CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!

Where are all the car-free books?

(46 posts)
  • Started 13 years ago by SRD
  • Latest reply from Stephan Matthiesen

No tags yet.


12

  1. SRD
    Moderator

    Where are all the car-free books?

    !Can you suggest a children's book with a positive depiction of cycling or public transport? Send your suggestions to childrens.books@guardian.co.uk and we'll publish them below."

    my reply: The harry and the dinosaurs series for preschoolers, harry and his mum often cycle into town - in the earlier books he is on a seat on her bike, while in others, he cycles on his own beside her. It's not a major plotline; if they go further they take the car, but I always thought it was a plus.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. Smudge
    Member

    "Bear on a bike", by Stella Blackstone isbn: 1841483745

    The bike isn't really a core theme, but it makes the cover ;-)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. Instography
    Member

    @SRD
    I'd never thought about Harry like that. True.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. Claggy Cog
    Member

    The Little Red Bus and Other Rhyming Stories - Jonathan Langley
    Thomas the Tank Engine books - any number of them.

    @SRD - here is what is available from Amazon UK

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=children%27s+books+with+bikes&x=12&y=19

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. Zenfrozt
    Member

    Miffy's Bicycle
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Miffys-Bicycle-Dick-Bruna/dp/1405216948

    Miffy Rides a bike
    http://www.amazon.com/Miffy-Rides-Bike-Dick-Bruna/dp/1592260055

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. gembo
    Member

    Not that I am recommending them, although I read them all and remain dyed in the wool lefty - Enid Blyton's Famous Five - they are always cycling around catching spies etc having picnics with lashings of ginger beer

    Posted 13 years ago #

  7. Zenfrozt
    Member

    oh! The Famous Five! I loved them - had forgotten they cycled a lot.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  8. SRD
    Moderator

    Also lots of trains (and some bikes) in Swallows and Amazons books. Wasn't sure if it was 'fair' to mention 'old' books.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  9. Claggy Cog
    Member

    @SRD - I think if the books are still in print and available then I don't think it matters how old they are. My grandparents had lots of books that were bought for my Mum and her sister and I loved reading them when I was a child, and some of the books mentioned above are now considered "classics". It is not so long ago that there were series of Swallows and Amazons and also the Tales of Narnia ont telly.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  10. crowriver
    Member

    Miffy is 'old' too.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  11. Min
    Member

    I think it would be more interesting to know how many modern books are car-free or have cycling in them. After all, going back to a time before "everyone" had a car is bound to result in more cycling and less cars. This goes for adult books too. I am not really up on childrens books but the only ones I can think of are the Harry Potter ones. They all go to school by train and hardly anyone uses a car.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  12. SRD
    Moderator

    One of the things that annoys me is that all the cbeebies show characters have little cars to drive around in -- Mr maker, Nina and the neurons, I can cook etc. very bad.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  13. crowriver
    Member

    What do you mean? Balamory's PC Plum rides a fine roadster bicycle. There is another, more recent show (forget the name) where the presenter/main character rides a child and toy carrying utility trike. 'Grandpa In My Pocket' features a family who run a bike shop (though the only 'cyclist' character is a lycra clad loon figure of fun).

    I'm sure there must be others...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  14. Tom
    Member

    Cars are more than transport in fiction. The baddies often drive monstrous vehicles - Cruella de Ville, the farmers in Fantastic Mr Fox.

    But Milo in The Phantom Tollbooth used a car. And there's a car chase in Danny Champion of the World and cars feature a lot in the Mrs Pepperpot stories and Catweazle.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  15. crowriver
    Member

    Oh and Nina (she of the neurons) seems to have abandoned her Mini for a bicycle in the new series.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  16. Morningsider
    Member

    Dear Guardian - I'm having trouble indoctrinating my children with my worthy beliefs and am looking for book recommendations regarding correct transport choices, greens eating, anti-racism and the evil of supermarkets.

    Unfortunately, most picture books seem to focus on dinosaurs, talking privatised trains, princesses (the rescuing of)and other dangerous right wing nonsense. Help please!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  17. SRD
    Moderator

    Dear Morningsider,

    You obviously don't read enough Julia Donaldson, who puts a quite marvelous left wing spin on both princesses (the rescuing of), and politically-incorrect meat-eating dinosaurs!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  18. Claggy Cog
    Member

    Dear SRD - that is a bit tough if you're not a vegetarian dinosaur!!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  19. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    I have to say, as a kid, I read all sorts of Enid Blyton and other stuff that apparently means I should be an intolerant right-wing christian-fundamentalist mysoginist fruitcake with a dependancy on alcohol, fags and cars.

    I thought they were rip-roaring reads. I was a kid. The supposed subtelties were lost on me*

    *this may be down to me being particularly slow, or my imagination taking me beyond the indoctrination the author intended, or maybe kids aren't terribly influenced in their life choices by fictional books in much the same way that we don't have marauding serial killers because of death metal 'music' and video games...

    (I also played war, had toy guns, and Action Man and the like, and quite happily sat down to watch movies about the Battle of Britain - yet find myself vehemently anti-war and quite liking the Germans, go figure)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  20. LaidBack
    Member

    Dog Detectives?
    Outback tandem tales (tails?)

    Had in the window of shop for a while... In fact I have one here on the book loan.

    Writers were featured in City Cycling and Velo Vision.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  21. Morningsider
    Member

    SRD - Julia Donaldson is a favourite of jr's (and me - lovely books to read out loud), particularly Zog - which deals with the Princess thing.

    I just think the whole premise of the Guardian article is daft - Anth nails that quite nicely I think.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  22. SRD
    Moderator

    yes, Zog is very good!

    I don't entirely disagree with you, but I have had exactly the same thought, which is why I noticed the Mum in Harry & the dinosaurs (great books for other reasons too - lots of stereotypes challenged in a gentle way).

    Still depressed that there are so few examples of 'normal family life' in which bicycles are used.

    in addition to the miffy examples, we could add Babar, and probably some others, but no so much with 'real families'.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  23. chdot
    Admin

    "Still depressed that there are so few examples of 'normal family life' in which bicycles are used."

    You've obviously forgotten about -

    The Cycling Adventures of the SRD Family

    Available in periodic episodes (sometimes with photos).

    Best chapter was 'how we cycled to a wet camp site near Peebles'.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  24. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    "Still depressed that there are so few examples of 'normal family life' in which bicycles are used."

    I think that's primarily because families who cycle everywhere are not the norm. It's not that it's 'abnormal', just that the mainstream is that kids are ferried about in cars. Fiction imitating life.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  25. Zenfrozt
    Member

    I'm not sure it's meant to be a particularly serious article from the Guardian...I get the impression it's more a of a dead donkey filler story...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  26. SRD
    Moderator

    Its part of a series 'kids book doctor' Julia Eccleshare opens her surgery to all kinds of questions about reading for youngsters, and prescribes solutions. Please submit your questions to books@guardian.co.uk

    Posted 13 years ago #

  27. LaidBack
    Member

    that's primarily because families who cycle everywhere are not the norm.

    Happens in entertainment for all ages.
    Check out 'The Bridge' on BBC4.
    Despite being set in cycling capital Copenhagen (and Malmo) bicycles are rarely seen.
    Previous Nordic fare (Borgen, The Killing, Wallender) has had bikes in normal daily use but film company want a tougher looking 'mean city' effect where it's always dark. I blame Blade Runner!
    Of course it is fiction and the Vulcan/Swede Saga Noren drives a Porsche - giving way to cyclists of course should she meet any.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  28. SRD
    Moderator

    "The Cycling Adventures of the SRD Family" they always come a bit too close to disaster imho. I prefer the lovely camping stories of Crowriver pere and famille.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  29. crowriver
    Member

    I prefer the lovely camping stories of Crowriver pere and famille.

    Aw, shucks! *blush*

    Not many camping tales this year so far. Bloomin' appalling weather the cause. We might be 'abnormal' in doing a spot of family cycle camping once in a while, but we're not complete masochists. Drawing the line at bucketing rain, 'coldest May for nearly a century' after 'wettest April since the year dot'...

    If only I hadn't been up gainst a work deadline in late March, what larks we could have had. Except that most campsites were closed. :-(

    Today's sunshine was promising. Maybe later in the month...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  30. WickyWocky
    Member

    Balamory's PC Plum rides a fine roadster bicycle.
    Doesn't Spencer have a utility bike too, for all his painting materials?

    Posted 13 years ago #

RSS feed for this topic

12

Reply »

You must log in to post.


Video embedded using Easy Video Embed plugin