In his debut picture book, On Our Bikes, author Dan Saks pulls from his personal experience of riding with his children in Brooklyn to celebrate the joy of learning how to ride a bike.
The book is colorful and constantly in motion, following children at every stage of a bike-riding journey. Its lyrical writing is a nod to “I Got a Bicycle,” a song written by Saks who is also a music education specialist and creator of the children’s podcast Noodle Loaf.
The idea for On Our Bikes (Penguin Random House, with illustrations by João Fazenda) originated when Saks would record his call-and-response chants, a compositional technique, while riding his bike with his children. The recordings eventually evolved into the echo-style songs his podcast is known for, and some of those original lyrics made their way directly into the book, he told BK Reader.
Like Saks’ previous board books, the theme of the new book similarly centers on family and community. This time, he chose the picture book format to reach a slightly older audience (ages 2 to 5) so children can see themselves in its pages and feel proud of joining what he calls “the great parade of humanity riding around on two wheels.”
“It's my love letter to bike riding,” said Saks. “This book is more for that age group that is really starting to feel the joy of bike riding firsthand.”
Although Saks has lived in many places, none inspires his creativity quite like Brooklyn. The borough’s “visually diverse” community and use of shared spaces, like the parks, shape his work. The book even includes subtle local shoutouts, like an illustration of the Lofty Pigeon Books bookstore in Kensington.
“Living in Brooklyn, it gives me just this real feeling of appreciating our differences…how rich it makes my life, personally, to be able to live someplace with all these different kinds of people,” said Saks. “I don't even like really calling them differences, 'cause I think it's the things that make us the same in some ways.”
The appreciation for biking goes beyond just riding. Saks also hopes readers will help make streets safer for cyclists.
“I'd like drivers to open their doors with their right hand,” said Saks. “So, with their right arm, you look over your shoulder before opening your door. I'd like everyone to, that's my [public service announcement].”
