CHARLIE RIDES

It’s a happy day with Dad!

Charlie loves to ride…his bike, a race car, a rocket ship, a sled, a boat, a plane, a hot air balloon, a train, even a sidecar—but especially on his dad’s shoulders. Wearing appropriate safety gear and a broad grin, this little boy is clearly loving his life. His proud papa is right there with him, as well as a nameless white dog. Sometimes an obviously female figure or two are included (sis? or mom?), but always the focus is on Charlie and Dad. Only four or five faces shown are brown; Charlie and his dad are white. Bianchini’s black-outlined drawings on thick board pages are strikingly consistent. Charlie’s face always is round; his father is square-jawed; both are always smiling. The matte palette is predominantly shades of blue and green, lending an old-fashioned feel. Red highlights draw attention to the speeds of the various vehicles and add interest. The center spread shows Charlie and Dad peering out of a white airplane zipping through white clouds in a pale blue sky. Not coincidentally, Bianchini’s son is also named Charlie.

Families with similar loving, supportive relationships as well as those who are striving for this happy, evidently carefree reality will want to ride along