RIDE BESIDE ME

A mother and child bike with a community of fellow riders.

As they set off for their morning ride, both are equipped with helmets and snacks, ready for an adventure through their town. Along the way, they meet up with neighbors and community members on different types of bicycles, from an extra-tall ride to a recumbent bike. The rhyming text is narrated by the child, who rides on a special seat on the front of Mom’s bike. The book’s title page includes a small flyer announcing “Group Ride, Saturday 9-5, up the hill and back down!” though the text doesn’t make explicit mention of this group ride. As the pair pedal through town, they join forces with a slowly building wave of riders who move together safely. The young narrator comments how fresh the air smells when the road is empty of cars, a nod to the positive environmental impact of biking. With their bright, flat colors, the charming illustrations depict riders of various ages, skin colors, and sizes, and the endpapers are packed with examples of bicycles and riders. The child and mother are light-skinned. Upbeat verse highlights the benefits and joys of biking, and though it’s clear that cycling is a more environmentally friendly transportation option compared with driving, the book never verges on didacticism.

As pleasant and breezy as a bike ride.