Publishers Weekly
★ 08/23/2021
Bookended by striking charcoal illustrations, this kinetic dual-language novel by debut author Algorta visually introduces readers to the streets of Bogotá, Colombia, where its young protagonist roams, before diving into its tête-bêche bilingual narrative. Described in the back matter as a means “to evoke old photographs and memory,” the art immediately establishes the mood of Algorta’s lyrical tale. Fabio, a 10-year-old boy more comfortable on his salmon-colored bicycle than his own feet (“the son of Hecate, goddess of the wheel”), has navigated his city, delivered bread, and led a pack of neighborhood kids since he learned to pedal. But when a fall causes him to forget how to ride, a restless Fabio searches for a way to regain his ability to cycle, befriending older neighbor Alicia and questioning the truths of the world along the way. Told from the third-person perspective, Algorta’s narrative glides with skillful pacing and poetic yet accessible language; Rickenmann’s soft, detail-rich illustrations tonally match the refined internal rhythm of Algorta’s prose (“When he was on his bicycle, the dust danced with him”), supported by Salazar’s (Land of the Cranes) faithful, sophisticated translation. Ages 8–12. Agent (for Algorta): Pablo de la Vega, Babel Libros; (for Salazar) Marietta Zacker, Gallt & Zacker. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
A memorable and meaningful ride.”- The Horn Book,
[STAR] “Quiet, emotive illustrations reminiscent of Allen Say’s and Brian Selznick’s, pull readers onto the streets of Bogotá, where dust announces the arrival of the children who ride in bicycle packs, providing a view of busy streets and the barrio. The book is presented in both English and Spanish versions; Salazar’s translation masterfully replicates the distant-yet-confiding tone of Algorta’s Spanish original, fully conveying the story and its vivid images. An unmissable tale about loss and reclamation.”-Kirkus Reviews (starred),
[STAR] “Poetic...lyrical and moving novel with a melancholic ode to coming of age.” -Foreword Reviews (starred),
[STAR] "Algorta’s narrative glides with skillful pacing and poetic yet accessible language; Rickenmann’s soft, detail-rich illustrations tonally match the refined internal rhythm of the prose."-PW (starred),
"A philosophical read, begging discussion and interpretation.”-Pam Muñoz Ryan, New York Times Book Review,
"¿Qué pasaría si lo que más amas en el mundo te fuese arrebatado de repente? Esta historia sobre el olvido es una hermosa metáfora de las cosas que se pierden y nunca se pueden recuperar." - Biblioteca Pública de Nueva York,
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2021-06-16
A 10-year-old boy’s ride to discover friendship and truth.
Fabio, who lives in Bogotá, Colombia, in a neighborhood that “used to be a town on the outskirts of the city, but the monster began to grow and ate the town,” has loved to ride his salmon-colored bike since the day his bus driver father, Roberto, taught him how. He rides it so often that it has become like a part of his own body, and he uses it to deliver his mother’s bread to the neighbors. That is, until the day when, without knowing how it happened, he forgets how to ride and falls multiple times. Fabio pushes his friends away, instead staying home and falling into deep sadness. As he delivers bread on foot to Mamalicia, their aging next-door neighbor who always calls him son, the two form an unlikely friendship as they deal with deception, truth, and loss. With quiet, emotive illustrations reminiscent of Allen Say’s and Brian Selznick’s, Rickenmann pulls readers onto the streets of Bogotá, where dust announces the arrival of the children who ride in bicycle packs, providing a view of busy streets and the barrio. The book is presented in both English and Spanish versions; Salazar’s translation masterfully replicates the distant-yet-confiding tone of Algorta’s Spanish original, fully conveying the story and its vivid images.
An unmissable tale about loss and reclamation. (Fiction. 8-12)
