Status
Available
Collection
Publication
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (2017), 40 pages
Description
"Pedal Power is the story of the people who led protests against the unsafe streets and took over a vehicles-only tunnel on their bikes, showing what a little pedal power could do!"--Publisher.
Local notes
Booklist, 12/31/2016
The story opens in modern-day Amsterdam, with drivers looking out for cyclists, and bicycles outnumbering cars and trucks on the roads. Back in the 1970s, though, vehicle traffic made cycling perilous on Amsterdam’s crowded streets. Maartje Rutten, a young mother, joined by her friends and their children, engaged in peaceful protests that spread throughout the Netherlands, promoting measures that would make streets safer for cycling. Gradually changing the country’s laws and its road culture, their efforts began a movement that continues throughout the world today. Drummond, whose earlier environment-related picture books include Energy Island (2011) and Green City (2016), tells a true story that offers a bit of dramatic tension as well as broad relevance and child appeal. The appended author’s note, illustrated with photos, describes visiting Amsterdam and meeting Rutten. Illustrated with breezy, expressive drawings and colorful washes, the informative text flows well, narrating the story, explaining what made the roads bike-friendly, and briefly explaining how cycling benefits cities. A heartening picture book about bicycles, activism, and social change.
The story opens in modern-day Amsterdam, with drivers looking out for cyclists, and bicycles outnumbering cars and trucks on the roads. Back in the 1970s, though, vehicle traffic made cycling perilous on Amsterdam’s crowded streets. Maartje Rutten, a young mother, joined by her friends and their children, engaged in peaceful protests that spread throughout the Netherlands, promoting measures that would make streets safer for cycling. Gradually changing the country’s laws and its road culture, their efforts began a movement that continues throughout the world today. Drummond, whose earlier environment-related picture books include Energy Island (2011) and Green City (2016), tells a true story that offers a bit of dramatic tension as well as broad relevance and child appeal. The appended author’s note, illustrated with photos, describes visiting Amsterdam and meeting Rutten. Illustrated with breezy, expressive drawings and colorful washes, the informative text flows well, narrating the story, explaining what made the roads bike-friendly, and briefly explaining how cycling benefits cities. A heartening picture book about bicycles, activism, and social change.
Awards
Utah Beehive Book Award (Nominee — Informational Books — 2019)
Three Stars Book Award (Nominee — Young Readers — 2019)
Green Earth Book Award (Short List — Picture Book — 2018)
Kansas NEA Reading Circle Recommended Book (Primary — 2018)