The New Bicycle

Gold Medal Winner of the 2022 Key Colors Competition, the biennial national contest for illustrators of children's books.

"I loved the lyrical but simple language, which was well-matched to the elegant and representational line drawings, filled with watercolor. This was a delightful celebration of the power and wonder of bikes and the independence they bring, whether they're used to run errands, meet new friends, deliver packages (here, an elephant!), or fulfill dreams. " - Youth Services Book Review

(...) The Massachusetts Review does not usually publish children's literature. However, The New Bicycle by Darcy Day Zoells reminds us that we share a common humanity. This gentle and beautiful children's book is not only for the young; it alights a smile in all. Like so many before, the child traveller does not cease from exploration. And at the end of all of her exploring, she returns home, and knows it anew. Is there a dream bigger than returning home? With a knowledge that we are also all the same? As the world splinters and divides, perhaps we need to remember what we share, and that beauty brings us closer to the just-whether it be encountering a flower, a late Beethoven quartet, a Raga Darbari, or a children's book. - Tanya Jayani Fernando; The Massachusetts Review

"Young Mari has a new bike, and-clad in a bright red dress and bike helmet, with a pup in the front basket-she's going for a spin. After her parents see her off, Mari's adventures begin, riding from her neighborhood into increasingly fanciful settings. Passing a cluster of animals, she picks up an elephant carrying a festive balloon, who squishes into her back basket. The trio soon find not even the ocean can stop them, as "on her new bicycle, Mari could make her own way. New ways could lead to new friends" (a cheerful whale; kids on a passing ship) and new experiences (riding down a pyramid, with a sphinx nearby). Her bike also makes deliveries-first, the elephant to its savanna home, and, eventually, Mari herself, back down the sidewalk, where her beaming parents and neighbors await. Accompanying the succinct, straightforward text, lively cartoon illustrations further illuminate the story in intricate scenes full of warm hues and idiosyncratic background details. A delightful blend of whimsy and realism that captures the joy of new bikes, imagination-and where both can take you." - Shelle Rosenfeld; Booklist Review

Mari lives in a very normal house in a very normal neighborhood. One day, she gets a new bicycle. It's bight, bold and brimming with possibilities! Mari sets off to see where her new bicycle will take her and her trip down the block becomes a fantastic adventure. During her journey, paving her own way, she meets new friends, transports precious cargo, and finds endless places to explore before returning home. An imaginative little road movie layered with meaning to ride along.