Have you ever wanted something so bad
that you had to work REALLY hard to save up for it?
When I was a kid,
my siblings and I did.
We wanted a Fisher Price 3 in 1 activity table.
It was a pool table,
air hockey table,
and ping pong table all in one,
but it was our size.
I don’t know if my parents said if we saved up a certain amount of money they’d match it,
but I do remember my younger brother and sister and I saving up for it.
We ‘d meet up in each other’s room and count the money we had,
going over it again and again,
and thinking about how much we needed.
We made money by saving our allowance,
but mostly by tracking down cans and bottles around the neighborhood and turning them in.
I do remember walking downstairs with the box of money
and the shocked look on my Mom’s face
when she saw all of it!
Soon we had our table,
and my Dad was helping us put it together.
When a child wants something with a passion,
they’re willing to work for it.
That’s what this next book is all about.
Title: The Girl and the Bicycle
Published by: Simon and Schuster, 2014
Written by: Mark Pett
Illustrated by: Mark Pett
Word Count: wordless
Pages: 40
In one word: Hopeful
In one sentence: A girl works really hard for a long time, most of it for an elderlyneighbor, to save up money for a bike she’s been admiring in a shop window forever.
Favorite pages:
Likes:
I love the little things you can find if you look closely.
That’s the best parts about wordless books.
Like the lady the girl helps?
She’s on the first spread, when the girl first sees the bike. We just don’t know her then.
Or the airplane? It’s the only red thing in the book and is from another book Mark did,
called The Boy and The Airplane.
I love the relationships in this book, especially the girl and her brother.
This is such a universal theme that we can’t resist being pulled in.
I love the theme of persistence in the book too.
The illustrations are awesome! Black and white, pencil and watercolor, with just a splash of green for the bicycle.
The illustrations are simple and beautiful. I dare you not to read this book and think of some kind deed you could do for someone!
Learns:
Universal themes are awesome, and can be re-imagined in all kinds of ways.
A little splash of color can go a long way!
Look closely at wordless books for surprises in the illustrations!
Everyone can work for what they want. Do you have something you want to either buy or have happen? Start thinking about little things you can do to get that going!
Have you read this one?
What did you read today?
Hope you’re having a good Sunday 🙂
See you tomorrow,
KE
I haven’t read this book, but reading this review is making me want to both read it and maybe write my own story about a child deciding several times whether he or she wants something enough to work for it.