Bear's Bicycle

by Laura Renauld, Laura Renauld

The Woodland Friends from Porcurpine's Pie return in this cheerful story about persevering in the face of tough challenges. Bear, Porcupine, Doe, and Squirrel all eagerly prepare for the festival on wheels. But even after studying every book on bikes he can find, Bear still struggles to get the hang of riding. While he is on his way to the library for a new book, his friends teach Bear that everyone learns in different ways, and by practicing together, they will all master riding their bikes. In this follow-up book to Porcupine's Pie , the woodland friends inspire each other in a tale of practice, perseverance, and friendship. A final spread features tips from one of Bear's books: bike safety, caring for your bike, and fun ways to decorate it!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Pine Reads Review]

“Bear looked at his friends and thought, Porcupine likes to practice, Doe rides better when a friend is with her, and Squirrel never gives up.”

Bear is beginning to learn that sometimes doing things by the book doesn’t always work out. In preparation for the Summer Scoot, he wants to learn how to ride his bike, but it’s more difficult than he anticipated. So, Bear goes to the library in search of a new book to help him with his bike-riding skills, but he finds that it may not be the resource he really needs. Feeling discouraged, he comes to realize that everyone learns a little differently with the help of his friends, Squirrel and Porcupine.

Bear’s Bicycle is a warm, heartfelt story that teaches an important lesson about the value of second, third, and even fourth tries. Riding a bicycle doesn’t come easily or naturally to Bear, but as we come to see, practice is the key to learning something new. Even more importantly, Bear finds that he and his friends learn and practice in different ways, making it perfectly okay to learn to ride a bicycle at a different pace than others. Laura Renauld’s uplifting story is accentuated by Jennie Poh’s vibrant, rich illustrations of Bear and his forest friends. Real-life bicycling tips are also included in this work as a fun and helpful addition to a message that’s applicable to learning any new skill. Bear’s Bicycle beautifully demonstrates how friendship should uplift and encourage us when things are difficult, rather than bring us down.

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank the publisher for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @pinereadsreview and check out our website at www.pinereadsreview.com for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!

[Tootie Nienow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a cute, warm, and friendly story. Each animal has their own personality. We learn that sometimes it takes good friends to accomplish something hard, like learning to ride a bike. I'm happy to see that there are more books in this series. I can't wait to see what's up with porcupine! The color pallet in this book is so beautiful. Pops of pink and red against subtle blues and greens are a treat to the eye.

[Charlotte Offsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have a little one in your life learning to do something new then this is the perfect book to add to your shelves. Filled with encouragement, friendship, and adorable art, this new picture book shows that some obstacles take more time than others but with the right mindset and a willingness to get back up, they can be overcome!

[SHIRLEY ANDERSON]

Bear’s Bicycle by Laura Renauld and illustrated by Jennie Poh is an adorable story of a delightful bear who is learning how to ride a bike in time for the Summer Scoot event. He is attentive to each step, as read in multiple books, and proceeds to practice his way through the support of his friends. Porcupine tells his “Step Five is my favorite!” Other woodland friends Doe and Squirrel give him the encouragement and support needed for the big day! As I just got this book this summer, I can’t wait to read it to my 2nd grade class. It has the perfect lesson of perseverance and friendship. I also like that Laura Reauld included some valuable bicycling tips at the end, in a way that makes it fun to read and learn.

[Mindy Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the sequel to Porcupine's Pie. The same lovable characters are back, this time preparing for the Summer Scoot, a woodland bike race. Bear is having trouble riding a bike, and he must learn a new skill. First, he tries learning from a book, but he simply can't master the skill. As he heads back to the library to find a different book, he notices that, "Porcupine likes to practice, Doe rides better when a friend is with her, and Squirrel never gives up." He takes the advice of his friends, and in the end they all enjoy the race. The book includes back matter that gives guidelines for responsible riding, how to care for your bike, and bike decorating ideas.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Bear’s Bicycle, written by Laura Renauld and illustrated by Jennie Poh (Beaming Books, 2021) we are reunited with the lovable cast of characters first introduced by this author/illustrator combo in Porcupine’s Pie (Beaming Books, 2018). In this follow-up book, Bear wants to learn to ride his bike for the upcoming Summer Scoot. After multiple trips to the library to find a how-to guide, Bear discovers that doing everything by the book doesn’t always work out. Bear’s Bicycle is an endearing story about practice, perseverance, and the importance of friendship. Add in Jennie Poh’s whimsical illustrations and you have a book that will leave you feeling as warm and fuzzy as bear himself.

Laura Renauld’s writing style is delightfully consistent with her original story in this series. It’s filled with things that I personally love in a book and appreciate as a writer: orderly lists, fun-to-say onomatopoeia, distinct voice, and bonus back matter that will delight anyone teetering on whether or not to take on a two-wheeler.

And if you happen to fall in love with this woodland cast as fast as I did, you won’t have to wait long to see more of them. Cruise on over and pencil in the release date of the third book in this series, Squirrel’s Sweater (Beaming Books, anticipated September 21st, 2021).

[Marcie Sextro]

Books are always my go-to gift for family, and I found this gem of a book for my great-nephew.

Bear and his friends are learning how to ride their bikes, but each has approached the task differently. As they practice together, they all become better at riding but not without experiencing some challenges

A how-to book that shows the value of perseverance, tackling a challenge in different ways, and learning from one another.

The end of the book shares tips on caring for your bike and bike safety, which I thought was super helpful for the young reader.

Fun, educational, and encouraging. That's what I consider a beary good book.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very pleasant early read, with Bear getting all ready for a big bike ride event. But when he crashes he thinks he needs an alternative guide book to cycling. Luckily, all his other animal friends are also in training for the event, and if we're lucky the plot will allow them to form a nice support circle, and make everybody happy. Except for the author of the other guide book, that is. It's not advanced fare, but it does deliver a strong enough narrative as well as proffer some cycle savviness, and can still pack in a gentle moral about the benefit of the support of friends.

[Debra Shumaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Renauld's woodland friends! This second book focuses on Bear, who is struggling to learn how to ride his bike in time for the Summer Scoot. Thankfully, his friends help him see that things aren't always easy, but with a little bit of practice and some encouragement from his friends, he'll get there. A great lesson to learn in a sweet book based on friendship. The illustrations are adorable. A must have for any library!

[Sharon Mccarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series of books is just fantastic for parents, especially teachers in grades K through 3. They follow the curriculum, have lots of fun ideas in the back matter, and get children to enjoy and learn new fun facts about the seasons and different activities connected with them. I would encourage everyone to get all four books in the series! The stories are simple to read but thought-provoking enough to engage older PB readers. I love them, and all my students do too!

[Sherri Maret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bear's Bicycle is a must-read book to youngsters who are learning to ride a bike. It isn't, however, limited to that experience because the story is also about determination and being supportive of your friends. I thoroughly enjoyed the sweet story and wonderful illustrations. This is a picture book perfect for libraries and home book shelves.

[Susan Novich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books and bicycles! Laura Renauld’s BEAR’S BICYCLE is the perfect way to spring into summer with little ones. Ride along as Bear prepares for the “Summer Scoot,” and is inspired by friends to see that practice makes perfect. I also love that bike and personal safety issues are addressed as well. Lovely illustrations by Jenny Poe.

[Stephanie Wildman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summer Scoot is coming, and bear wants to be part of it. But first he must learn to ride a bike. His “how to” book should tell him everything, right? In this engaging story, Laura Renauld’s bear learns that “Practice=Fun.” With gorgeous illustrations by Jennie Poh and backmatter about bike care, young readers will be ready to try and try again.

[Renata Wurster · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story to read to kids - especially those just learning to ride a bicycle! The story follows bear who is struggling to learn to ride but learns that in order to succeed, he must first be willing to wobble. The story and the illustrations are fabulous!

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adorable art and a pleasant little world in the illustrations. The story is cute, a nice message about practicing to get better at something, but the "friends make everything better" message is a bit heavy handed and unnecessary.

[Nancy Messina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute book about learning to ride a bike. Winry enjoyed it, but the pictures of the animals on bikes just seemed a little crazy. The bikes just didn’t seem to match the animals, which bothered me for some reason.

[Anna Lazowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an adorable and relatable story for little ones trying to master a new skill. Jennie Poh's art is wonderful, and Laura Renauld's text reinforces that people learn in all different ways, so it's important to sort out what works for you.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this book had a lot of potential when I read the summary. I was hoping for a little bit more. I did not feel the characters were unique or too memorable. The premise of the story was nice. Overall both the story and illustrations were not too memorable.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bear works hard to learn how to ride a bike for the Summer Scoot.

[TwentyThree · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an encouraging story to teach kids to believe in and be proud of themselves. Sometimes our favorite things to do (like riding a bike) are hard at first!

[Tweller83 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4/20/25: Cute book about a bear getting ready to ride his bike, and his friends and him all learning together. Tips for getting the littles and the bikes ready in the back. Super cute.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.