The Cycling Wangdoos

PreS-Gr 1—The Cycling Wangdoos, a racing team, train in the mountains of Tibet. Their six-person bike seats the largest rider in front and the smallest in the back, with a yak mascot on the rear bumper. Things are fine until the smallest rider decides to stop pedaling: "It just isn't fair for me here in the back/To do quite so much work hauling them and a yak!/ And besides, they're strong and I'm so very small/If I rested my legs, they won't notice at all." Somewhat predictably, other riders follow suit, and they soon suffer the consequences of slacking off and failing to contribute to the team effort, with one notable exception. While some of the rhyming text works, there are spots where it falls into a singsong, overly arch tone. The book has a definite Dr. Seuss flavor but without his seemingly effortless, light touch. The colorful cartoons are fun but not especially memorable. Most collections can pass on this title.—Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL