Bolling, Valerie. Together We Ride. Illustrated by Kaylani Juanita. Chronicle Books, 2022. 978-1-797-21248-7. Unpaged. $16.99. Grades Pre-K – 1.

The everyday moment of learning to ride a bicycle is commemorated in this heartwarming book. Father and daughter take to the cul-de-sac to conquer the two-wheeled bike. With extreme economy of language (a total of 31 words in the book), Bolling rhymes her way through the familiar experience – getting ready, trying, trying, riding, falling, getting back on. The ultimate reward is when the young girl gets to ride her bike alongside her parents, as the family, with younger brother in the sidecar, pedal off for a family picnic. The sparseness of text allows the artwork of Illustrator Kaylani Juanita to shine. While dad and daughter dominate the page, details in the pair’s surroundings delight the eye – a snail crawling up a birdbath, sidewalk chalk drawings, a proliferation of small creatures watching the progress. The whole book makes you smile as you join the celebration of this important milestone. The family portrayed is Black. 

THOUGHTS: This book will be appreciated by any young child who is waiting to learn, or who has recently learned, to ride a bike. The simple, rhyming vocabulary is perfect for emerging readers. 

Picture Book          Nancy Nadig, Penn Manor SD