TOM'S WILD RIDE

A boy learns to ride a bike with a team of supporters and a big dose of self-confidence.

In their fourth story together, the Mile End kids, a group of friends who live in urban Montreal, have congregated to help diminutive, determined Tom get the hang of cycling. Tom’s pals offer encouragement (“Good job, Tom”) and taunts: “Try not to wobble so much, watermelon head.” They set up obstacles to navigate—“bins and pots and garbage of all sorts.” Once Tom’s mastered these, he decides to take off his training wheels. Moments later, Tom turns the alley corner and heads down the block. Awaiting his return, his friends worry: Could he be lost? Could he have been in an accident? Might he return to them as a ghost? Little do they know, Tom is savoring his newfound freedom, envisioning himself cycling through scenes of pastoral perfection. The kids soon fête his safe return, declaring him the “Tour de Block Champion.” Arsenault lovingly observes the bumpy path of progress that leads to gleeful independence. Her densely shaded, playfully intricate illustrations give her story a special sense of place and childlike creativity. Tom is pale-skinned and blond and wears his bike helmet diligently. The Mile End kids vary in skin tone, height, and attitude.

Meeting a childhood challenge proves beautifully rewarding in this fun, dreamy story.