Medina, Juana. Elena Rides. Juana Medina, Illus. Candlewick, 03/2023. [26]pp. Reader. GRADES Kindergarten – 1. $9.99. 978-1-5362-1635-6. OUTSTANDING.
Elena is a purple elephant who learns to ride a bike, demonstrating that it takes practice and perseverance to learn to ride. The brief text with just one or two sentences per page contains rhyming words, repetition, dialogue balloons, and onomatopoeia that will help young children learn to read. “She readies, she steadies, she pushes, she peddles! She wobbles and bobbles, …” The illustrations also assist, using bright colors against a white background, showing what the text is describing. The youngest emergent readers have a great new book that will help them gain this essential skill; hopefully, it is the first in a series of many more.
Penny Peck—San Jose State University iSchool