(2) 4-6 Translated by Aida Salazar. Illustrated by Iván Rickenmann. Once ten-year-old Fabio learns how to ride a bike, his feet rarely touch the ground. The legendary "half boy half bike" spends his days making deliveries to his bread-maker mother's customers and exploring the far reaches of his sprawl-ng hometown of Bogotá, Colombia, often accompanied by a pack of kids who follow his lead. Then comes the fateful day when he simply forgets how to ride, tipping over every time he tries to pedal. Fabio sinks into a deep funk. With his mother delivering her bread herself, Fabio stays with an elderly neighbor, Alicia. The two become fast friends and share truths, losses, and disillusionments. When Fabio sets out to convince her that the sea really does exist even though she has never made the journey there, he heads toward the water and doesn't worry about falling. Algorta's timeless, engaging debut (presented in English and Spanish, back to back) is about adapting to change and finding one's own truths. Rickenmann's atmospheric charcoal art begins and ends the tale wordlessly, capturing the vastness of Bogotá and serving as a visual metaphor for the wider world through which we all move. A memorable and meaningful ride.

Reviewer: Luann Toth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022