★ 01/16/2023
She’s eager, she’s resilient, she has a two-wheeler and a red feathered friend—but Elena, the enthusiastic purple elephant star of this early reader, still has a ways to go to polish her cycling skills. As the view zooms in, capturing Elena’s look of expectant pleasure at donning a green cycling helmet, Medina (’Twas the Night Before Pride) kicks off the elephant’s on-the-move story with maximum verve: “Elena wants to ride./ Elena buckles her helmet.” Rhythmic couplets and plenty of action verbs reveal what happens next as Elena takes off, tongue sticking out—“she pushes,/ she pedals!// She wobbles,/ and bobbles...”—and meets the first of several disasters: “KA-BANG!” She gets up and tries again, but a second fall hits harder: “Elena cries!/ She bawls!” (Her bird friend puts small wings around Elena’s leg.) The next ride gets Elena a little farther, her trunk sticking triumphantly out as she “goes, goes, goes,” but there’s more action and drama to come before, in a moment of victory, “Elena rides!” Medina captures substantial emotional highs and lows in this inspiring tale of persistence, one that’s just right for those taking on another learning curve: reading. A dual English/Spanish edition publishes simultaneously. Ages 4–6. (Mar.)
She’s eager, she’s resilient, she has a two-wheeler and a red feathered friend—but Elena, the enthusiastic purple elephant star of this early reader, still has a ways to go to polish her cycling skills. . . . Medina captures substantial emotional highs and lows in this inspiring tale of persistence, one that’s just right for those taking on another learning curve: reading.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Spare but engaging prose that includes just a few words or simple sentences per page effectively captures the experience of learning to ride. . . Elena’s persistence offers an important message to anyone attempting to master a new skill, including those just learning to read. . . . This cheerful story with colorful illustrations will appeal to new readers and to parents looking for a read-aloud about perseverance.
—School Library Journal (starred review)
Well designed. . . a stimulating mix of rhyme, alliteration, repetition, and onomatopoeia that is playfully printed and positioned on the page in a manner that underscores its meaning. Medina also captures the many relatable emotions Elena feels throughout the story, from excitement and determination to frustration and joy. A fresh, new offering for the Elephant and Piggie set.
—Booklist
Storytime listeners will be enthralled. . . . Sensational for reading aloud, with dramatic onomatopoeic opportunities aplenty.
—Kirkus Reviews
Gives new readers an inviting, cheerful take on the developmental milestone of learning to ride a bike. . . The text is minimal, to the point, and appropriate for a new reader, but it’s also musical, playful, and fun to read aloud. . . . Repetition of words and sound blends serves the needs of children who are building confidence sounding words out. . . . There are plenty of books about learning to ride a bike, but this one’s approachability for its intended audience, bright imagery, and good humor place it near the front of the peloton.
—The Horn Book
Cheered on by a little red bird, purple elephant Elena tackles the challenges of learning to ride a bike with an exuberance and determination that may remind fans of Juana, the star of Juana Medina's marvelous 'Juana' series set in her native Bogota, Colombia. Medina's droll illustrations and simple text, clearly showing that spills and frustration are part of the learning process, are perfect for beginning readers.
—The Buffalo News
★ 01/01/2023
PreS-Gr 1—A determined purple elephant named Elena buckles on her helmet and hops on a green bike, but her confidence falters after taking a few falls. Turns out that learning to ride isn't easy, especially if you are a large elephant trying to balance on a small two-wheeler. It helps to have a caring friend—in this case, a little red bird who offers words and winged gestures of encouragement and support. Spare but engaging prose that includes just a few words or simple sentences per page effectively captures the experience of learning to ride: "She readies, she steadies…she pushes, she pedals! She wobbles and bobbles…KA-BANG!" Uncluttered illustrations in bright, bold colors convey a range of emotions from anticipation and excitement to disappointment and determination. Beginning readers may find some of the vocabulary challenging, but rhythmic text and expressive illustrations provide context, making it easier to follow along. Elena's persistence offers an important message to anyone attempting to master a new skill, including those just learning to read. It might take a "ka-bang," a "ka-plunk," and a "ka-rash," but they won't give up. VERDICT This cheerful story with colorful illustrations will appeal to new readers and to parents looking for a read-aloud about perseverance.—Jenny Andrus
2022-10-26
It’s never too early to learn to show grit, try again, and “fail better.”
A cheerful, chunky blue elephant in a small green helmet mounts a two-wheeler. Swirls of bright yellow serve as a spotlight or a horizon against the white of the page. With her tomato-red bird friend on the handlebars, ebullient Elena takes off, ecstatic…but not for long: “KA-BANG!” Her bird fluttering around her, she tries again: “KA-PLUNK!” With support from her bird pal, she tries again. And again. Tears, adamant refusal (“N-O: NO!”), more encouragement, and finally, she’s on a roll. Concise text in a large, sans-serif type is direct but includes some reading challenges like buckles,awhile, and bawls. The cartoon-outline, block-color illustrations feature energetic double-page compositions, readable facial expressions, and dynamic changes from close-up to distance (young readers will soon grasp that both cycling elephants on a page are Elena). The restrained typeface gives way to appropriately thick, page-filling brush strokes for every “KA-RASH!” and “KA-BANG!” before the typeface returns with triumphantly enlarged final words: “Elena rides!” Storytime listeners will be enthralled. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Sensational for reading aloud, with dramatic onomatopoeic opportunities aplenty. (Picture book. 3-6)