The running machine The invention of the very first bicycle

Negley recounts details surrounding the invention of the first two-wheeled, self-propelled vehicle (i.e., bicycle) by German forester Karl Drais in the early 1800s. The author posits that a volcanic eruption (leading to ash-covered skies, a cold summer, food shortages, and lack of properly fed horses for riding) inspired Drais to construct first a four-wheeled--and later a two-wheeled--contraption, without pedals or brakes, that could be maneuvered along roadways with the feet. The writing is succinct and appropriate for reading aloud. Digitally enhanced pencil and cut-paper collage illustrations foreground dark browns and blacks predominantly, well suited to the forest setting and the gloomy, post-eruption skies that dominate the narrative. Figures are drawn in a cartoon style with collage (textured solids and textual materials) often used for clothing and backgrounds. Appended with an author's note that clarifies the facts (and fictions) in the narrative, this will make a good companion to other bicycle-history picture books, including Sarah Nelson's Birth of the Bicycle (2024).

In 1816, the "year without a summer," ash from a distant volcanic explosion renders the sky dark and cold, "from Beijing to Brussels, Naples to New York." Digitally finished multimedia spreads in singed blacks and flame reds signal the effect. Snow appears in July, food is scarce, and horses--the only form of nonhuman transportation--languish. Negley recreates the birth of the running machine, the ancestor of the modern bicycle, as a young German forester named Karl Drais (1785--1851) ponders human-powered travel. An accident that sends two cart wheels spinning in line inspires the inventor, who adds axles and a wooden beam. Explanatory prose describes Drais assembling the parts ("He added handlebars for steering, like reins"). Taken for a public test run, the running machine works. And its success means not just an invention in this tale of ingenuity and persistence, but "wonder in the world again." Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. An author's note cites invented story elements. Ages 4--8. (July)

A quick-witted young man decided that wheels and human legs might replace horses. When a volcano erupted in Indonesia in 1815, it created a "year without a summer." Freezing temperatures and snow were reported across the globe. Crops couldn't grow, and farmers found it too expensive to keep horses. Karl Drais, a forester from Baden, Germany, loved riding on horseback, but he couldn't do so during that grim period. A keen inventor, Karl wondered if he could use wagon wheels to create a machine that would allow people to move swiftly using their own power. He experimented with various contraptions, using parts of an old carriage and assorted bits. After several unsuccessful attempts, Karl devised the idea of placing one spinnable wagon wheel in front of the other, with a seat in between. He added handlebars, and voilà, a human-powered "running machine" was born! (There were no pedals yet.) A crowd gathered to watch Karl take his very first ride as he pushed off with both feet. This fast-paced story will delight young readers, especially enthusiastic bike riders. Negley clearly explains how Karl methodically tweaked his invention; would-be inventors should take note. The illustrations, more cartoonish than realistic, were created digitally and with graphite pencil and paper collage; they appropriately zing with lots of movement. An enticing glimpse into an inventor's process. (author's note, painting of Karl Drais, prototype of the first running machine) (Informational picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.