Customer Reviews

Tricycle

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is the definition of a horrible book. Synopsis: A child witnesses her poor (shack-dwelling) neighbors stealing her tricycle. She makes up a lie to her mother, but the adults suspect that the neighbors are behind it. They mutter that they should be "shot", and the child overhears it.

The End.

Seriously. Beyond bizarre.

Why did a tree have to die for this book? There is no joy in this book, nothing uplifting, encouraging, humorous, etc. So, again I ask, why did the author bother writing this book?

The protagonist lives in a mansion. Her next door neighbors are painfull poor. One day, they steal her bicycle. For reasons all her own, she says nothing. But when she overhears adults talking badly -- threatening what she does not understand is figurative violence -- about them, she becomes literally sick with envy.

I grew up in an island where the good neighborhood was a block away from tin-roofed slums. Later on, I lived in a city in the states where crack houses and beautiful mansions stood side-by-side. So I both get and appreciate the class distinctions that this book refers to.

I was surprised at all the 1 star reviews of this book. Yes, it is a very unusual book. Yes, the ending leaves a lot unresolved (but, hey, that's life). And yes, it is probably inappropriate for very young children. But the "very young" are not the only ones that picture books are made for.

I agree with the other reviewers-this book was beyond bizarre and completely inappropriate. Don't bother unless you want to have a nice conversation about theft and shooting with your kid.

As I read this to my 3 yr old, you can imagine my surprise as I learned it contained discrimination, theft, lying, and threat of violence. This is the worst book for a kid - EVER!