Maclear, Kyo. Noodles on a Bicycle. Gracey Zhang, Illus. Random House Studio, 08/2024. [40]pp. Picture Book. Trade $18.99. 978-0-5937-0608-4. GRADES Preschool–3. OUTSTANDING.
In Tokyo’s Nishi-Ogikubo neighborhood, the children watch the delivery men riding their bicycles and balancing high stacks of trays filled with ceramic bowls of soba noodles. They weave in and out of busy, traffic-filled streets without one accident! Sounds, sights, and scenes of the busy streets weave throughout the story, covering one day and night. There is a lively play with words and rhythm that evokes the rapid movements of the delivery men. In the end, one of the delivery men returns home to deliver noodles for his family dinner. Zhang’s colorful illustrations, reminiscent of the 1950s and 1960s with their vibrant yet faded colors, evoke this fast-paced and efficient delivery system. The author’s note further explains the history of men delivering soba noodles on bicycles from the 1930s to the 1970s until it was phased out.
Alva Fong—San José State University iSchool student