ALA Booklist

Pett follows up his warmly lyrical The Boy and the Airplane (2013) with this story of a girl who spots a new bicycle in a store window and starts working and saving to claim the prize. The girl's industriousness and ingenuity paint an appealing portrait of her so that, when things at first seem to end in disappointment but are then restored through simple acts of generosity and affection, children will be riding right along with her. Pett's wordless, full-page illustrations and the old-timey flavor of his style and palette make the tale all the more poignant.

Horn Book

Hoping to earn enough to buy a bike, a girl with little brother in tow, embarks on moneymaking gambits. Her early attempts--lemonade stand, toy sale, couch cushion searches--come to naught...and then there's a twist. The muted color palette and retro touches complement the old-fashioned tone of this wordless book. The spare illustrations offer a surprising wealth of narrative nuance.

Kirkus Reviews

A girl spies a gleaming bike in a shop window and decides to earn enough money doing yardwork to buy it. This wordless, retro book (the girl's molded curls, turtleneck, plaid skirt and Mary Janes definitely come from another era) champions both grit and kindness, but it seems mighty bleak at times. Moody cement-gray papers, nearly colorless illustrations and a cast of cold adults make the girl's determination and her working relationship with one kind neighbor all the more moving. Much of Pett's engrossing narrative is relayed through characters' limbs, eyes and brows, as many times they simply don't have mouths. The blank effect of a face without a smile, smirk or frown carries unexpected weight, delivering a sense that the character struggles to withhold or manage emotions. And talk about emotions! After working for the same spectacled lady for months earning money raking, planting and cleaning, the girl rushes to the store only to find her bike already sold. Many young readers may reel just imagining such staggering disappointment and be further boggled by her angelic decision to purchase a tricycle for her small brother instead. Never fear, a Capra-esque ending awaits. Like an old black-and-white movie, this companion to The Boy and the Airplane (2013) will remain charming and relevant—the old story about what you get when you give never really gets old. (Picture book. 4-6)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

As in The Boy and the Airplane, Pett-s sepia-tinted drawings draw little attention to themselves in this companion book, quietly supporting his wordless story in a way that allows it to unfold smoothly. The girl of the title, often seen with her younger brother in tow, spots a bicycle in the window of a toy store and resolves to buy it. In a moment typical of Pett-s understated comedy, she thinks hard about how to earn enough money while her brother sits on the floor with the family cat on his head. The girl knocks on doors and finds an older woman living alone; together, they do yard work through the winter and into the spring. When at last she goes to buy the bicycle, it-s gone. In a moment that would be saccharine if not made credible by the story-s Jimmy Stewart-esque underpinnings, she uses the money to buy her brother a tricycle (Her hard work doesn-t go unacknowledged, though.) It-s not easy to celebrate simple virtues in an age of irony, but Pett succeeds. All ages. Agent: Kerry Sparks, Levine Greenberg Literary Agency. (May)

School Library Journal (Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

K-Gr 3 On a walk with her brother, a girl spies a beautiful bicycle in a store window. Determined to buy it, she counts her pocket money, hunts for loose change, and sets up a lemonade stall. When it's still not enough, she does odd jobs for an older neighbor until, over the course of many months, she save up the needed sum. Rushing to the store, she discovers the bicycle has been sold. Thankfully, two acts of kindnessfrom her neighbor and from the girl to her brothergive this charming wordless picture book a happy ending. The book has a retro appearance, with its sepia tint and line drawn cartoon characters. Women on the street wear hats and fur coats, and the men wear hats, suits, and ties. The only color in the illustrations is the green bicycle. This simple story has a lot to recommend it and offers much to discuss. Saving pocket money, doing extra chores to earn cash, and delaying gratification are all worthy themes. Discussing the girl's possible emotions, which are not always clear from her facial expressions (she's sometimes drawn without a mouth) and predicting what she will do next are also ways an adult can elicit discussion and build children's comprehension and speaking skills. A good addition for public and school libraries where staff actively promote choices that are not always obvious.— Michelle Anderson, Tauranga City Libraries, New Zealand