The Cycling Wangdoos is an imaginative and fun rhyming tale of an unlikely cycling team and their off-track lesson in teamwork. It will take you on a thrills and spills fun-filled ride from the first page to the surprise ending.
When Kelly Pulley was very young he dreamed of being a cowboy, unfortunately he didn’t have a horse, a hat or a rope, so his range riding dreams were temporarily corralled. He did have a Deluxe 64-count box of Crayola Crayons with a built-in sharpener — so instead of cow poking, he became an artist. Now Kelly is a full-time writer and illustrator of children’s picture books. He teaches and entertains kids with his humorous books and inspires them to discover their own creative voices through his YouTube videos. He has illustrated numerous children’s books including many in the Best-selling Beginner’s Bible and Veggie Tales series.
He has authored and illustrated several picture books, including the outlandish and wacky Ten Unusual Features of Lulu McDunn (Gauthier Publishing), and the humorous, Bicycle-themed Bicycling Rules of the Road, and The Cycling Wangdoos, (Schiffer Publishing).
Kelly is also the author of the inspirational Magnificent Tales series, Food for a Fish — The Whopping Story of Jonah and the Whale, Good News of Great Joy — The Amazing Story of Jesus’ Birth, The Biggest and Toughest — The Short Story of David’s Big Faith, Daniel for Lunch — The Tasty Tale of Daniel in the Lion’s Den and Treasury of Bible Stories — Rhythmical Rhymes of Biblical Times (David C. Cook).
Kelly writes, illustrates, films, directs and edits, original stories and poems weekly for his YouTube channel, Kelly Pulley’s Storybook Studio.
His illustrating clients include: Zonderkidz, Worthy-Ideals, David C. Cook, Lifeway, Wiley Publications, United Methodist Publishing House, The Clever Factory, Studio Fun International.
Most children have been exposed to team sports and contests. Football, basketball and hockey come to mind, as well as swimming relays, tug of war and team cycling. The Wangdoos, a six seated cycling team have a renowned winning reputation, but, they are only as successful as their weakest link. The team, seated in size order from largest to smallest, learn the lesson that each member's contribution is needed for overall success. They learn the hard way by getting bumps, lumps and bruised pride.
"The Cycling Wangdoos" is an engaging, humorous book sure to appeal to primary school age children. The artwork is excellent. The use of rhyming words and concept of size order provide multiple teaching opportunities. "The Cycling Wangdoos" by Kelly Pulley would be a welcome addition to any school or home library.
Thank you Schiffer Publishing Ltd. and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "The Cycling Wangdoos".
*** Note: I received review copy of this story via Edelweiss. Many thinks to Publishers and author. ***
It is very important to teach children how to work in team with sportsmanship in this competitive world. I liked the beginning of the book telling about what Wangdoo means.
Beautiful colorful illustrations.
I loved their 6 sitter bike and yack on the rack rear. Children will definitely love these pictures. Story was written in rhymes that children would love to read and hear again and again.
The end was funny and at the same time teaching lesson.
It tells about that no one is working more or less or more important than others while working in team and you should put your attitude and egos aside while working in team or it can cost not only to team but also to you and all other individual.
It was kind of story that should be there in kids school library.
This is a really terrific book for kids, with the creator hitting the sweet spot of vivid, fun illustrations, text that sounds great read aloud (with rhyme, rhythm, and zany words to keep kiddy interest), and a nice story flowing through the pages. Excellent stuff all around.
Having read a lot of single-creator kids books lately (ie where the author is the illustrator, rather than having a separate author and illustrator) where the pictures have been great but the words just so-so, it was fantastic to find this one, where the words and images are both equally fun and full of life.
This makes THE CYCLING WANGDOOS rise above many of the other kids books out there, for me, as it provides delight for the little readers through things to look at and point out in the fun and colourful illustrations, and also through the sounds of the words being read to them (or them reading aloud themselves, as they get older). Fun squared.
On another level, beyond the fun rhymes and cool pictures, it's also a great tale about teamwork and trying your best - told in a fun rather than preachy way, which will help it sink in even more.
This is a 4+ star read which I'd have no hesitation recommending to friends and family. I can see me and Miss 2 reading and re-reading it lots in future.
I have a son who is a cyclist and has been for many, many years. He even participated in the 100 mile race to the summit of the tallest mountain in North Carolina - Mt. Mitchell. I also have a daughter who loves to swim, run, and cycle (a tri-athlete). Well, this book is about cycling and a family that cycles.
Kelly Pulley has written a rhyming story about teamwork and pulling together illustrating it vividly with pictures of the family/team that are so funny and that completely express what the characters are experiencing and who they are. Basically speaking, the storyline tells that if one member of the team quits working as a member of the team, it affects the attitude of each of the other team members until finally the team fails and they all suffer the consequences.Ykes! In the case of cycling, the consequences can be rough!
The rhyming cadence is very good but seems to miss a beat here and there. Still very good. I absolutely love picture books with a storyline that has rhyme and reason and rhythm to it (not really the 3'rs but a good 3'rs). Kids will totally see the value of teamwork after reading this.
A very good read-aloud book for children ages 3 to 10. But kids ages 7 to 10 will enjoy reading it aloud themselves. I can see kids of this age really enjoying it, BUT for kids from a family of cyclists, I think the interest would be tremendous.
The Cycling Wangdoos by Kelly Pulley was donated to the school library by Gauthier Publications on behalf of www.FrogLegsInk.com and the author Kelly Pulley. Much appreciation to them for this kind donation. ISBN: 978-0-9820812-1--1 $16.95
It takes practice to work together. And when something is a team event, or a group project the minute one person stops helping things start to fall apart. I like this book, even the ending. The illustrations are funny and the rhymes are catching.
My daughter giggled her way through this one and loved going back to point out the yak. [I think she just liked saying the word.] The illustrations gave her lots to look at while I read. This is a fun, clever way to teach kids about teamwork. There are a couple of spots where the rhyme seems to get stuck, but all in all, it is easy to read.
The Cycling Wangdoos is a beautifully illustrated story about the value of teamwork. The rhyming prose was easy to read and had my six year old and three year old hooked. They both absolutely loved the yak mascot.
The Wangdoos learn a hard lesson about what happens when one doesn't do their share of the work. While the message is very clearly presented to young readers, it never crosses the line of being heavy-handed. Young readers are left to think about how the story is going to unfold, how it could have turned out differently, and how they might react in a similar situation.
The Cycling Wangdoos is a great book to help kids understand their power as an individual in the world as this story and message can be related to any number of circumstances.
I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
This is a great book for kids. It has everything that makes a great children's book including fun rhyming text, great illustrations and a message to round it all out. My grandson loved this story, especially the yak.
The story starts by telling the reader that the Cycling Wangdoos are a winning team, but they are only as good as their weakest member. When the smallest Wangdoo decides not to pedal anymore, there is a chain reaction ending in bumps and bruises. The illustrations in this book are wonderful. The expressions on the characters and animals are priceless. You also get a bit of a look at the countryside of Tibet. The story itself is silly, yet tells the story in a way that is easy to understand and not preachy. I can see this being a favourite in any household or classroom. One I definitely recommend. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.
I really enjoyed this picture book and so did my children. Loved both the pictures and the message in this book about teamwork. They rhyming text made for a great read aloud. This is a book I'll keep on our read aloud shelf.
They Cycling Wangdoos by Kelly Pulley will be released in April.
I won a copy of this book via goodreads firstreads.
RATING: 3 STARS 2017; Schiffer/Schiffer Publishing (Review Not a Blog)
This is a good story for children to learn about sportsman and doing things as a team, but I am not sure that the story is that entertaining for young kids. At least, I had a hard time finishing this picture book. The illustrations were okay.
The Cycling Wangdoos by Kelly Pulley is a beautifully illustrated story about the value of teamwork. The rhyming is tastefully done. I read this book to my students ages 7-12. They really liked this book.
The Wangdoos learn about the importance of teamwork the hard way. Throughout the story the Wangdoos learn that each person has to do their part to keep the bike and success going. The message of the story is evident, which causes young readers to think about the overall message.
This book teaches a great lesson, that no matter how small one contributes to the group as a whole-the group is only as strong as its weakest member. Kids will appreciate the careful, fun illustrations. When one is part of a team, one has to do one’s part no matter what. The rhyming text will surely hold the attention of children and is perfect for reading out loud. I would love to add this book to my classroom library.
I give this book 5/5 stars
Thank you to Schiffer Publishing Ltd. and Shaffer Kids via NetGalley for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of The Cycling Wangdoos.
I initially requested because of the odd title - and the fact that there was clearly a yak on the back on the bike - I figured my 6 year old would find it rather interesting - and that he did!
I had a little bit of difficulty with reading it on the Nook, as the title of the book was covering some of the words, but I didn't let that stop me from enjoying the story. It's a really easy read - my 6 year old didn't get caught up on any of the words significantly. The story rhymes smoothly, and the illustrations are fantastic! It's a great opportunity to teach kids that they have to work for what they want to achieve in life. The team lost their race because they sat back and let others do the work for them instead of working altogether. I am not sure if this is the full book - but I feel like it ended in a really strange spot.
When I first viewed the cover, without reading the description, I went into thinking this book was going to be some kind of 'be kind to all animals book'. And it is nothing like that.
I opened this book and immediately the author told me what Wangdoo is and explained the topography of Tibet. As the adorable rhyming begins, we learn many valuabe lessons...don't be selfish... never give up... it only takes teamwork. This is all given to us under the guise of the silliest cycling race I've ever seen. And while we giggle because the illustrations are wonderfully hilarious, it is showing us what can occur when we don't follow bicycle saftey guidelines. This will be useful for part of a storytime hour as well as for classroom discussion. This book is awesome! 'ARC reviewed for Schiffer Publishing Ltd. and New Galley'
I read this book with a two- and a five-year-old. There was a little too much text on some of the pages to keep the two-year-old's interest. But they mainly seemed to enjoy the pictures. The theme (teamwork is important) is great and the rhythm of the rhymes was very nice. I'm not sure if my ARC was damaged in some way but the book ended really abruptly; it would have been nice to do a wrap up of realization that everyone was doing their part rather than having the book end at the trophies.
This is a great book to add to any collection. The rhyming pattern hooked our two boys. I loved that the title stressed the importance of teamwork by showing what happens when each person stops pitching in and doing their part. The colorful illustrations enhance the book and are sure to be a source of laughter.
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This is an excellent book that shows the importance of teamwork. The story is very good and I loved the images, the fact that it rhymes is great, it keeps interest and can see it being a favourite read. 5 stars
The Cycling Wangdoos is an imaginative and fun rhyming tale of an unlikely cycling team and their off-track lesson in teamwork. It will take you on a thrills and spills fun-filled ride from the first page to the surprise ending.
Goodreads Summary
This book teaches a great lesson, that no matter how small one contributes to the group as a whole-the group is only as strong as its weakest member. Kids will appreciate the careful, fun illustrations. When one is part of a team, one has to do one's part no matter what. The rhyming text will surely hold the attention of children and is perfect for reading out loud. This book is perfect for children up to the age of eight.
The rhyming text, the unique Wangdoos and their yak, and the overall not-too-preachy message about teamwork make this a great story for children ages 5-8. It also has a rhythmic pace with repetitive phrasing making it a great read-a-loud for family story time. As I read it, I read it out loud so that I could enjoy the sounds. Also the yak mascot is an adorable surprise. (Advance Reading Copy provided by LibraryThing Early Reviewers)
Great kid's (age 5-9) book reminiscent of Dr. Seuss. My kids love to listen to rhyming books and they laughed out loud at this one. The message was good too- that each member of a team needs to pull his weight in order to succeed. Cycling fans will love the illustrations.
I won this as a First Reads Goodreads book. Highly recommend.
I won this book from Goodreads.com. this was an excellent children's book basically about pulling your weight. All of the Wangdoo's start out cycling to win the race then one by one decide to let the others work while they rest. Soon no one is cycling and someone else wins. They realize that its easier if everyone does their best and does their job to get it done. Cute for all ages.
Really cute story! Received this as a First Reads and really enjoyed it. The illustrations are incredible and the story has such a good message while being a fun read.