Pedal Power: How One Community Became the Bicycle Capital of the World (Hardcover)
Staff Reviews
As a cyclist who regularly commutes by bike, I run into issues with cars and traffic on a daily basis. But visiting Amsterdam and biking around was a revelation. Thanks to Allan Drummond, young readers can now get a look at why Amsterdam is such a bike-friendly city and may feel inspired to take part in local activism.
Marika
— From Pedal PowerDescription
Cycling rules the road in Amsterdam today, but that wasn't always the case. In the 1970's, Amsterdam was so crowded with vehicles that bicyclists could hardly move, but moms and kids relied on their bicycles to get around the city. 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! Author and illustrator Allan Drummond returns with the story of the people that paved the way for safe biking around the world.
About the Author
Author/illustrator Allan Drummond studied at the Royal College of Art. His many books include Tin Lizzie, a Green Earth Honor Book. He lives in Savannah, Georgia ,where he is Chair of Illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Praise For…
“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. . .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.” —Booklist
“The author surrounds this simply told story with endpapers showing bicycle efficiency, bicycle contributions to social progress, great cyclists, and great bikes of the world. He includes statistics about bike-share programs and reasons for using bicycles to get around. As he did in other tales of community transformation, he decorates his text with cheerful pen-and-ink sketches with watercolor wash. . .The [author's] note recalls his original goal: showing ‘how wonderful it feels to ride a bike, particularly in a city. "—Kirkus Reviews
“The text is well written, engaging, and concise . . . The bright cartoon-style ink and color washes, with flowing lines, create the impression of movement, which is well suited to the subject matter . . . An intriguing nonfiction picture book to augment the community action section and for casual reading.” —School Library Journal
“Dashed line and loosely brushed watercolor wash pictures have a light-hearted energy appropriate to a movement all about, well, movement.” —The Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books