I Cannot Draw a Bicycle - by Charise Mericle Harper (Hardcover)

About the Book

The Horse wants a bicycle.
A bicycle is hard to draw.
The Book cannot draw a bicycle.
But the Book CAN draw shapes.

Can the Horse and the Cat build a bicycle from shapes? Or will their dreams end in pieces?

Featuring the same quirky contemporary voice and kid-friendly comic illustration style as its predecessor, I Cannot Draw a Horse, this children's metafiction book is an art lesson about creativity and determination, wrapped around a humorous narrative. Readers who have enjoyed other fourth wall--breaking books like B.J. Novak's The Book With No Pictures will appreciate the interactive elements in this book for children ages 3-8.

Praise for I CANNOT DRAW A HORSE

"Creative an loaded with humor, this story will have kids giggling in seconds and trying their hand at drawing a horse--or at least a gumdrop." --Booklist (starred review)

"Part Ed Emberley, with a dash of Pigeon, and entirely meta." --Kirkus Reviews

"Harper's illustrations make so much of so little, using a very limited palette and simple shapes, inviting readers into an artist's notebook. With a little imagination and some paper, 'nothing' can become quite something. --Horn Book Magazine

"An easy-to-read text with exclamatory speech bubbles and pictorial antics will tickle funny bones in this off-kilter circular story." --School Library Journal

Book Synopsis

The Horse wants a bicycle.
A bicycle is hard to draw.
The Book cannot draw a bicycle.
But the Book CAN draw shapes.

Can the Horse and the Cat build a bicycle from shapes? Or will their dreams end in pieces?

Featuring the same quirky contemporary voice and kid-friendly comic illustration style as its predecessor, I Cannot Draw a Horse, this children's metafiction book is an art lesson about creativity and determination, wrapped around a humorous narrative. Readers who have enjoyed other fourth wall--breaking books like B.J. Novak's The Book With No Pictures will appreciate the interactive elements in this book for children ages 3-8.

Praise for I CANNOT DRAW A HORSE

"Creative an loaded with humor, this story will have kids giggling in seconds and trying their hand at drawing a horse--or at least a gumdrop." --Booklist (starred review)

"Part Ed Emberley, with a dash of Pigeon, and entirely meta." --Kirkus Reviews

"Harper's illustrations make so much of so little, using a very limited palette and simple shapes, inviting readers into an artist's notebook. With a little imagination and some paper, 'nothing' can become quite something. --Horn Book Magazine

"An easy-to-read text with exclamatory speech bubbles and pictorial antics will tickle funny bones in this off-kilter circular story." --School Library Journal

Review Quotes

"Cannot Draw A Bicycle will have everyone giggling while encouraging imagination in this laugh-out-loud book on your summer reading list." --Daily Mom

"Charise Mericle Harper returns with another humorous, metafictional picture book about creativity . . . . Harper taps straight into the preschool funny bone, making I Cannot Draw a Bicycle an excellent choice for read-aloud storytime. With its spare text and clean, inviting design, this book also functions well for early readers. And by fostering shape recognition and an understanding of geometry, I Cannot Draw a Bicycle provides an excellent base for encouraging young artists to draw their own cat, horse or--who knows--maybe even a bicycle!" - Bookpage

About the Author

Charise Mericle Harper is the award-winning author and illustrator of numerous children's books and series, including the Just Grace series, the Fashion Kitty series, and the Next Best Junior Chef series. Harper's signature wit, kid-friendly illustrations, and wholly original style have made her a familiar name with caregivers, educators, and librarians looking for books that encourage imagination and showcase art education. Charise lives with her family and furry pets in Portland, Oregon.