Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle by Chris Raschka

Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle Reviews

• 
  Kelsey

  Age: K-2nd
  Milestone: Learning how to ride a bike
  
  I don't care how many medals he's won, this is a definite dud of Raschka. The text is more suitable for a 3-year-old so this would would not be good for an older child taking the training wheels off, even though this event is covered in half the book. The watercolor paintings that have little detail are not suitable for illustrating a sequential passage of time. For example, Raschka tries to fit nine pictures onto a spread and I cannot tell a single difference between any of them. If it was an attempt to show movement, then he failed in this arena, too.
  
  I love Ring, Yo! and A Ball for Daisy but I did not feel any affection for this recent addition to Raschka's collection.
• 
  Rachael

  Meh...it was okay. I think I may be in the minority here but I just wasn't a fan. I'm not sure that the story being told here warrants watercolor illustrations. Also, the dad's head (at least I think that's who the adult male is supposed to be) really disturbs me; it's hanging sideways off his body! I did enjoy the use of a few more advanced vocabulary words, including grace and determination. Would I chose this book to read for storytime? Probably only if I was presenting a storytime on bikes/learning to ride a bikes.
• 
  LucyBlackbird

  Conversation with my son (almost 6) after reading this book:
  
  "So did you like it?"
  It was good, but ok.
  "Why just ok?"
  *shrug*
  "Was it only ok because every time you said something you were scared about with riding your bike without training wheels, it would talk about it?"
  *hides face* Oh!
  
  
  ...
  This book was a gift for my son from his grandpa because I've been talking about taking his training wheels off, and my son has been scared. He's convinced he's going to break his leg/arm/wrist/head when he falls down. He doesn't want to fall. He keeps saying how he will keep his training wheels on 'forever and ever, I don't mind' and not learn to ride without them.
  We started reading the first few pages, then he would interrupt me to tell me something he was scared about. I would turn the page, and there would be written just what his fear was. He would get embarrassed, but listened to the whole book without turning away once.
  I especially liked how Raschka wrote the girl falling over again, and again, and again, and again. That's my son's biggest fear (as is any child who's in this stage of growing up) and it addressed it wonderfully.
  
  I think this is going to help my son, and it held his attention the whole time, which is why I'm giving it 5 stars. Personally, it's 4 or 4.5 stars just because I think it would have been better in my opinion if it were written from the view of the little girl, so the child reading the book can hear the same fears going through her head as is going through theirs.
  Besides that, anyone with kids who are scared about getting their training wheels off should find this book.
• 
  babyhippoface

  Yes, I am aware he's an award-winning illustrator. But I do not like his illustrations. Why, why, WHY does the adult in this book always have his head at such an angle as to indicate broken vertebrae??? I find it completely creepy. I just don't like 'em. And that's okay. On to the story....
  
  Know a kid who wants to ride a bicycle but is too afraid to learn? Maybe if he or she reads this book through a few times the necessary courage will be found. That's basically all this is, just the kind of things a parent would tell a child who's learning to ride. Keep at it...try again...pump your legs...you'll get it eventually.... That sort of thing. So I think there's a very large audience here because all kids want to learn to ride a bike, but conversely, there's a very small audience here, too, because once you know how, the appeal of this book is pretty much gone. However, it would make a nice gift to go along with a new bicycle.
• 
  Liesl

  I really don't understand the starred reviews on this one. I just read PW's. SLJ's, and Kirkus' and am baffled--are we reading the same book? The text is nice, a good, encouraging message for children learning to ride, but the pictures are just horrendous. I found the picture with all the bike-riders amusing, but ugh the style just hurts my eyes. I don't see this appealing to my child-self either--even then I wanted more appealing images.
  
  Story: 3 stars
  Images: 1 star
• 
  Moonkiszt

  Featured in a grandma reads session.
  
  Pictures on FB of a grandson conquering a bicycle all over a parking lot is what triggered this choice of reading material! Everyone CAN learn to ride a bike, and should! We started our session with this book by Chris Raschka (author/illlustrator), and all faces turned to the screen. Especially our newest bicyclist. Choosing the instrument, mounting the beast, falling down (often is part of that job) and getting up again (required part of the if-then statement for success!), until one day a rider knows, just knows! Balance won, the wind possessed, flight achieved!
  
  A refreshing way to start our reading session.
• 
  Jessica

  In some ways it was amusing that I picked up
  Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bike, because I'm in my late 20s and I don't know how to ride a bike. So I guess I could have used this book when I was a kid.
  Chris Raschka's text is very simple. He starts with "Want to learn to ride a bicycle? First you need to choose the perfect bike for you. Let's go!" Like I said, I can't ride a bike, but it seems like a pretty accurate depiction of learning.. the girl falls, gets up, is a little scared, but her dad promises to hold on. As for the art, it's very much in Raschka's signature style, all fluid brushstrokes, but I like the art in
  A Ball for Daisy. What I don't like is the way that the people look. The dad looks like a question mark, with his head all sideways. He looks like he has
  taco neck syndrome. My neck hurt just looking at it. But anyway, this would be great for a bicycle/learning new things storytime, bedtime stories, and, what I'm sure it'll be used for most, a precursor to a kid learning to ride a bike.
  
  Ages 3-6
  
• 
  Tasha

  The two-time Caldecott Medalist returns with another exceptional picture book. In this book, a little girl learns to ride a bike. She first picks out the bike she wants to try, then watches other people ride their bikes. The training wheels are very helpful, keeping her upright and they steadily are moved upward so that she can start to balance on her own. Training wheels off, she tries riding in the grass but when she heads down a small hill, she tips over. It takes a lot of courage to get back on again and again and again after tumbling off. But then, suddenly and incredibly, she learns to ride a bicycle on her own!
  
  Written in second-person, the book really allows readers to see themselves as the one riding the bicycle. Raschka’s text is simple and effective, encouraging readers to give it a try. When the tumbling begins, Raschka starts talking about courage, sure to inspire young readers to see that quality in themselves both in learning to ride a bicycle and in other endeavors too. As always, the art is the key with Raschka’s picture books. His style is loose and flowing, capturing movement and wobbles with easy watercolor strokes.
  
  A great pick for spring when children are sure to be longing to be out playing in the warmer weather, this book is a quietly inspiring read. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
  
• 
  Leila

  To be honest, I did not love this book, nor did I like it...it was simply something I read which I didn't hate. I wish the star system had a symbol for "I'm ambivalent." Simplistic to the point of uselessness, there was nothing I could glean from this book other than children may use it to learn words but certainly not to learn how a story gets written. It is as though the author threw words on a page that were vaguely connected, but in the most aggravatingly basic way to create a sentence. No wonder I have tenth graders who still write these types of sentences. It is possible to write a children's story using full, imaginative, and complex sentences. Children are incredibly smart...more so than for what we give them credit.
• 
  Shannon

  Everyone can learn to ride a bicycle is a motivating young children's books for learning to ride a bike. Keep trying and don't give up! Soon enough, you will be riding. Even though the book suggest readers of the age 4-8, I would suggest this book for 3 year olds. It has a very simple text with interesting water color pictures with everything seeming to have a shade of gray mixed in. I really liked the illustrations because they were life like but a tad different. This book can promote conversations on children's experience with a bicycle.
• 
  Belen

  I like this book because this was an informational book as well as a how to ride a bicycle. The illustration definitely engages the children and helps children who might be afraid of learning how to ride a bike. It talks about the struggles one faces and its inspiring in a way that motivates one to go and try to ride a bicycle. I think children as young as 4 would enjoy and benefit from this book. I would use this book to help my students with a step by step activity.
• 
  Jenny

  A young girl provides step by step instructions to learn to ride a bicycle...complete with some falls and lots of practice and determination...but ultimately with success!
  
  Could be used to discuss perseverance/determination...or to discuss growth mindset.
  
  Could be paired with
  Gus and Grandpa and the Two-Wheeled Bike.
• 
  Deb Frazier

  Great for how to writing and a great text to help primary students understand what it means to code.
• 
  Dawn

  BOOK TITLE: Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle
  
  SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE BOOK: In this book, Chris Raschka narrates how a young child is eager to get a bike, but then must struggle through all the trials and obstacles involved in learning how to ride it. The child needs and gets support, encouragement, comfort and praise as she learns how to ride. She falls, picks herself up again and again, until finally she can ride!
  
  FOCUS: (1) CHARACTERIZATION: The characters in this story are not described directly, but through their actions, and through the illustrations which show their facial expressions and body language.
  (2) PARTS OF A NARRATIVE STORY
  
  Teach.RL.2.7 In a narrative story, a character faces a problem, the problem becomes more difficult, and finally the character solves the problem. Before reading the story aloud to the class, explain narrative construction. (Character faces a problem, the problem intensifies, character solves the problem)
  
  As the teacher reads the story aloud to the class, the book is held up for the students to see the pictures that illustrate the story. Then... with a partner....
  
  1. Students should verbally describe the problem the character faces, a description of how the problem gets worse, and then last, how the problem is solved.
  2. Partners should either agree, or share their own ideas of the problem, the increasing difficulty of the problem, and how the problem is solved.
  3. Once individual partners have reached agreement, class members may volunteer and participate in a class discussion to get classroom agreement.
  4. When the class agrees on the basic sequence of events, ask students to find words or pictures to support their beliefs.
  5. Place this support into three columns labeled: Problem, Problem gets worse, Problem is solved
  
  Expected Outcomes:Students will learn that a problem, a conflict, is a required part of a narrative story. The increasing problems or challenges add suspense or interest to the story. Students will be able to see this happening as the girl keeps crashing as she tries to ride the bike. Students will see that the character's persistence, and continued efforts , are what allow her to finally learn to ride.
• 
  Pattie Simmons

  Title: Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle by Chris Raschka
  
  Short Description of the Book: In this story, Raschka uses few words and lots of illustrations to show how a child can fail, yet in the end succeed in a common occurrence that all children have; learning to ride a bike.
  
  Focus: Endings: Raschka ends the book with a strong supportive claim to never give up. Through the images seen by reading and illustrations, students can see how to end a narrative with a bang!
  
  Teach: W8.4-Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
  
  1. Students would think about their first experience of riding a bike, or something of the like.
  2. Students would write a quick summary of that experience.
  3. Students would pair up with another student and share the ending and give advice on what would make the ending clear and coherent.
  4. Students would provide a conclusion that follows the narration they wrote in a logical order.
  
  Expected Outcome: Students should walk away from this lesson having a greater understanding of what steps to take in their writing, to produce a clear, coherent conclusion to a narrative.
• 
  Grace Willits

  "Everyone Can learn to Ride a Bicycle" is an “utterly simple picture book” about learning how to ride a bicycle. Anyone learning to ride a bike will appreciate the trials that the young girl in this book experiences while she is learning. Raschka tells, and shows, a grandpa helping his granddaughter with bikes; choosing a bike, training wheels, how to get up when you fall, staying determined and finally learning a skills that will be with you forever. The pictures help to tell the story by showing what the words are not telling. For example, the girl falls off her bike and the only words are “Oops! You nearly had it”, while the pictures shows the girls on the ground off of her bike. This book would be perfect for kindergarteners to read before the classic “bike to school day”, or even in an older classroom as a practice of how to explain a process in your writing. Students can make their own stories to explain a process. I love that this is a story that everyone can relate to, however I thought this made it almost too predictable.
• 
  Marjorie Ingall

  Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous art. Will not convince a bike-fearing kid to try, though -- in some ways I like the second-person voice, but I do think it'll get resistant kids' backs up. (STOP TELLING ME I CAN DO IT! I CAAAAAAAAN'T!) A third-person story about someone ELSE overcoming her fears might be more effective as a cheerleading/teaching tool, but I like the second-person voice from a literary POV.
  
  The art is the thing, anyway -- I love the confident swoopy strokes, the cluttered yet appealing layouts and the way the gentleness, calmness and sweetness of the watercolor plays off the action-y-ness of what's being depicted. I just love the way Raschka does frames and borders with washes of watercolor. This would be a great gift for a parent who appreciates art and a kid who's young enough or brave enough not to have issues with riding. (If the kid already has issues, stay away.)
• 
  Becky B

  A child is encouraged to persevere through learning to ride a bike by a grandfather.
  
  I like the message about perseverance. This book doesn't promise learning to ride will be easy, but that it will be worth it. I've decided if Raschka isn't drawing dogs I just don't like his illustration style, but that's a personal thing. It does work for this book, but I didn't necessarily like it. I said the adult in the book was a grandfather, but that's my guess based on the gray hair of the adult. Due to the vague illustrations that's just my best guess. (Later note: Obviously, opinions differ as to the identity of the adult. Library of Congress has Fathers and Daughters as one of the subject headings for this book, so evidently someone there thought it was her father.)
• 
  Rakisha

  I love the beautiful simplicity of this book. A young girl is taught to ride her bike by her dad (or her granddad). He teaches her the mechanics; encourages her; and teaches her the power of persistence. The ink and water color illustrations are pretty, but just a little too "wobbly." It's as though I'm looking at the illustrations through a glass filled with water (which is why I took off one star). I would want something more definitively illustrated for a read-a-loud, but it is a sweet book to read one-on-one. Perfect for a beginning reader a well.
• 
  Samantha

  The process of learnign to ride a bicycle captured in a picture book. The overall message is to keep trying and with enough practice you will reach your goal!
  
  Ink and watercolor illustrations add reassurance to any kid who's been in their fair share of accidents on the way to riding their bike smoothly. My favorite page features a series of falls and the text "again and again, and again..." It shows all the hard times, but in an overall positive light because the little girl doesn'y give up trying to reach her goal.
• 
  jennyreadit

  Chris Raschka is a literary genius. Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle is not only beautifully illustrated in watercolor, but the story is perfect for children and adults. Similar to Walk On! Raschka uses the simple idea of learning to ride a bike to remind readers that everyone can learn something new; you may need training wheels to start, and it might be scary at first, but don't give up. This book is great to use with students as a mentor text for memoir and "how-to," but also with adults in professional development.
• 
  Stephanie Croaning

  While I truly love Raschka's style of illustration in A BALL FOR DAISY, for some reason that same style just doesn't work for me in his other books. In EVERYONE CAN LEARN TO RIDE A BICYCLE, I think the father/grandfather with the elongated, floppy head is creepy! The story itself is a sequential piece that focuses on the different steps it takes to learn to ride a bicycle. It reminds us that it is not an easy process and you have to keep at it, but once you figure it out, "you'll never forget how."
• 
  Read Ribbet

  Just got and read the new volume from Caldecott award winner Chris Raschka. He delivers again with a simple story that expertly captures universal themes. His tale of learning to ride a bike is really a parable for learning almost anything in life. Like Marla Frazee's Walk On, this great story of perserverance and pay off would be a great inspirational read in professional development forums. Oh yeah, the illustrations...amazing!
• 
  Melissa

  I gave this a quick read and have not read it to a child. I was underwhelmed by the story, which straight forwardly conveys the long process of learning to ride a bike: raise the training wheels, fall over, take the wheels off, fall over, go down a hill, fall over. Persist and you will learn to ride a bike. (oops, hope that wasn't a spoiler) The scenario could have been enlivened by charming illustrations, but I found the watercolor images muddy, really unappealing and unvaried.
• 
  Jillian Ware

  I had never "read" a wordless book before, but after reading 'Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle' I found a new love found love. The book was so cute and had great illustrations. It said so much without saying anything at all. The book explained how a little boy was learning how to ride a bicycle, but it also taught a great life lesson of how to keep going even when things get hard and you fall down.