Emily Jenkins, author of 2024 picture book A Big Day for Bike, has published a number of books for kids. Some have won awards; some were New York Times bestsellers. G. Brian Karas, the book’s illustrator, has illustrated more than 50 children’s books, some of his own, and some for others. He too has won awards.
And…I have to say, this specific title was only okay. It follows Bike through a first day as a community bicycle, a Beep Beep Bicycle to be specific, one that anyone can rent for a while, then return to another rack somewhere else. I picked the book up because it is set in Seattle, and Bike does get to visit the Seattle Aquarium, the fountain near the Space Needle, and past some of the huge ferries often seen on Eliot Bay. Bike goes on a range of rides, some short and easy, some longer and harder, like those up some of Seattle’s hills. The city’s Japanese Garden gets mentioned, as does the market (which, judging from a small image late in the book, may be Pike Place Market). Bike meets a lot of people, and gets advice from older, more experienced bicycles.
And that’s about it. There’s a lot of explanation and commentary, and, while it is all clear and functional, I don’t see it really engaging kids as they read it. (I actually checked to see if this was a commissioned work, meant to promote community bikes/bike rentals.) They are likely to enjoy the images more, but a number of those are on the general side: they could be any park, any city, and in some cases, any mode of transportation. Likewise, calling this bike Bike (when other bikes appear as characters) keeps things general. Even the name Beep Beep has been used before, for a type of push bike.
