Wild Blue

Kalya has a little pink bike with stabilisers, and she loves riding it, to her it is just like riding a pony. One day her daddy decides it is time for Kalya to have a bigger bike. They visit a cycle shop to choose a new bike or as the text describes ‘wrangle a new bike from the herd.’

Continuing the equine metaphor Kalya finds she has to ‘tame’ her new bike, which quickly lives up to the name she chooses for it, ‘Wild Blue’, throwing her off just like an unbroken horse. Kalya doesn’t give up and with daddy’s help and lots of practice her bike learns who is in charge. Kalya stops wobbling and starts to enjoy riding on her bike and being just a little bit wild.

This is a simple story about coping with change. The ongoing metaphor, which is likely to be hard to grasp for many young readers, is made more accessible by the beautiful illustrations.