Wild Blue
Dashka Slater, Author
Laura Hughes, Illustrator
Candlewick Press, Fiction, 2023
Suitable for ages: 3-7
Themes: New experiences, Bike, Imagination, Courage
Opening: “My pink pony and I ride the wide open spaces from sunrise to sunset until my daddy says, “Youv’e grown, Kayla. You’re too big for that itty-bitty bike.”
Publisher’s Synopsis:
In a charming take on a milestone moment, a young girl summons a cowpoke’s courage to tame her intimidating new bicycle.
Kayla loves riding her pink pony, a three-wheeled bike, up and down the street, all day long. But then Daddy announces that it’s time for a big-kid bike, one with just two wheels.
At the store, Kayla selects her mount, but when she tries to ride it, she is thrown—again and again. Can she tame this intimidating set of wheels? Or maybe this new blue bike just too wild?
Despite the falls, the bumps, and the bruises, Kayla takes her time learning the intricacies of Wild Blue until she finally has the confidence to let go of her fear, bet back on, and try again.
My thoughts on Wild Blue:
Dashka Slater has written a story filled with imagination, determination and perseverance. Spring is the perfect time of the year to share this story when children outgrow their bikes and receive new and bigger bikes. And it will be a walk down memory lane as parents remember their own childhood experiences of taking off the training wheels and graduating to bigger bike.
I especially enjoy the author how the author uses the analogy of a taming a bike to taming a horse, which she use throughout the story. Kayla puts her first bike,, “Pink Pony out to pasture” while her new bike Wild Blue continues to “buck her off” again and again. Even her daddy’s bike is named Red Stallion. Slater uses Imaginative word play throughout the story, which is beautifully supported with bright and lively illustrations by Laura Hughes. A delightful book that will encourages young riders to be patient and to keep trying.
Activities: This is a perfect book to read to your child before they take off their training wheels. Encourage them to name their new bikes. It gives them personality! This is also a great book to read to a classroom of first and second graders. Encourage them to draw pictures of their bikes and share their stories.
Dashka Slater is a New York Times best-selling author who has written many books for children of all ages, especially Escargot, a four-book series about a French snail. She has two bicycles, Scarlett and Violeta, on whom she has covered thousands of miles of wide open spaces. She lives in Oakland, California.
Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.
*Review copy provided by Candlewick Press in exchange for a review.