Noodles on a Bicycle

Noodles on a BicycleNoodles on a Bicycle by Gracey Zhang, Kyo Maclear
ISBN: 0593706080
Genres: Historical Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars
Noodles on a Bicycle is an historical picture book about Japanese deliverymen who expertly balanced and transported towers of soba noodles to hungry customers in the community while riding bicycles.  The book contains lots of fun onomatopoeia, as children try to imitate the deliverymen to keep their bowls from falling down, which would make this book an engaging read-aloud.   If readers aren’t awed by the beautiful painted illustrations in the book- featuring acrobatic drivers with one hand under towering trays of noodle bowls and the other hand gripping a bicycle handlebar- the extraordinary talent and skill of these demae are underscored by photographs of Tokyo deliverymen on the endpapers. Although this food delivery method has long since been replaced, this book features an interesting and impressive historical practice worth celebrating.
The recommended reading age of this book is ages 4-8. 
4 stars
Reviewed by Lindsey Hopkins, Jay-Niles Library, Jay
four-stars