Noodles on a Bicycle by Kyo Maclear

Noodles on a Bicycle

(caldecott Honor Book)

Kyo Maclear

Random House Children's Books · Print & ebook · August 27, 2024

A vibrant historical picture book about Tokyo's bicycle food deliverers, or demae, who balanced towering trays of steaming hot noodles on their shoulders while navigating crowded city streets.

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Who it’s for
Follow Tokyo’s nimble noodle deliverers through a lively day of balancing, pedaling, and coming home.
Themes
Historic city life, Food delivery work, Children’s aspirations
Pacing
Fast

About this book

A vibrant historical picture book about Tokyo's bicycle food deliverers, or demae, who balanced towering trays of steaming hot noodles on their shoulders while navigating crowded city streets. A CALDECOTT HONOR BOOK • A Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book • A BOOKPAGE, KIRKUS REVIEWS, AND HORN BOOK BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR When the deliverymen set off in the morning, the children wait for the flicker of pedal and wheel.

Continue reading

It's the demae-- delivery men-- setting off to deliver steaming trays of noodles to hungry customers all over the city. They are acrobats: whizzing past other bicycles, soaring around curves, avoiding the black smoke of motorcycles. When the children see them, they want to be them. And so they practice with bowls of wobbling water stacked on trays. The day passes, and, finally, exhausted, the demae return home, to their families, and, yes, to steaming bowls of noodles. This beautifully crafted, visually exciting story by a powerhouse author and illustrator team is sure to be adored by food lovers, young and old.

Wheels and Noodles

Follow Tokyo’s nimble noodle deliverers through a lively day of balancing, pedaling, and coming home.

Come here for

  • Towering noodle trays weaving through crowded streets
  • Children trying their hand at the deliverers’ balancing act

Expect

  • A visually lively historical picture book
  • A warm ending with families and steaming noodles

Where it sits

Historical Asia83%
Cooking & Food40%
Cycling Stories33%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Multigenerational Families
  • Historical Asia
  • Cooking & Food
Authors
Kyo Maclear
Publisher
Random House Children's Books
Published
August 27, 2024
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
Historic city life · Food delivery work · Children’s aspirations
Reading lane
Multigenerational Families