Bike & Trike

A battered old tricycle and a new bike make friends—but not without hitting a few bumps in the road. Lulu and Trike have been together for years…but Lulu keeps getting bigger, and one day a brand-new birthday bike sails into the garage: "Watch this trick," he crows, popping a wheelie and zooming through Hula Hoop. Ignoring Trike's cautions about safety ("Aw, back off, old-timer") Bike proposes a riderless race to the nearby woods. And so they're off, with Trike struggling to keep up ("You can DO this," he tells himself, "for Lulu and the way the two of us flew"). Then, seeing Bike careening heedlessly toward a cliff, Trike selflessly puts on an extra burst of speed to head off disaster with a mighty collision. "I guess I have a lot to learn," says penitent Bike, and back to the garage they go, "two winners on wheels." Verdick tells the tale in a characteristic mix of exuberant sound effects and euphonic phrasing, with short sentences making the relatively high page count fly. Along with kitting out shiny Bike with splendid streamers, lights, training wheels, and even a horn, Biggs pairs Lulu at the end with an equally thrilled little brother (both white) just the right size for a hand-me-down. Everyone's indeed a winner here, and the subtle message about safety consciousness is likewise right on track.