The Little Pig, the Bicycle, and the Moon

by Pierrette Dubé (Author)

The Little Pig, the Bicycle, and the Moon
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
Rosie the little pig is determined to learn how to ride a bike and see the world--no matter how many times she has to pick herself up and start over--in this whimsical story about following your dreams and never giving up. Rosie is a little pig who has everything she needs right on the farm: a mud bath to play in, plenty of food to eat, and a deliciously smelly pigpen. But then she sees a small, ugly animal with two feet and no tail riding a bicycle and she thinks "That's easy. I could ride a bike too." It is only when she sneaks out at night to try to ride the bike herself that Rosie realizes it's not as easy as it looks. First you have to learn to pedal...but you also need to know how to balance, and braking is very important, too. Every night, watched over by her friend the moon, she tries again and again, and after each failure, she learns something new: to give a push, to wear a helmet, to ask a friend for help. And so every night she tries again, because she knows that if she could just learn how to ride a bike, why, she could travel to the other side of the world...or maybe even farther.
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Publishers Weekly

A pig learns the power of perseverance in this translation of Canadian author Dubé's whimsical barnyard tale. When Rosie the pig sees a boy ("a small, very ugly animal that had no snout or curly tail") riding a bicycle, she's smitten with the machine and makes up her mind to give cycling a try. Her initial nighttime efforts are predictably mishap filled, resulting in a "Bonk!" "Boom!" and "Splash!" But Rosie learns from every practice run, and eventually, with the moon as companion and the unexpected help of a few generous creatures--and some unusual props--she begins pedaling on her own. Successful at last, she rides off into the moonlight, leaving everyone to muse about her final destination. Sketchlike, full-color illustrations by Orbie (Les Vacances) capture the drama of Rosie's efforts as well as the physical humor of her failures. Set against a gray nighttime palette, pink Rosie, the red bike, and the bright yellow moon stand out, emphasizing the farmyard magic at play. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"A clever, quirky story...sure to be fun for all readers—but especially those learning to ride a bike." —Kirkus Reviews
Pierrette Dubé
Pierrette Dubé is the author of more than ten books. She won the Québec/Wallonie-Bruxelles prize for her book Maman s'est perdue and the Quebec youth book prize for The Little Pig, the Bicycle, and the Moon, originally published as La petite truie, le vélo et la lune. She decided she wanted to write books after discovering children's literature with her own kids. She knows that even in everyday life, fantasy and humor are never far away.

Orbie is an illustrator for children's books, comics, advertising, and more. She illustrated Sven le Terrible, Pas de vacances pour les pirates, as well as Les vacances. She won second prize in the Hachette Canada comic book contest for her illustration of the story, "Pas d'pêche!" Orbie is very active in sharing her passion through school workshops.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781534414723
Lexile Measure
630
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date
October 20, 2018
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV002200 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Pigs
JUV039230 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Bullying
JUV032180 - Juvenile Fiction | Sports & Recreation | Cycling
Library of Congress categories
Pigs
Swine
Domestic animals
Determination (Personality trait)
Bicycles and bicycling

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