Reviews

Lotta's bike by Astrid Lindgren

barbarasg's review against another edition

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5.0

Lotta was my hero when I was little and this was my favorite book for years.

bealittlebrave's review against another edition

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5.0

A friend got me this staple of my childhood for Christmas, and it was as lovely as I remember it to be.

brizreading's review against another edition

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4.0

At the risk of being bludgeoned in the comments, the art is much livelier and beautifuler here than in the Pippi books. Wait, did Astrid Lindgren illustrate her stories as well? Or no? I actually haven't even checked this.

Anyway, Lotta is a girl turning 5. She lives in some charming, small Scandi town. She is gung ho on getting and riding a bike for her birthday. She lies in bed telling her stuffed pig (extremely cute) about these desires - this determination!! She is a very determined little girl. On the day of her birthday, she gets an impressive haul: giant breakfast in bed, giant cake, swing in the backyard, bracelet, some other stuff. BUT NO BIKE. How will Lotta cope? Not well, she's 5. But not, like, godawful terribly; she's not 2.

This book is just a bit too hard for me, German-wise, and just a bit too long for my kid. But, again, it features violence - even blood!! - and that basically ensures its spot in the bedtime book rotation. I mostly admire the gorgeous art.

emkoshka's review against another edition

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3.0

Very cute and delightfully European in its depiction of a sleepy village and the ubiquitous bicycle; what a liberating and joyful part of childhood that was! Lotta is a bit of a brat, but she does have a lot of spunk and self-belief for a 5-year-old.

woolly_moonmoth's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

debnanceatreaderbuzz's review against another edition

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A 1001 CBYMRBYGU.

Lotta is disappointed that she did not get a bike for her birthday. When she sees her neighbor has an old bike stored away in the garage, Lotta concocts a scheme to steal the bike and ride it.
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