Ride, Roll, Run Time For Fun!, big, geometric kids playing in the city

We recently got back from a weekend trip to the city. It felt odd simply calling it, ‘the city’ because there are thousands of cities and to give it such a distinctive article makes it seem like it’s special simply by its size. These are some of the random things that puddle through my mind. Ride, Roll, Run-Time for Fun! is a picture book that features bold, geometric shapes and a group of kids playing in a big city. This is rhyming picture book fun that’s going to hammer down enjoyment to pre-k kids through kindergarten.

The enjoyment of the book will cease around six-and-a-half years old. They’ll still enjoy the shapes and colors, but a couple of the older kids in the book will point things out about Ride, Roll, Run that can’t be unseen. Some won’t interpret that at all that way, but a couple will. I was one of the couple, but many more were in that larger category. But first, let’s chat about what those younger kids will like about the book.

The text by Valeria Bolling is a feel-good, optimistic, rhyming good time that will put those young kids at ease. Ride, Roll, Run takes place in a big city, and initially, I thought that the urban setting wouldn’t interest those who live in less populous areas.

The illustrations by Sabrena Khadija are loaded with movement, action, and bright colors. There are also lots of colors that make up the background, details, buildings, and games that the kids are playing. The text is playfully arranged at the bottom of pages in blocks, over the illustrations, or in-between background details. This varied placement will be fun for those young ages to read as they explore the book themselves.

I noticed something after reading the book, I wasn’t sure if it was just me, I woke up on the critical side of the bed, or my very active imagination. Are all of the characters in Ride, Roll, Run morbidly obese? One adult I showed the book to said that they could see why I think that, but that their bigger appearance was only due to the style of illustrations. Another adult didn’t see anything disproportionate at all about the characters. The final adult I asked didn’t see anything at all initially, saw it once I pointed out what I thought, but then said that the younger audience for whom the book is intended won’t even notice the size of the characters due to the playful text and happy colors.

If that’s the intention of the book that’s cool, obese kids want to play and be outside too. For me though, I went back to the city. Kids that live in the city love to play outdoors. Kids anywhere love to play outdoors. I parried that with the observation that stuck in my craw about the possible obesity of the kids in the book and the two just couldn’t get along. Why would a group of kids, who love to play outdoors all be that obese? Wouldn’t exercise make them healthier, and not as many would be obese? Maybe this is a niche book that’s targeting a mainstream audience on body positivity.  

Clearly, I was possibly, maybe, maybe not, overthinking the book. Ride, Roll, Run Time For Fun! is for those early, three to five-year-old kids who simply want to look at kids in the city having fun, playing sports, and being active, but might not overthink it.

Ride, Roll, Run Time For Fun! is by Valerie Bolling with illustrations by Sabrena Khadija and is available on Abrams Appleseed, an imprint of Abrams Books.

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