Born to Ride

February 1, 2019
In this story set in 1896 Rochester, New York, a young girl determines to ride her brother's new bicycle, going against societal mores.Young Louisa Belinda is determined to ride her brother's new bicycle despite inappropriate clothing (she solves that problem by changing her skirts for her brother's pants) and fears of "bicycle face." "Bicycle face," Theule informs readers, was a caution put forth at the time to dissuade females from bicycling. It asserted that girls weren't "strong enough to balance" and that their eyes would bulge and their jaw lock with the effort--"maybe FOREVER." Oh dear. Louisa Belinda, however, is undeterred as she tries, falls, and tries again. Her perseverance is adroitly captured by Garrity-Riley's naïve-style artwork. The illustrator also enhances the story by adding a visual parallel thread. Several illustrations show gatherings of adult women (both white, like Louisa Belinda and her family, and black) making posters for women's suffrage. Meanwhile, Louisa Belinda succeeds in riding and discovers a very different bicycle face: one of joy. The story wraps up with Louisa Belinda's suffragist mother sewing herself a pair of bloomers as the mother and daughter head off with their bicycles. Three pages of backmatter deliver more detail about the historical struggles of females for more freedoms, whether it be riding a bicycle or getting the vote.An important part of history engagingly told. (Picture book. 5-10)

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March 25, 2019
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.

March 1, 2019
Preschool-G In Rochester, New York, circa 1896, young Louise Belinda admires her brother Joe's brand-new Van Cleve bicycle. Women and girls are discouraged from cycling by uncomfortable clothing and rumors of "bicycle face" (which claims the struggle to balance will leave females with bulging eyes and clenched jaws), but Louise Belinda dons a pair of her brother's pants and convinces him to teach her to ride. She falls many times but eventually succeeds, gratified to learn that her own bicycle face is a gigantic, joyous smile. Garrity-Riley's sunny art features round-faced, pink-cheeked characters; a palette of blues and browns, highlighted with splashes of red and yellow; and many period details. A visual subplot involves the children's mother, who is depicted painting voting rights posters, welcoming fellow suffragettes to tea, sewing her own bloomers, and taking a bicycle ride with her daughter. Wordless spreads bookend the story: the first depicts only males bicycling through town; the last portrays females riding and a suffragette meeting in progress. Appended with notes on cycling and women's rights.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)