Review sponsored by Scott and Jannine Fitzgerald
The Children’s Book Review | November 10, 2015

B is for Bicycles

Written by Scott & Jannine Fitzgerald

Illustrated by Kathleen Hanson

Age Range: 4-8

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Buddy Pegs LLC. ( 2015)

ISBN: 9780996251402

What to expect: Bikes, Bike Riding, Alphabet, Dogs

Veteran bicycle shop owners Scott and Jannine Fitzgerald have penned a new alphabet picture book, B is for Bicycles, that is dedicated to promoting a healthy cycling lifestyle. Two dogs and their animal friends lead readers through an alphabet adventure that promotes health, safety, community and the great outdoors.

The book is filled with fun bicycle facts that are appropriate for the most novice bike riders all the way through to bike enthusiasts:

“G is for Gears that help us pick just the right speed.

Shift down to go up hill, shift up to take the lead!”

And …

“X is for X-up, a cool trick to do in the air.

First learn to jump safely, before practicing tricks with care!”

Bicycle safety, especially for children, is encouraged through the use of helmets and learning the meanings of various different road signs.

The nice watercolor illustrations offer a lot for readers to explore. The color scheme combines the greens and blues of the great outdoors with industrial grey for the bike parts and bright popping colors for the bikes and alphabet letters.

Young cyclists will be inspired by the message to live a human-powered lifestyle and the adventures that being on a bike can lead to. Ultimately, this hardcover picture book will appeal to young explorers and the more mechanically minded, as well as the rad kids that like to use their bikes to jump and do tricks.

Add this book to your collection: B is for Bicycles

About the Authors

Scott and Jannine Fitzgerald (formerly Witte), first became friends in 1998 in Jackson Hole Wyoming. Jannine, originally from Long Island, NY, and Scott, originally from the Boston suburbs, had both moved west after graduating college in order to seek bigger adventures in the Rocky Mountains. Jannine graduated Hobart & William Smith college in 1994 after majoring in Geology, and Scott graduated from University of Vermont in 1995 with a BS in Business Administration. Both Scott and Jannine worked a variety of ski town jobs before their love of bicycling gave them a career path.

In 2002, Scott opened a one man bicycle repair shop in downtown Jackson Hole, Wyoming. In that same year, Jannine decided to take a 3 month bicycle tour of Mongolia with two other women. While preparing for her trip abroad, Jannine spent more and more time at Fitzgerald’s Bicycle Repair learning how to become her own mechanic. The apprentice / mechanic relationship soon grew into something more.

After returning from Mongolia, Jannine began dating Scott and helping out around the shop in between other jobs and bike rides. By 2004, Scott and Jannine were both working at the bike shop full time and forming the team that would grow the little one man shop into one of the top Nationally recognized bicycle retailers and the largest bicycle store in the Teton region. From 300 square feet to 6000 square feet, Fitzgerald’s Bicycles grew along with Scott and Jannine’s relationship with each other and the bicycle.

After running the shop successfully for 14 years, Scott and Jannine decided to re-focus their work efforts on for profit, National bicycle advocacy. So, in 2015, they sold Fitzgerald’s Bicycles and launched their new company, Buddy Pegs LLC. Buddy Pegs is driven to inspire change by sharing the power of the bicycle. To start with, they are creating children’s experiences that turbo charge the bike industry by infusing a passion for bicycles in young kids and adults alike. Their first product offering is their beautifully illustrated, hardcover children’s alphabet book B Is For Bicycles.

Now parents of a 5 year old boy, Scott and Jannine are even more driven to inspire the next generation to enjoy a life with the bicycle. A life of health, freedom, independence, self-reliance, self-confidence, and environmental stewardship. Look for the Fitzgerald’s to take a lead in childhood bicycle advocacy through their new company.

About the Illustrator

Kathleen Hanson grew up riding horses and bikes with her family in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley. After documenting her childhood in drawings, Kathleen knew she was destined for a life surrounded by art. She briefly diverted into a forestry career but was soon drawn to life in the Tetons where she was lucky enough to be able to integrate her love of the outdoors and outdoor activities with her art.

Kathleen loves to illustrate, be it architectural renderings, graphic design, marketing, landscapes, or children’s books – although the latter is her favorite, not least because it offers an outlet for all the fun and silly images in her head!

Together with her sister Meghan, Kathleen provides high quality illustrations, renderings, and graphic design to a wide variety of clients.

When not drawing for fun or for work, you can find Kathleen outside hiking, running, skiing and riding her bike with her husband Steve!

See more of her work at hansonillustration.com

Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. The authors of “B is for Bicycles,” Scott and Jannine Fitzgerald, sponsored this non-biased review. Learn more about getting a book review …