Birth of the Bicycle: A Bumpy History of the Bicycle in America 1819–1900

Ages 6 to 9, Grades 1 to 4

Three cheers for the birth of the bicycle! Hop on for a jaunty, rhythmic ride through a playfully illustrated history.

From the pedal-less, brakeless wooden velocipedes of the 1800s to the sleek racing machines of today, from a luxury for the wealthy to a lifeline for the working class, the bicycle’s journey is a study in invention, innovation, and ingenuity. Sarah Nelson’s affectionate and poetic tribute covers almost a century of the two-wheeler’s development, while Iacopo Bruno’s bold, bright artwork illuminates this marvel of engineering. Cycling enthusiasts as well as budding mechanical engineers, inventors, tinkerers, and dreamers will revel in this fact-packed nonfiction adventure story—complete with a time line and other lively back matter designed to remind readers how truly extraordinary everyday objects can be.

About the Author

Sarah Nelson is a poet and author whose titles include Frogness, illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes; A Park Connects Us, illustrated by Ellen Rooney; and the I Like the Weather series, illustrated by Rachel Oldfield. She lives in Minnesota with her family.

Iacopo Bruno is a graphic designer and illustrator whose illustrations can be found in the acclaimed picture books Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery that Baffled All of France and Anything but Ordinary Addie: The True Story of Adelaide Herrmann, Queen of Magic, both by Mara Rockliff. He is also the illustrator of Bartali’s Bicycle: The True Story of Gino Bartali, Italy’s Secret Hero by Megan Hoyt and the School for Good and Evil series written by Soman Chainani. Iacopo Bruno lives in Milan, Italy, with his family.