THE SPEEDYSAURUS

When a little dino falters while learning to ride a bike, her Grannysaur pedals in to offer some much-needed encouragement.

The youngster dreams of being a Speedysaurus and winning all the medals at the annual Big Bicycle Day races. But she’s more of a Wibblysaurus on her brand-new bike. Luckily, Grannysaur, wearing a snazzy helmet and pink-and-yellow polka dot scarf, speeds in and opens up about the struggles she faced while learning to ride. Speedysaurus’s salty tears soon vanish. After complimenting Speedysaurus on her numerous attempts, Grannysaur reminds her that “all the BEST things take a while.” Grannysaur has many tricks to share, and Speedysaurus adds a few of her own. At the end of the day, the two dinos ride together in the tandem race. Featuring strong verbs, the rhyming text captures all the jitters, scrapes, and ouches of the failures and the joys of successfully finding one’s footing. Illustrations with the look of soft pastels highlight the strong, loving relationship between Grannysaur and Speedysaurus. The appealing visuals also add a layer of calm and reassurance for anyone who might be struggling to overcome a challenge. Although the conclusion is a bit didactic, it’s also gently bolstering; youngsters will eagerly embrace Speedysaurus’ “I-can-do-it ZING!”

A sweet reminder that practice combined with loving family support can help overcome life’s speed bumps.