Slater, Dashka. Laura Hughes, Illus. Candlewick, 02/2023. 32pp. Picture Book. GRADES
Preschool – 3. $18.99. 978-1-5362-1567-0. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
It’s time for Kayla to trade in “pink pony,”
her itty-bitty bike with training wheels, for “wild blue” —a big kid bike which she imagines as a bucking
bronco throwing her off again and again as she struggles to learn to ride. “Daddy helps me saddle her
up. Then I take the reins…She’s too spirited, I say. I want my pink pony back.” But with bravery and
persistence Kayla conquers her fears and gets comfortable on the new bike. Hughes’ acrylic-and˗ink
illustrations subtly capture the emotional landscape that Kayla travels through as she is simultaneously
inside both imagined and real landscapes. This book will encourage readers who are learning to ride as
well as those who are facing any other new and challenging situation in their lives.
Rachael Reiley—Hillcrest Elementary K-8, Oakland Unified School District