I Cannot Draw a Bicycle
I believe this is the second “I Cannot Draw a…” book. We are usually skeptical of a “derivative book” being able to maintain the success of the first book, and we have not read “I Cannot Draw a Horse” at this point, but this book seems to hold its own. It is entertaining, though it is one of the books that my little one never asked for a second time.
The illustrations are simple, they are not stick figures but they feel like 2D stick figures, and the illustrations portray a lot of motion or energy and a fast or slightly chaotic pace. There is a geometrical aspect to the drawings, things seem to be made up of the same simple shapes, which I assume is intentional based on the narrative and the first book. The cat tries to draw different things based on one simple shape, a shape that makes up the cat’s and the horse’s body. The story seems a bit loud for us, which may be why my little one didn’t ask for it a second time, and it’s slightly confusing who is talking at certain times (I believe the narrator is interacting with the cat though even after reading it more than once it was still confusing), but overall, it’s entertaining.
Cautions: The only thing we noticed, and it is not a big deal or a reason to skip the book, but the way it is drawn, especially with the dialogue balloons in all caps and a bright color, it makes the story feel loud or aggressive or a bit chaotic.
