THE BIKER GIRLS

Three South Asian girls find empowerment through cycling.

Sophie and Maya, avid cyclists, meet up with Zoey to teach her how to ride. Zoey’s excited but hesitant; her parents allow her brothers to ride but don’t permit her that freedom. As the other two lend Zoey a helping hand, Maya notes that she had to convince her parents, though Sophie’s lived in places where it was more common for girls to ride. After a wobbly start, Zoey becomes a confident rider, and the girls get together on weekends at the park to cycle. One day Sophie suggests they ride in the city. Faced with crowds, zooming traffic, and the startled looks of passersby unused to seeing girls cycling, they’re uncertain—and worse, a group of overexuberant boy riders knock Sophie over. Back at home, Zoey’s father is upset to learn the girls were riding in the streets, but when Sophie’s mother suggests that there’s safety in numbers, the trio are prompted to start a bike club to encourage other girls to join them. Malik sets her tale in an unnamed city likely inspired by her hometown of Lahore, Pakistan. Bright, bold, Technicolor art dominates the pages with pink, orange, and purple skies and flora, lending the tale an upbeat, comic book–like feel.

A spirited tale about finding one’s freedom—and making room for others to revel in it, too.