motorcycles

3 Picture Books That Rumble and Roll

| Tasha

Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan (9781665938150)

Mabel has a Monday routine. Her family thinks she’s cute and funny, but she doesn’t care. First, she needs a chair. Then she pours herself dry cereal for breakfast, then it’s out to the driveway to watch and wait. Finally it’s here! The glorious garbage truck. It’s the best part of the day and everyone else missed it.

I could read this picture book again and again, it’s so joyous. Awan captures the pleasure of a routine, the amazement of large machinery and the focus of a small child with such a mix of humor and dignity. Let’s be honest, there aren’t many books out there where a truck-loving girl can see herself reflected. And lots of truck books don’t work well for reading aloud. This one does!

Perfect for a trashy story time. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Faith Takes the Train by Kesi Augustine, illustrated by Mokshini (9780063251342)

Faith and her mother are taking the train home from Grandma’s house. They take this train often. Faith is eating a peanut-butter-and-jelly-and honey sandwich. Then she sees their old neighbor Isaiah stand up and ask for some help or some food. Even though her heart pounds, Faith offers Isaiah the rest of her sandwich. Faith wonders if there’s a way to continue to help Isaiah and his family. Perhaps it’s one sandwich at a time.

The jaunty train ride turns into something more profound as one little girl reaches out and makes a difference. The writing is easy to read aloud and the illustrations share a diverse urban experience.

A great addition to any storytime about transportation or helping others. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by HarperCollins.

Midnight Motorbike by Maureen Shay Tajsar, illustrated by Ishita Jain (9780823456628)

When it is too hot to sleep, Amma takes her daughter for a ride on her motorbike. The two travel through Indian villages heading to the Bay of Bengal. The journey is one of many senses from the bright flowers to the smell of chai and dosas, to the sight of rice flour designs to fool the red ants. There is the smell of the jasmine flower garlands and the beauty of the fabrics in the silk shop. When they reach the bay, there is the huge moon waiting for them and the little girl falls asleep in the moonlight.

This is such an evocative book based on the author’s summers with her mother in rural South India. The story is a mixture of magical motorcycle ride that is dreamlike and connection with India’s sensory experiences of flowers, food and customs. The illustrations are just as lush as a hot night, filled with rich colors that weave a gorgeous nighttime journey.

Just the right bedtime story for hot summer nights. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Girl on a Motorcycle by Amy Novesky

| Tasha

Girl on a Motorcycle by Amy Novesky

Girl on a Motorcycle by Amy Novesky, illustrated by Julie Morstad (9780593116296)

It is 1973 in Paris, and the girl decides that she wants to wander and travel. One day she gets on a motorcycle and starts out, carrying everything she needs with her. Listening to the road before her, she sets out to ride around the world. From Paris, she flies to Montreal in Canada, riding across the country. She camps at night, swims under the Northern Lights, and heads to Alaska. From there, she flies to Tokyo then to Bombay. Sometimes her bike breaks down, but the road keeps calling. She goes through Afghanistan, Turkey, then Europe. Then she returns home to Paris, different from when she left.

This is the true story of Ann-France Dautheville, who was the first woman to ride a motorcycle around the world alone. For ten years, she traveled the world, including the four months that she made this journey told in the book. Novesky was inspired by a single photograph she saw, creating a picture book that celebrates the bravery and spirit of this woman. Using a unique approach of calling her “the girl,” the book invites readers to see themselves in Dautheville’s place, exploring on her own. Throughout the book, there is a merry sense of adventure, acknowledgement of the dangers, and a deep appreciation for life on the road.

Morstad’s art captures that same delight in the journey. From the items packed in her bags to the amazing landscapes she journeyed through, the art follows her travels. There are dark nights under Canadian’s trees, red flower days in India, sapphire rivers, and calming Buddhas. Told in vibrant yet simple illustrations, readers get a true sense of the scope of her ride.

A great book that exemplifies girl power, jump on this ride! Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Viking Books for Young Readers.

Review: Rabbit and the Motorbike by Kate Hoefler

| Tasha

Rabbit and the Motorbike by Kate Hoefler

Rabbit and the Motorbike by Kate Hoefler, illustrated by Sarah Jacoby (9781452170909)

Rabbit is the sort of creature who stays close to home, never venturing far from his home in the wheat fields. He does dream of leaving at night, but never does. He also loves to hear about Dog’s adventures on his motorbike. Dog is older now and doesn’t ride any longer, but his stories are wonderful and carry Rabbit far from his home. When Dog dies, he leaves his motorbike to Rabbit. Rabbit tries to make it part of his life, leaving it in his garden, taking it inside his house, but never riding it. Then one day, he decides to just ride the bike to the end of the road. But roads are long, and soon Rabbit is off on his own adventure that echoes that of Dog, who he can feel riding along with him at times.

Hoefler’s skill at poetry is apparent on the pages of this picture book. Her words here loop the reader into the quiet of Rabbit’s wheat field, the beauty of his dreams at night, and the reluctant return to his regular life after listening to Dog’s stories. The longing in the story is beautifully drawn out, lingering across the wheatfield and whispering stories of the road as Rabbit weaves the motorbike into his everyday life.

That same emotional tug is shown in the illustrations as well, wheatfields in the sunshine and also wheatfields at night with the moon illuminating single blades. The drama of Dog (and later Rabbit) riding the motorbike is accompanied by swirls of color, showing the freedom and delight of the ride. The colors are a great mix of dramatic night and gentle colors in the daytime scenes that are airy and inviting to sink into.

A picture book about taking risks and finding freedom. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero

| Tasha

My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero

My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero, illustrated by Zeke Pena (9780525553410)

Daisy loves to ride with her father on his motorcycle. After he finishes his work in construction, he always has time for an evening ride with her. They ride like a comet on the hot asphalt, zigzagging through the streets. Together they rumble through their Southern California town and visit all of the sites that Daisy loves. There is Joy’s Market where they see their librarian shopping. Murals on the walls tell the story of their history as Mexican-Americans. They plan to stop for a sweet treat, but the store has closed. They pass her grandparent’s home with happy waves and a plan to visit tomorrow. Their ride ends with a visit to her father’s workplace and then a curving race around Grand Boulevard. They return home to find that the owner of the closed shop has is running a food cart instead.

Quintero’s text is lush and beautiful. It’s remarkable for a picture book to use language the way that she does, yet she manages it without leaving small children behind. It is particularly evident in the places where Daisy’s imagination soars. As Daisy pictures them as a comet flying, Quintero’s prose flies alongside her imagination lifting it with colors, and sentences like “We become a spectacular celestial thing soaring on asphalt.” What more could a reader want?

The illustrations are a true celebration of the community Daisy and her Papi right through. The murals are shown in bright colors, the city itself bathed in the heat and sunshine of a summer day. Perspectives are done playfully at times with chasing dogs and narrow streets.

A summer treat of a book, this one is worth the ride. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from ARC provided by Kokila.