Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Do you remember the feeling of riding a bike as a kid? The wind in your hair? Having your own wheels and thus mode of transportation? It was so exciting to think you could go anywhere without needing the help of an adult. It was even better when you were with a group of your friends. Today we are sharing a very special picture book about a bike ride. It is the first ever children's book illustrated in stain glass, and it is wordless. The book is Night Ride by Christopher Myers. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8 but I always love wordless books for even younger!
Publisher's Summary:
A stunning, first-of-its-kind, wordless picture book in the medium of stained glass about a group of kids riding through NYC, capturing the joy of Black childhood and the freedom of exploring a city that feels like it belongs to you, from Caldecott Honoree Christopher Myers.Setting out on a warm and glorious night, a group of kids grab their bikes to explore a city that for a moment in time feels like it belongs entirely to them. Riding from Harlem, through Central Park, to Chinatown, and over the Brooklyn Bridge, the iconic landmarks of New York City become mirrors that reflect their joy and freedom. Rooted in the quotidian and expanding into the fantastical, this wordless picture book by Caldecott Honoree Christopher Myers is illustrated entirely in stained glass, reminding us that Black childhood is beautiful, fragile, and holy.
From Me:
Now when I first read a book to review, I do not look at the publisher's summary right before I read it. I usually do before I agree to review it but then forget it by the time I actually get the book. As I looked through the beautiful pictures I recognized some of the sights! I was thinking to myself this must be New York City! And it is. This wordless book is about a group of friends going for a bike ride through the city one night. They see many of the sights of New York City but are also just enjoying the night of being with friends and feeling free.
We discovered wordless and nearly wordless books when Hazel was young and in a Waldorf school. The Waldorf philosophy doesn't have kids learning to read until the first adult teeth are coming in. They encourage wordless books so the kids can learn about telling story and looking for details. They help grow one's imagination. When reading a wordless book with a child the goal is to observe the pictures and together decide what is happening. Each reading of a wordless book can tell a different story based on the observations.
With the stained glass illustrations, this wordless book becomes another level of interesting. Stained glass has a way of distorting the picture a bit just because of the style so it will be interesting to see what kids see before the adult shares what they see on each page. On some pages it is hard to tell it is nighttime. Perhaps asking the children how they can tell it is nighttime would lead to interesting observations. Asking the children about what the group of people are doing and perhaps why? Or maybe how old they think the people are. There is so much observation that goes with this book. And of course, a discussion about stained glass and perhaps where the children have seen it before.
Things I love about this book are that the riders are Black. The description says they start in Harlem. The reader may not recognize that, but it doesn't matter. Yes, there are sights from New York City, but it can be any city. Since there are no words, the reader gets to interpret what is happening and create his or her own story. This one has so much that can be told, and the stained glass creates a bit of mystery and wonder. It is a gorgeous book about a simple bike ride that can lead to other creative stories!
