Duck on a Bike
Read Aloud for Your Family
Press play, gather the kids, and let the story do the work.
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ABOUT THE CREATORS
About the Author and Illustrator
AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR
David Shannon
Author and illustrator of the Caldecott Honor book No, David! and many other acclaimed picture books.
David Shannon
David Shannon is the author and illustrator of many acclaimed picture books, including the Caldecott Honor book No, David! and the bestseller Good Boy, Fergus!. He grew up in Spokane, Washington, and still has the dog from that book. He lives in Los Angeles with his family.
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Also Try
More by David Shannon
No, David!, How Georgie Radbourn Saved Baseball, The Amazing Christmas Extravaganza, and Alice the Fairy. Same bold ink-and-watercolor style and the same gift for giving kids a small adult moment to laugh at.
What Happens in the Book
So picture this: a duck. On a bike. In the middle of a farm. And the duck is just casually riding like this is the most normal thing in the world. The other animals on the farm have opinions. Like, A LOT of opinions. The cow thinks bikes are for cows, the sheep is sure bikes are for sheep, and the dog just cannot believe his eyes. Each animal watches, makes a judgment, and goes back to doing whatever they were doing.
But here is the twist at the end. All those animals who said βno, not for usβ suddenly decide to try it. And we discover that maybe the duck was onto something this whole time. Because when everyone climbs on, the farm breaks out into one giant, joyful celebration of wheels.
The cow watches Duck ride past, and the cow has thoughts about it.
Who This Book Is For
Each animal has its own corner of the farm, and each one has its own verdict on the bike.
The book is listed at ages 3 to 7, and it works especially well for the kid who has come up with an idea no one else has tried yet and has to defend it against every adult in the room. Each animal on the farm makes a different kind of refusal, and the kid who has heard them all from parents, teachers, or older siblings will know exactly which one is talking on the page.
It also works as a read aloud for any kid who has a farm in the picture books, who has a grandparent who raises chickens, or who has been told no about a small idea recently and is still thinking about it.
Why It Works for Kids
David Shannonβs classic picture book is fun, a little cheeky, and very farm-fresh. Kids love spotting each animal and asking what they think bikes are for. Adults love the small lesson hiding underneath the fun, which is that not every new idea needs a permission slip. Recommended for ages 3 to 7, but really, anyone with a sense of humor will enjoy this one.
The ending carries the book. After a whole spread of refusals, the page turns and every animal is on a bike. The kids who have been listening to the refusals get the joke before they get the words, which is the part that lands.
Not every new idea needs a permission slip. β Duck on a Bike
Learn More About This Book
Official & Community
- Scholastic Book Page (publisher)
- Reviews on Goodreads
- David Shannon (author site)
- David Shannon on Wikipedia
Frequently Asked Questions
What age is Duck on a Bike best for?
The book is listed at ages 3 to 7. It works especially well as a read aloud for kids who can name the farm animals and who like spotting each one as the page turns.
Is this book different from No, David?
Yes. No, David is about a kid testing every boundary the parent has drawn. Duck on a Bike is about a duck who does one small thing and the rest of the farm reacts. Same illustrator, very different joke.
What books are like this one?
If your child likes Duck on a Bike, try Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, Click Clack Surprise by the same team, Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein, and The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson.
Why do kids like this book?
The humor is in the refusals. Each animal gives a different reason why the bike is not for them, and the kid who has heard those reasons from adults gets to laugh at every one. The page turn at the end is the payoff.
