Noodles on a Bicycle

(Caldecott Honor Book)

Kyo Maclear ∙ Illustrated by Gracey Zhang

Hardcover

Published on Aug 27, 2024 | 40 Pages

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Ebook

Published on Aug 27, 2024 | 40 Pages

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Grades Preschool – 3
Ages 4–8

A vibrant historical picture book about Tokyo’s bicycle food deliverers, or demae, who balanced towering trays of steaming hot noodles on their shoulders while navigating crowded city streets.

A CALDECOTT HONOR BOOK • A Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book • A BOOKPAGE, KIRKUS REVIEWS, AND HORN BOOK BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

When the deliverymen set off in the morning, the children wait for the flicker of pedal and wheel. It’s the demae—delivery men—setting off to deliver steaming trays of noodles to hungry customers all over the city. They are acrobats: whizzing past other bicycles, soaring around curves, avoiding the black smoke of motorcycles. When the children see them, they want to be them. And so they practice with bowls of wobbling water stacked on trays. The day passes, and, finally, exhausted, the demae return home, to their families, and, yes, to steaming bowls of noodles.

This beautifully crafted, visually exciting story by a powerhouse author and illustrator team is sure to be adored by food lovers, young and old.

Award Winner

★ "Lively language honors long-honed skills worth remembering, while ink and gouache spreads capture every detail, right down to labels hand-painted on the soba boxes, in this wonderfully specific snapshot." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "A fascinating, loving snapshot of a gravity-defying artform lost to time." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "With vivid descriptions of the sights and sounds of the city, the text sets readers right down in the middle of the scenes, while the writing makes for an animated read-aloud." —The Horn Book, starred review

★ “Delectably charming … The duo repeat their symbiotic success, nourishing readers with quotidian history ‘worth remembering and celebrating.’”
—Shelf Awareness, starred review

★ “Words and art come together seamlessly to reveal a world now long gone, in a loving, memorable tale that children will want to savor time and again.”
—BookPage, starred review

"This is a heartwarming tale with an engaging story and beautiful illustrations that are sure to entertain children." —School Library Journal

ISBN 9780593706084 (Hardcover)
Published on Aug 27, 2024
Published by Random House Studio
Pages 40
Dimensions 10 x 10
Age Range 4-8 years
Grade Preschool - 3
Reading Level Fountas/Pinnell: O

ISBN 9780593706091 (Hardcover Library Binding)
Published on Aug 27, 2024
Published by Random House Studio
Pages 40
Dimensions 10 x 10
Age Range 4-8 years
Grade Preschool - 3
Reading Level Fountas/Pinnell: O

ISBN 9780593706107 (Ebook)
Published on Aug 27, 2024
Published by Random House Studio
Pages 40
Age Range 4-8 years
Grade Preschool - 3
Reading Level Fountas/Pinnell: O

Kyo Maclear

KYO MACLEAR is an award-winning novelist, essayist, and children’s author. Her books have been translated into eighteen languages and published in over twenty-five countries. She is the author of the hybrid memoir Birds Art Life (2017), winner of the Trillium Book Award. Kyo holds a doctorate in environmental humanities and is on faculty at the University of Guelph Creative Writing MFA.

Gracey Zhang

Gracey Zhang is a freelance illustrator and animator. She was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, and received her BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design. She is now based in New York City.