The Patchwork Bike

What's the best fun in the whole village? Riding the patchwork bike we made! 

When you live in a village at the edge of the No-Go Desert, you need to make your own fun. That's when you and your brothers get inventive and build a bike from scratch, using everyday items like an old milk pot (maybe mum is still using it, maybe not) and a used flour sack. You can even make a numberplate from bark, if you want. The end result is a spectacular bike, perfect for going bumpity-bump over sandhills, past your fed-up mum and right through your mud-for-walls home.

Jump aboard The Patchwork Bike and celebrate the childhood freedom and joy of owning and riding a bike! Maxine Beneba Clarke's sparse yet evocative text is delightfully vibrant with irrepressible energy and exuberance. The beautiful illustrations by street artist Van T Rudd cleverly mimic the patchwork bike in his use of paint daubs and recycled cardboard. Combined, the words and pictures highlight inventiveness and creativity born out of necessity, and send a powerful message about the fun and adventurousness that can be found without the need for commercial possessions.

Read wonderfully by actor Zahra Newman, this is an outstanding story that deserves every accolade.

Supporting subscribing educators with engaging hands-on lessons, Story Box Library (SBL) has introduced Units of Work which are comprehensive, thematic and linked to Australian curriculum learning outcomes, encouraging hands-on learning opportunities and collaboration between students. 

The Units of Work include printable resources and SBL story suggestions, ready for the classroom, to be used as a sequence or individually.

STEM Units of Work

3-6 unit is based around FORCE and MOTION and includes use of The Patchwork Bike.

Download STEM Units of Work here

Credits

• Written by

  Maxine Beneba Clarke

• Illustrated by

  Van T Rudd

• Performed by

  Zahra Newman

• Published By

  Hachette Australia

Suitable for

Duration

03:26

Series

Reading Challenges

Awards