I’m Alli, the founder and owner of OurShelves, an expert-curated diverse children’s book box service and advocacy effort. I started OurShelves because my kids have two moms, and it can be much too hard to find high-quality – including joyful and silly and fun!! – books that feature LGBTQ+ families like ours and also the many other kids and families out there who go under-represented. So our Curation Team of national experts helps us find all kinds of stories (including those that make us laugh or sweet bedtime stories) featuring all kinds of kids and families!
This month, we are delivering a special book to the Make It Cute playhouse–TOGETHER WE RIDE, authored by Valerie Bolling and illustrated by Kaylani Juanita. This is the perfect book to open conversation around learning how to ride a bike – and many other experiences of trying something for the first time!
Discussion Questions
TOGETHER WE RIDE, about a child learning to ride a bike without training wheels, is a great book to discuss the different feelings that arise when trying something new, including when we fall and things are hard. Author Valerie Bolling put together a special video for us talking about the inspiration behind TOGETHER WE RIDE as well as a read-aloud introduction to the beginning of the story.
While reading this book with your kids or watching the video, you might discuss:
- Have you ever tried something new? What different feelings did you feel?
- How does it feel when you face a hard moment, like if you fall off your bike?
- What do you like to play outside? And who do you like to play with outside?
- How many words are in this book? Does that feel like a lot of words or fewer words than you're used to reading? What do you like about books with a lot of words? What do you like about books with fewer words? Which of the words rhyme?
Share Your Pictures of Trying Something New!
Send us pictures (photographed or child-drawn) of your child learning to ride their bike or trying something else new to Make It Cute and OurShelves on Instagram @MakeItCuteKids and @OurShelvesKids.