Our two year old, known on the internet as Tiny Baby (she’s no longer either of those things, but she was), loves big trucks. She loves the dress she got for Christmas that features big trucks and has pockets. She loves buses and construction equipment. We’ve got books about all of those things.
Good job on the birthday card
The other day as I was reading her a book about a truck stop, which she also loves, and thought, gee, maybe I need to get her some books that are less internal combustion powered. I love that she loves these topics, and will continue to encourage her to be excited to ride trains and buses or go past a construction site, but let’s read about riding bikes too.
There are bikes in Counting on Community, by Innosanto Nagara (she also loves A is for Activist by the same author). Her pilot aunt got her Flugehafen Wimmelbuch from the Zurich Airport, which has someone on a bike on pretty much every page (she used to say that each of them was “Daddy”), but otherwise, our library is a bit short on bike representation.
What are you favorite books for young kids that feature bikes or biking?
[Editor’s Note: bleg = blog beg]
So, a few that I am aware of…
Curious George Rides a Bike.
Duck on a Bike. Also comes in Spanish if that is something you like.
Along a Long Road by Frank Viva.
(When she gets older there is a very good Major Taylor bio for younger elementary.)
urban dictionary sez:
Bleg
A word with 3 definitions
1) A word to be used when you have forgotten the word in a sentence. It’s like a variable for words.
2) A word to be stated when an awkward atmosphere is created (usually by your own doing). Supposedly helps with the awkward feeling
3) A word bearing significance of Bleggaman. Meant to be stated out loud at random
1) Person: the towel is very… i forgot the word… The towel is very Bleg… like wet, but not as wet. Like damp but… i’m not sure
2) Guy 1: Dude! hey, i saw your mom at Walmart yesterday! She looks like she’s lost weight!
Guy 2: …
Guy 1: … that’s not how that sounded in my head
Guy 2: …
Guy 1: … Bleg
3) Anyone: Bleg!
PS, a good/bad bicycle book I remember from childhood is Seuss “pair of pale green pants”
https://baxterclare.com/the-pale-green-pants-by-dr-seuss/
I forgot all about this story. Loved it when I was a kid.
Conni Learns to Ride a Bike, also a video episode in German: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTCyzBmPD84
Environmental Propaganda modeled on the Richard Scarry model of labeling everything on the page for infinite fun. A little feminism dropped in there for kicks like women who are inventors and athletes (gasp!) Shaina Brassard deserves credit for this being at our house. Our 2 & 4 year olds are into it.
https://www.amazon.com/Bicycles-Airships-Things-that-Go/dp/0991625501
The Night Riders by Matt Furie! It has no words, only pictures and they are beautiful. The whole book is a fun night time bike ride a frog and a mouse take.
https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products/night-riders-paperback
I also love Richard Scarry. So many bike riders.
When my daughter was a little older (3 and 4) and we were biking many miles with her in her Burley trailer, she brought books and stuffed animals along. I doubt many of the books (except Richard Scarry) were bike-related, but seeing riding as something fun and normal and involves books has resulted in a young adult in grad school who has no car, but bikes for transportation. Perhaps it’s not the books, but what she’s doing while looking at them?
Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way)
Duck on a Bike
Henry and Beezus
Stevie’s Tricycle
I’m late to this, but the Hamline-Midway library has a pretty nice selection of bikey picture books. A few that come to mind are Chirri and Chirra (there at least a couple of them; I think they’re translated from Japanese), Monsieur Albert Rides to Glory (which was delightfully silly), A Bike Like Sergio’s, and The Patchwork Bike.