Born to Ride: A Story About Bicycle Face
by Larissa Theule (Author) Kelsey Garrity-Riley (Illustrator)
Louise Belinda Bellflower lives in Rochester, New York, in 1896. She spends her days playing with her brother, Joe. But Joe gets to ride a bicycle, and Louise Belinda doesn't. In fact, Joe issues a solemn warning: If girls ride bikes, their faces will get so scrunched up, eyes bulging from the effort of balancing, that they'll get stuck that way FOREVER! Louise Belinda is appalled by this nonsense, so she strikes out to discover the truth about this so-called "bicycle face."
Set against the backdrop of the women's suffrage movement, Born to Ride is the story of one girl's courageous quest to prove that she can do everything the boys can do, while capturing the universal freedom and accomplishment children experience when riding a bike.
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Publishers Weekly
Louisa Belinda Bellflower wants to ride a bike, but in 1896, it's just not something the girls and women of Rochester, N.Y., do. Undaunted, the intrepid girl makes her brother show her how to ride, though they are both afraid she might get "bicycle face"--a terrifying condition that purportedly strikes girls and women--"Your eyes will bulge, and your jaw will close up from the strain of trying" (an author's note reveals that so-called experts did try to scare women riders with this claim). Louisa persists, and her true bicycle face appears--"a gigantic, joyous smile." Her discovery inspires her mother and other women in the community to become cyclists, too. Simple but thoughtfully detailed, Garrity-Riley's illustrations incorporate multiple references to women's suffrage campaigns. An informative afterword explains the connection between the rise of cycling and women's rights. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)
Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
Abigail Halpin has been drawing for as long as she can remember. Her illustrations blend traditional and digital media, mixing watercolor, ink, pencil, and collage. When not drawing, she can usually be found with her nose in a book, in front of her sewing machine, or out of doors exploring. Please visit theodesign.com.
JUV014000 - Juvenile Fiction | Girls & Women
JUV039120 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Prejudice & Racism
JUV032180 - Juvenile Fiction | Sports & Recreation | Cycling
19th century
Brothers and sisters
New York (State)
Family life
Sex role
Bicycles and bicycling
Rochester (N.Y.)
Rochester
