Wild Blue: Taming a Big-Kid Bike by Dashka Slater, Laura Hughes
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536215678
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

Kayla has outgrown her bicycle with training wheels, nicknamed “the pink pony.” Daddy takes her to a store and she picks out a blue two-wheel bike that she names “Wild Blue.” When she tries to ride Wild Blue, she is thrown again and again. Kayla climbs back on and eventually tames Wild Blue in this endearing story about learning to ride a bike. The clever metaphor that exists in the girl’s imagination of taming a wild stallion is effective. The illustrations depict Wild Blue as both a horse and a bicycle. Kayla sometimes wears a cowboy hat and other times a bicycle helmet. Her perseverance rings true despite her setbacks. When daddy says at the end, “Looks like you tamed that bicycle,” she responds, “Nope. She’s still wild! But so am I.” I like her spunk!

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library