Bicycles provide independence, grow confidence and are just plain fun. That’s why there’s a Bicycle Day on April 19th. It’s a great time to talk to your children about the importance of learning to ride a bike–and these books can create a good opportunity to cuddle up with your children and share a new experience about a shared interest. Use these books to encourage and inspire new riders to get on their bikes and learn. Read some of these stories with your child before taking them outside to help bolster their courage and feed their sense of adventure.
New Red Bike! written and illustrated by James E. Ransome
This story is geared towards children ages 4-6 years old. The illustrations are beautifully created by the author, who was also a winner of the Coretta Scott King Award for illustration. This book gives a lesson on the importance of sharing in the fun and adventure of riding your bike with your friends, and emphasizes the relationship between sharing and borrowing. It will teach children the importance of sharing and the responsibility that comes with borrowing.
Franklin Rides a Bike, written by Paulette Bourgeois, illustrated by Brenda Clark
Guided by the encouragement only a mother can give, Franklin (who’s less irritating in print than on television) gains confidence as he learns to shed his training wheels and join his friends on his first two wheeler bike. This book teaches the importance of perseverance and the support parents and friends can provide to you when you need their help.
Crunch, written by Leslie Connor
What happens when a town’s gasoline supply completely dries up? Dewey and his family run the local bike shop, and with no gas to run the cars the bike shop’s services are in high demand. Making a difficult situation even more dire, Dewey’s parents are stranded out of town with no gas to make it home. Enjoy this entertaining book about how Dewey and his siblings juggle the demands of providing transportation for a town with no gas and the adventure a bike can bring with it.
Sally Jean, The Bicycle Queen, written by Cari Best, illustrations by Christine Devenier
What is a bicycle queen to do when she finds herself too big for her bike? Sally Jean, The Bicycle Queen has a best friend in the form of a bike named Flash. Flash and Sally Jean do everything together–wheelies, riding backward, speeding down the streets–so how could she every replace her best friend? This book gives lessons in recycling old parts to create something new and fabulous. Sally Jean learns that she really doesn’t have to give up her best friend, and can make Flash even more spectacular.
Super Ben’s Brave Bike Ride, written by Shelley Marshall, illustrations by Ben Mahan
Go on an adventure with Super Be on his daring bike ride. When his mother is not able to take him to his friend Molly’s house, Ben embarks on a journey that helps him face his fears and experience new things. Your child will learn lessons about courage and the independence a bicycle can provide.
