BUG ON A BIKE

A fun-filled and humorous picture book about friendship and sharing.

When the bug on a bike stops by to pick up Lizard Mike, who is baking pies, readers will know they’re in for a silly treat. The bug and Lizard Mike also invite Randy the Toad and scores of others during the course of the story (including carpenter clams in boats, an athletic pickle, a skateboarding bunny and, hilariously, ants on a log) to go on a biking, skateboarding and rolling journey to no-one-but-the-bug knows where. Monroe’s rhyming text builds as she adds various critters to the journey. As entertaining as the text is, however, it is the illustrations that steal the show. Singularly absurd in their renditions (the lizard wears madras shorts, the snake dons a tubular blouse), the menagerie all nonetheless manage to look determined and earnest as they follow the bug on a bike—who himself has the endearing focused look of a toddler just learning to ride a two-wheeler. As the journey continues, tension builds—where the heck are they going? As it turns out, it is to the bug’s birthday party. Further silliness ensues as the author details the cavorting (the clams eat “buckets of nachos,” and the pickle break dances) at the party.

Snappy and exuberant, this rhyming picture book is sure to be a hit in a read-aloud.