Climate Literacy in Education

The Wild Idea of Riding a Bike

Jonathan Klassen

Soochow University

Keywords: Convivality, bicycles, picturebooks, autonomy, lifestyle

Abstract

While the depiction of automobiles remain ubiquitous in popular media, one of the few places bicycles are celebrated is within the pages of many children’s picturebooks. These stories demonstrate ways in which bicycles can help facilitate an approach to living that is good for both people and the environment. The picturebooks introduced in this article demonstrate many convivial features of bicycles including their benefits for community building, personal empowerment and defying social norms. They are also shown as easy to operate, versatile, and practically beneficial in various cultural contexts. By celebrating cycling’s conviviality, these picturebooks encourage young readers to embrace an orientation toward life that values human connection, creativity, and sustainability over industrial efficiency.