The Girl and the Bicycle

Hoping to earn enough to buy a bike, a girl with little brother in tow, embarks on moneymaking gambits. Her early attempts--lemonade stand, toy sale, couch cushion searches--come to naught...and then there's a twist. The muted color palette and retro touches complement the old-fashioned tone of this wordless book. The spare illustrations offer a surprising wealth of narrative nuance.

A girl, dressed and coifed in retro style with little brother in tow, sees a bicycle in a storefront window. It ignites her determination: to earn enough to purchase the bike, she embarks on spread after spread of money-making gambits. Her early attempts -- lemonade stand, toy sale, couch cushion searches -- come to naught, but her efforts are rewarded when a sympathetic neighbor puts her to work raking leaves, cleaning house, trimming hedges, and more. And then, the twist: having finally accrued the necessary funds, the girl returns to the store, only to see the bicycle is no longer in the window. She enters the store anyway and emerges with a small tricycle, which she gives to her overjoyed brother. Walking home, she is greeted by the neighbor, who has bought the green bicycle for the girl. The muted palette (shades of sepia against a cardboard-brown backdrop, offset by the stately green of the bicycle and the maroon pop of a discarded rocket toy) complements the old-fashioned tone. The message of this wordless book is strictly traditional: work hard, set goals, give to others, and you will achieve success. The spare illustrations, however, offer a surprising wealth of detail, foreshadowing, and narrative nuance as they track relationships (the girl's attachment to her brother and growing friendship with the neighbor), ideas (as the girl's brainstorms become reality), and passage of time (marked by seasonal tasks). Use this as a conversation-starter for discussions about sibling relationships, generosity, and persistence. claire e. gross