WILD BLUE

A new bike gets broken in.

Kayla loves “pink pony,” an “itty-bitty bike” with training wheels. But when Dad decides it’s time for an upgrade, the two venture to the bike store and “wrangle a new one from the herd.” This bike is bigger and intimidating, with a kickstand instead of training wheels, and Kayla names her Wild Blue. Kayla, a small, tan-skinned child with dark hair poking out underneath a red helmet or imaginary red cowboy hat, tames Wild Blue in a slow, jerky process that will be familiar to kids learning how to ride a “big-kid bike” for the first time. The metaphor of comparing bikes to wild or tame horses continues to the end, with other cowboy or horse culture motifs appearing throughout. There’s some dialogue between Kayla and Dad, but most of the story focuses on the growing relationship between rider and bike, with a triumphant, wobble-free ride at the climax. Appealing acrylic illustrations show both wide-open spaces and crowded shops and duly capture the rough energy of the experience. A quiet story, this may help young readers who are similarly transitioning their two-wheeled steeds or prepare them for the experience of doing so. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A new tale with a classic feel that will buoy many young riders.