Review by Booklist Review
In a remote village in India, young Jyoti Kumari loves school and imagines that her father's words, "one day you will go far," will come true. Little could she know how literal those prophetic words will be. The Bicycle Girl is based on the true story of this Dalit family (considered untouchable in the Hindu caste system) and serves as a symbol of how the COVID-19 pandemic harmed the already vulnerable. Jyoti's family values education, which they can barely afford. After Jyoti's father is forced to find work far away and subsequently gets injured, Jyoti and her mother sell their possessions to travel to him. Unable to return home by train, Jyoti must get creative. She buys a secondhand bicycle, loads her ailing father on the back, and rides the 700 miles home. The illustrations depict Jyoti's interior journey--buoyed by gods, spirits, and nonhuman life-forms--as she pushes forward and ultimately succeeds. Back matter provides important context and details about this remarkable young woman and her deep-rooted resilience.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In an uneven tale of perseverance and survival, Thomas and Raj chronicle the 2020 journey of then-teenage Jyoti Kumari, who, as Covid-19 breaks out across India, pedals more than 700 miles on a secondhand bicycle to transport her injured migrant-worker father home. The creators repeat Kumari's mantra--"It's a little hard, but not a lot"--as the teen, with her beloved Pita on the back of the bike, draws strength from elephants and tigers, gods and goddesses. Across saturated scenes, Joshi's lushly rendered digital illustrations incorporate Indian motifs and Hindu iconography: Kumari and her father are lulled to sleep by Vayu, the wind god, and Kumari "fills herself with the aag of Kali," the goddess of time and destruction. Alternating between English and Hindi, urgent third-person text acknowledges the determination behind an act that, in the end, "was very hard.... But means a lot." Extensive back matter offers necessary context. Ages 4--7. (Jan.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1--3--Multiple themes twine through this salute to Jyoti Kumari, a teenager who loyally carried her injured pita (father) on a bicycle over 700 miles from Delhi to their home village of Sirhulli when 2020's COVID-19 lockdown closed India's train and bus systems. "It's a little hard, but not a lot," becomes Jyoti's mantra as she determinedly sets out on the journey with, the authors write, "the grit of a thousand hathis" (elephants) "inside her." Filling herself with the "aag" (fire) "of Kali," she is accompanied in Joshi's illustrations by Hindu sages and deities from Indra to Ganesha, the remover of obstacles; in the art her bicycle is even transformed into a tiger to carry her and her passenger over the sacred Yamuna River. There is a more general underlying message here too, which is made explicit at the end: She was able to complete her legendary trek because she believed in herself. "And that alone," the tale concludes, "will take you far." Along with offering new photos of Jyoti and her family, the back matter cements the quality of her achievement with eloquent discussions of the obstacles she faced--due both to the lockdown and distances involved, and to gender and social expectations related to her family's marginalized status as Dalits, formerly known as "Untouchables." VERDICT An unusual and inspiring variation on the archetypal hero's journey in which personal courage, family loyalty, and the broader cultural context all play equally strong roles.--John Peters
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
In this story based on real events, an underestimated girl fueled by inner strength makes a heroic journey to save her ailing father. Jyoti is a poor young girl from the tiny Indian village of Sirhulli, the child of hardworking parents who support her dream of continued education and a life beyond their village. After Jyoti's pita (father) loses his job and moves far away to continue driving a rickshaw, she's forced to quit school. "With no education there was no hope. She was stuck here. Forever." When her pita is gravely injured, Jyoti, faced with dwindling funds and the sudden Covid-19 lockdown, uses the last of their rupees to buy a used bike and transport him home. Drawing strength from the goddess Kali, she reminds herself that the long and perilous trip--700 miles--is "a little hard, but not a lot." Joshi's zingy digital illustrations in bold, saturated colors incorporate fantastical elements including Hindu gods and goddesses, while Thomas and Raj's concise text incorporates many references to Hinduism contextualized through illustrative details. Backmatter contains a glossary, photos from the real-life Jyoti's scrapbook, and an authors' note that elaborates on the impact of Covid upon migrant laborers in India, as well as the caste systems (Jyoti and her father are Dalit). A stirring demonstration of what we're truly capable of when we believe in ourselves.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
