Joy Ride - Hardcover

Rinker, Sherri Duskey

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1536207748 ISBN 13: 9781536207743

Publisher: Candlewick, 2022

Synopsis

When a girl and her grandfather put their hearts into sprucing up an old bike by hand, neighborhood kids are less than kind in this tender story about bullying, peer pressure, and feeling the freedom to express yourself.

Needing something to fill up her summer days, Joy seeks out her granddad, who also likes to tinker, for something to do. Together they find the perfect project: sprucing up an old bike for Joy. From hardware stores to garage sales, the two find everything they need to transform this bike, little by little, into something that’s truly one of a kind. Ornamented with sparkles, a basket, and a brand-new bell, the bike is finally ready for Joy to ride it all over the neighborhood, filling the air with her own kind of music that exudes JOY.

But when a few kids take notice of Joy’s bike, and not in a good way, Joy makes an impulsive decision that ruins the dazzling bike she and Granddad worked so hard on. Joy realizes quickly, however, that trying to fit in can be boring, and it doesn’t make her feel JOY. Just maybe, with a heartfelt apology and Granddad’s help, she can get back on track to being true to herself. This touching story, told by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Ana Ramírez González, addresses the moments of uncertainty when trying to fit in with the crowd, and exclaims the joyful exuberance of self-expression.

About this title

About the Author

Sherri Duskey Rinker is the author of the New York Times best-selling Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site series and Steam Train, Dream Train. She loves cooking, gardening, and old oil paintings. Sherri Duskey Rinker lives with her husband, two sons, and one fluffy dog in the Chicago area.

Ana Ramírez González worked as a visual development artist on Pixar's Oscar-winning film Coco and illustrated the companion picture book Coco: Miguel and the Grand Harmony by Matt de la Peńa. Ana Ramirez González is also the illustrator of Maybe Tomorrow? by Charlotte Agell. She grew up in Guanajuato, Mexico, and lives in Oakland, California.

Reviews

K-Gr 3—The lesson of appreciating being different feels forced and heavy-handed amid a tumult of competing messages. Joy, a young girl with tan skin, wants a summer project to keep her busy. Her darker skinned mother suggests she ask her grandfather for help. The two spend many hours fixing and embellishing an old bike to replace the hand-me-down she uses. When the bike is finished, it is bedazzled and makes its own music as the streamers go "whippity-whip-whippity-whip-whip" and the cards in the tire spokes say "tickety-tickety-tickety-tickety." But the girl's ride is cut short when some friends and strangers make fun of her bike, causing her to impulsively damage it by pushing it down a hill. This event is an abrupt and startling new direction for the story. While children sometimes act before thinking, her actions conflict with the time and care she and her grandfather spent fixing up the bicycle. The story quickly buckles as it addresses anger management, peer pressure, and bullying. González's illustrations beautifully complement the text, keeping pace and capturing the emotions Joy experiences. VERDICT The artwork is superb, but the many messages in this story quickly overwhelm it.—Heidi Dechief

Edition details

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1536207748
• ISBN 13: 9781536207743
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: González Ana Ramírez
• Number of pages: 40