A spirited tale about finding one’s freedom—and making room for others to revel in it, too.
Three South Asian girls find empowerment through cycling.
Sophie and Maya, avid cyclists, meet up with Zoey to teach her how to ride. Zoey’s excited but hesitant; her parents allow her brothers to ride but don’t permit her that freedom. As the other two lend Zoey a helping hand, Maya notes that she had to convince her parents, though Sophie’s lived in places where it was more common for girls to ride. After a wobbly start, Zoey becomes a confident rider, and the girls get together on weekends at the park to cycle. One day Sophie suggests they ride in the city. Faced with crowds, zooming traffic, and the startled looks of passersby unused to seeing girls cycling, they’re uncertain—and worse, a group of overexuberant boy riders knock Sophie over. Back at home, Zoey’s father is upset to learn the girls were riding in the streets, but when Sophie’s mother suggests that there’s safety in numbers, the trio are prompted to start a bike club to encourage other girls to join them. Malik sets her tale in an unnamed city likely inspired by her hometown of Lahore, Pakistan. Bright, bold, Technicolor art dominates the pages with pink, orange, and purple skies and flora, lending the tale an upbeat, comic book–like feel.
A spirited tale about finding one’s freedom—and making room for others to revel in it, too. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2025
ISBN: 9780593324912
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
Not astonishingly go-out-and-buy-it-at-graduation inspirational, but all it takes is one seed of change to be planted.
Imagination soars—quite literally—when a little girl follows her own set of rules.
Every year Oak Hill School has a go-kart race called the Going Places contest. Students are given identical go-kart kits with a precise set of instructions. And of course, every single kart ends up exactly the same. Every one, that is, except Maya’s. Maya is a dreamy artist, and she would rather sketch birds in her backyard than get caught up in the competition. When she finally does start working, she uses the parts in the go-kart box but creates something completely different. No one ever said it had to be a go-kart. Maya’s creative thinking inspires Rafael, her neighbor (and the most enthusiastic Going Places contestant), to ask to team up. The instructions never say they couldn’t work together, either! An ode to creativity and individuality to be sure, but the Reynolds brothers are also taking a swipe at modern education: Endless repetition and following instructions without question create a culture of conformity. Hopefully now, readers will see infinite possibility every time the system hands them an identical go-kart box.
Not astonishingly go-out-and-buy-it-at-graduation inspirational, but all it takes is one seed of change to be planted. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-6608-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2014
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