Seven Great Books about Bicycles for Children Under 7

Kids love bikes.  Kids love books.  Both are tools for building knowledge, resiliency, and gaining insight into the world around us.  Here’s five excellent books to share with your young ripper: 

Shred Til Bed: The Mountain Bike Animal Alphabet 

By Dan Necklen, illustrated by Mike Hearsey

Brought to you by Kids Ride Shotgun, the company that makes tow ropes and shotgun seats for littles, is one of our favorites.  The illustrations of animals riding rad mountain bikes are fantastic.  Even parents might learn a few new animals, like the numbat.  The rhymes associated with the letters of the alphabet are short and catchy and I’ve found myself repeating them throughout a ride.  

The Girl and the Bicycle

By Mark Pett

I love wordless books for very young children.  With proper illustrations, the story can be conveyed clearly without words, and helps to build comprehension at an early age.  This wordless book tells the story of how a young girl works hard to save up for her new bicycle.  Try not to choke up as a somewhat obvious, yet heartwarming twist is in store for her at the end.

Duck on a Bike

By David Shannon

A silly duck decides to borrow a bike and ride around the farm.  None of the other animals seem that interested, until a swarm of kids on bikes rides by.  Easily the funniest book in the lineup, personally, I’m a sucker for animals on bikes and a story about what happens when humans (or moms) are away.  

Bike on, Bear!

By Cynthea Liu, illustrated by Kristyna Litten 

“Bike on, Bear!” follows the story of a very smart, calculated bear as he learns to ride a bike and keep up with his friends.  In a moment of urgency, bear tests his mettle and of course, learns.  I love the illustrations in the book and how bear is able to overcome.  If your child is struggling to learn to ride because they are simply “overthinking it,” this book is for them. 

Bicycle Book

By Gail Gibbons

Younger kids who still need to be read to and and older kids who can read will both delight in this non-fiction book about bicycles.  When my son was younger, he enjoyed the short history of the bicycle and all the different types of biking.  I love the simplicity of this book and how it exposes kids to maintenance, safety, and history.  

Etiquette is a Big Word

By Lindsey Richter and Heidi Ashwell, illustrated by Kristina Wayte

Izzy is a mountain biker who goes for a ride on a new trail.  This book is written in rhyme and is simple, but has some cute rhymes in a story format that drives home real trail etiquette principles.  Parents new to mountain biking might even learn a thing or two about right-of-way.  The primary author of this book, Lindsey Richter, founded Ladies AllRide, which offers nation-wide mountain bike clinics for women, and spent years as a professional racer.  Proceeds of the book benefit several cycling organizations such as Girls AllRide, World Bicycle Relief, and the Be Good Foundation. 

The Mountain Bike Way of Knowledge

By William Nealy

When I started mountain biking as a middle schooler around the year 2000, I purchased a couple of mountain bike books at a used book store. These books mostly focused on skills and maintenance, and many are not very relevant today except for “The Mountain Bike Way of Knowledge.”  While not necessarily a children’s book, I read it first as a middle schooler and still have the same copy today, which I read to my son.  It’s 90s style illustrations are nothing short of nostalgic and hilarious.  While the style of clothes and bikes may have changed, a lot of the philosophies still reign true today.  In my opinion, every mountain biker no matter the age or the skill should give these pages a turn. 

Books I didn’t love:

Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bike

Chris Raschka

Chris Raschka is author/illustrator of “A Ball for Daisy,”  a Caldecott Medal winner.  While similar in style, this book falls short.  The few words in the book don’t add much to the story and I find myself creeped out by the weird bending in the necks of the watercolor characters.  The book also mentions training wheels as being able to help you balance, and as a professional in the industry, I can confidently say that they do NOT help you balance. 

Franklin Rides a Bike

By Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark

Franklin the turtle was a fairly popular book series and TV show in the 1990s, but unlike William Neely’s 1989 Mountain Bike Way of Knowledge, I’m not sure this relic holds up.  The story is too simple and predictable.  If you’re looking for a story to motivate your child into riding, try “Bike On, Bear!” instead.