Two Wheels by David Gibb (review)

Reviewed by: Two Wheels by David Gibb Natalie Berglind Gibb, David Two Wheels; illus. by Brizida Magro. Candlewick, 2024 32p Trade ed. ISBN 9781536231397 17. 99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 4-7 yrs A little boy contentedly lives with his brother, mom, and dad, all of whom love to bike. The boy, however, feels left out occupying the baby seat, so Dad suggests learning with a tricycle. When the boy is comfortable on the tricycle, Dad introduces a balance bike without pedals, and when the boy becomes used to that, he gets a real bike—with training wheels. Finally, it's time to take the training wheels off, and the boy can join the big kids in the neighborhood on their bikes, finding joy in knowing everyone in his family has a ride with two wheels. An overall feeling of wholesomeness envelopes this book, and there's a gentle humor in the boy's interpretation of what various types of bikes are for: a tandem bicycle, for example, is "a bike that Mom can ride with Dad if he gets lonely" and a recumbent bicycle is one Dad "can lie down on and take a nap. " Digital art with smudgy lines depicts the boy's journey to bike mastery in a muted color palette with predominant browns, greens, and yellows. The characters are stylized and skinny (save for one grumpy cat who makes delightful background appearances), and though their faces have minimal features, smiles all around praise the boy for his advances in his learning. Whether kiddos picking up this picture book hope to bike by themselves someday or are just along for the ride, the effort that the boy puts in to learning to ride a bicycle the way he wants is a valuable insight into the perseverance needed to pick up a new skill. End Page 250 Copyright © 2024 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois