my trike with his legs over the handlebars, and knees to his ears (I have pictures of this, as well as me wearing his motorcycle helmet on that same trike, considering the future issues, I should have had it later) And said uncle and his few years older brother would be the ones that taught me to swear (my family has always been good educators). Bike riding and I have had an unusual relationship (there was the rubber handlebar across the side stomach incident, the shoe falling off, I do not recommend wearing a long shirt and/or dress when riding, and make your father knows how to put a bike together so the gears are not put on so they “slip out” of gear in a middle of a peddle).
Therefore, I tend to stick to bike stories. Recently I found, Wild Blue: Taming a Big-Kid Bike. This book would explain the lilac tree incident (I do not recommend running into a lilac tree to stop) as our young girl Kayla’s bike is a big blue wild horse, that likes to buck, toss riders off, and have a mind of its own (my Desert Rose was independent, too). But Kayla, is not sure she wants a big-kid horse/bike. Her pink-pony/tricycle was more than enough for her. But now it is too small, and change must happen. This book is a funny way to represent trying new things and if you are bucked off, to get right up on that horse and do it again.
Laura Hughes illustrations make the book by being the perfect companion to Dashka Slater’s text. They are sweet, and perfectly expressive to our child’s imagination. Colorful without being overwhelming and detailed without being crowded, they can be read as easily as the story itself. Really an all ages book, but great for someone who is learning how to ride their own wild one.
