Oh, there's just one thing he can't do. Ride a bike. (As someone who only learnt to ride a bike at 38, and is still pretty hopeless, you can only imagine how much I identified with Bear at this point.)
The situation is made even worse when a new bike park opens and Bear reads the large sign at its entrance gate: No Training Wheels Allowed.
If Bear wants to play with his friends, he simply has to learn to ride his bike now. So, he applies his considerable brain power to the problem and goes to the library to do some research. There he finds a book called Learn to Ride a Bike in 4 Days. Will this get him pedalling confidently through the park gates?
This book is so much fun! Even when Bear is wracked with self-doubt and losing confidence in his ability to do anything (including stuff he could do easily before), it's still handled with a lightness of touch and in delightfully entertaining illustrations. Any child (or adult) who has struggled to learn a new skill will relate to Bear's plight and find themselves cheering him on. And the heroic conclusion will leave you smiling (and also inspired me to pull out my rusty bicycle again …).
Title: Bike On Bear!
Author: Cynthea Liu
Illustrator: Kristyna Litten
Publisher: Aladdin, $24.99 RRP
Publication Date: August 2015
Format: Hardcover with jacket
ISBN: 9781481405065
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book
