2 Books about Bikes: Birth of the Bicycle and The Running Machine

Two recent picture books about the development of the bicycle entertaining introduces kids to history they can relate to.

Birth of the Bicycle: A Bumpy History of the Bicycle in America by Sarah Nelson, Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno. Candlewick, 2024, 40 pages.

Reading Level: Picture book, ages 4-8

Recommended for: ages 4-10

Germany, 1817: a clunky wooden contraption with two wheels appears on the streets: the “velocipede.” It has no pedals, “But gentlemen with muscles and means/ could propel these funny new running machines.” The machines stirred interest even across the Atlantic, but their practical use turned out to be limited. Interest in them quickly died until the pedal drive was invented in France almost fifty years later. From there, the evolution speeded up—a little. Those quaint high-wheelers appeared in a couple decades, but it took a lighter frame, smoother roads, rubber tires and cheaper cost (not to mention brakes!) for bicycles to come into their own. A bumpy ride indeed, but now bikes are the chief mode of transportation for most of the world.

The development of an object familiar to everyone is almost always fascinating, and bicycles are especially interesting to kids—I remember my first real sense of independence came from learning to ride a bike (just wish somebody had told me how to use coaster brakes). I suspect I’m not alone in that feeling. Rhyming text make it an enjoyable read-aloud for younger kids, and stylized, detailed illustrations pay particular attention to historical mechanics and costume. Readers who want to pursue the subject will find more details in the 3-page appendix.

Bottom Line: A fun, browse-worthy history of inventive development, of special interest to budding engineers, tinkerers, and  and inventors.

The Running Machine: The Invention of the Very First Bicycle by Keith Negley. Balzer + Bray, 2024, 32 pages.

Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 4-8

Recommended for: ages 4-7

The Running Machine takes a much closer look at how the first velocipede came to be. Historical documentation is spotty, but the name of the inventor is known, as well as what may have lit his inventive spark. In 1815, the eruption of Mt Tabor in Indonesia spewed a cloud of ash that gradually spread, blocking sunlight for most of the globe. 1816 was “the year without a summer,” in which crops failed to grow and horses, the major mode of transportation, grew thin and weak. This may have spurred Karl Drais, a young forest official, to consider what a human-powered machine might look like. His early four-wheeled devices failed—too heavy. But what about two wheels . . . ?

Earth-toned illustrations composed of block print and collage create a brooding atmosphere for that blighted year. The story is one of perceiving a need and overcoming obstacles to meet that need, which is the main engine of inventions the world over. Drais is presented as younger than he was at the time, but that, and the simple emotive illustrations, will help young readers identify with his story.

Bottom Line: an encouraging story of overcoming in terms a very young reader can comprehend.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: More picture books featuring bicycles: Bertali’s Bicycle, The Girl and the Bicycle (starred review). Also see Machines in Motion.
• Reviews: Two middle-grade novels featuring bicycles: Hokey-Pokey and The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle.

We are participants in the Amazon LLC affiliate program; purchases you make through affiliate links like the one below may earn us a commission. Read more here.

Order The Running Machine from Amazon.

Order Birth of the Bicycle from Amazon.