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Tuesday, October 21, 2014

The Girl and the Bicycle, by Mark Pett. Simon & Schuster, 2014. $18.99 ages 4 and up


"A little girl.

A shiny green bicycle.

A plan is set

into motion..."

I'm hoping that you remember The Boy and the Airplane. If so, I trust this new book by Mark Pett will remind you to take it out and love it all over again. If not, please look for it at your local library or bookstore. It is a wonderful wordless book for all readers.

Mr. Pett follows up that book with this new one about a girl and a green bike. She and her brother are out for a walk when they pass a toy store. A glance in the window brings the bike to her full attention. She is off at a run to gather up all the change she can find, in the most obvious places: her piggy bank, pants pockets, the dryer, under the couch cushions.

She doesn't stop there. She sells lemonade, sells all of her old toys, and rechecks her piggy bank. Insufficient! Watching her brother play in the fall leaves is inspirational! Off she goes, rake in hand, to seek additional work.  She finds a willing employer; together, they work through the passing seasons. There are countless tasks to keep them busy.

As she walks the dog past the toy shop, the green bike is still in the window! HUZZAH! Back home she goes to empty her piggy bank, grab her brother by the hand and head back to the shop. Oh, dear!

There are no tantrums; just thoughtful consideration and a selfless action. And an equally generous reaction...

This is a powerfully told story that needs not one word to convey a world of feelings. Using pencil and watercolor in sepia tones, Mark Pett tells a masterful tale. The only color is given to the object of the young girl's affection - the green bicycle. (For those who read The Boy and the Airplane, there is a small nod to it as well).
                                                                          

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