Noodles on a Bicycle
Written by Kyo Maclear
Illustrated by Gracey Zhang
Published by Random House Studio
Ages 4-8
Available August 27, 2024

Everyday, kids in the neighborhood look forward to cheering on, chasing, and admiring the deliverymen precariously balancing high stacks of noodles with one hand while biking with the other as they leave for their daily deliveries. Based on the real life cycling deliverymen, known as demae, prominent in the 1930s to 1970s, this picture book follows these skilled workers as they navigate crowded city streets feeding the city. Through the playful perspective of a group of children, readers see the demae at work, “whizzing past other bicycles, soaring around curves, cresting hills, avoiding potholes” (p 15). As the sun sets, the children return home pleading for soba noodles, only to have their father, a cycling deliverymen himself, bring home noodles for everyone. 

Maclear draws from her childhood experience living in Nishi-Ogikubo, downtown Tokyo, as she reimagines Tokyo with demae speeding around street corners. Using repetitive language, alliteration, and onomatopoeia, Maclear immerses readers into the bustling city streets. The plot is light and simple, and the acrobatics of the cycling deliverymen will have readers of all ages captivated. The playful, accessible language is accompanied by Zhang’s paintings, which appear as colorful, sketch-like vignettes of a child’s day following the delivery bicyclists. Endnotes include an author’s note about the history of soba delivery service on bicycles and a glossary of some Japanese words. This beautiful picture book tells a love story about the lesser known heroes of Tokyo’s past, leaving readers of all ages in awe, wonder, and joy.