BIKE ON, BEAR by Cynthea Liu, illustrated by Kristyna Litten

Bear was good at all sorts of things. Smart and helpful, he wasn’t just brainy and nice. Bear could balance on a beam and do a backward pike somersault. But Bear had a BIG problem. He wanted to ride a two-wheel bike, just like his friends.

Everyone tried to help. No amount of encouragement or assistance did the trick. Finally, Bear’s mom suggested trying the library. “You can learn anything there.”

With book in hand (Learn to Ride a Bike in 4 Days), Bear made a list. He studied his bike, ran scientific calculations, and practiced his balance.  CRASH! It was no use. Every time Bear got on his bike, he fell over. He lost confidence. He was ready to give up. And then… “Help!!! My kid is getting carried away!” Bear ran some quick calculations, jumped on his bike, and – without thinking about it too much – blasted off and saved the day.

“Bear could do practically anything.” Next on his list? Learning to… gulp!… swim.

With a most gorgeous palette of aqua blues and pale oranges and illustrations rendered in pencil, crayon, and digitally, BIKE ON, BEAR is for anyone looking for a confidence boost and a reminder that some things come naturally, others, not so much, but if you stick with it, keep believing in yourself, and – sometimes – don’t think about it too much, you’ll get there. Bike on!!