I can be a snob when a book is given high praise. Especially winning something like the Caldecott or even a Caldecott honor award. Now, that is not to say the book wasn’t deserving, but I have the personality that says, “Was it really that good?” Usually, I can enjoy it, but no, it was not worth the “hype.” I said usually. The picture book Noodle on a Bicycle (Caldecott Honor Book) by Kyo Maclear and Gracey Zhang (as the illustrator) was worth the award(s) and the hype. I enjoyed it a lot, even having a small gasp over a couple of facts.
Is Maclear’s book my all time favorite? No, but it is up there in at least the top 20. The story is fun, sweet, and informative. The illustrations of Zhang match that, giving a classical feeling to the imagery. The colors are soft as well as the lines. Things just bring to life the busy streets, the noodle delivery people, and it made me crave noodles even more than I was earlier in the day. Did that have something to do with my liking it? Honestly, probably. But that does not stop me from liking the book. It is a happy book. We see how a way of life happened. Before the apps, cell phones and online ordering, you had a landline and said, “Noodles and soup please.” And a man carrying as many as 50 orders could deliver to your house.
Just read the book to get the big picture. If you like history, good stories or different cultures it is a must. But even if you don’t, it is a must. This is not your everyday book. And read the afterwards (which is where the fact about 50 orders comes from and the background of the deliveries on bicycles.
