Module 1: Once Upon A Cool Motorcycle Dude

Book Summary

A boy and a girl are teamed up to work on a school project which requires them to tell a fairytale.  Unfortunately they cannot agree as the girl is set on ponies and a princess in a castle, whereas the boy prefers a motorcycle dude who battles a giant.  The result is a comical fairytale "mash-up".

APA Reference

O'Malley, K. (2005).  Once upon a cool motorcycle dude.  New York, NY:  Walker & Company.

 

Impressions

I always enjoy a humorous story and this book delivers!  Although the characters take on very stereotypical roles - the girl likes princesses, ponies, and love stories, the boy likes motorcycles, giants, and conflict - you can't help but smile at their bantering.  The illustrations were created by three separate artists; one to portray the girl and boy as they narrate throughout the story, another to create the images of the girl's fairytale, and another to create the images of the boy's fairytale.  I thought this was a brilliant way to emphasize the character's differences!  A fun read for both girls and boys!

Professional Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

Young readers who have ever been forcibly yoked to a rival for some class project will glory in this contentious oral report. Unable to agree on a folktale to tell their classmates, a lad and lass decide to make it up as they go. She starts, with Princess Tenderheart-rendered by Heyer in flowing silk gowns and blonde tresses-pining for her beloved ponies, which are being stolen one by one by a giant. Gagging, the storyteller's companion proceeds to add a huge dude who roars up on a chopper to provide protection, and to battle a giant that, in Goto's testosterone-soaked oils, is green but far from jolly. Meanwhile, instead of passively sitting by spinning straw into gold, the Princess starts pumping iron . . . and on the tale seesaws, to a more or less happily-ever-after. The unusual collaboration among illustrators works seamlessly, with O'Malley supplying the storytellers, and Heyer and Goto the characters on separate pages or spreads. This disarming, funny and not agenda-driven dig at the hot-button issue of gender differences is likely to excite plenty of giggles-and perhaps some discussion, too. 2005, Walker, 32p, $16.95. Category: Picture book. Ages 6 to 9. © 2005 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

[Review of the book Once upon a cool motorcycle dude, by Kevin O'Malley]. (2005, March 15).   Kirkus Reviews, 73(6), 356.  Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kevin-omalley/once-upon-a-cool-motorcycle-dude/.

Booklist 

A girl and a boy create a fairy tale in this lively picture book. The girl starts first, with a story about a princess and her eight ponies, while the boy interjects comments: "Please . . . don't call [the pony] Buttercup." When the boy has had enough, he steps in with a sword-wielding, motorcycle-riding hero who battles a giant, while the princess is assigned the boring job of making thread. Fed up with these developments, the girl delivers the final plot twist, turning her princess into a warrior who sends the giant scurrying back to his cave. The fun in this picture book comes in the contrasting styles of the illustrations, which include contributions from Carol Heyer and Scott Goto. The girl's story features bright colors, flowers, and long golden locks, while the boy's story is done in the dark, taut-muscled style of comic books. Throughout, O'Malley depicts the girl and the boy reacting to the twists of the plot. A funny take on the age-old battle of the sexes, with an ending suited for the new millennium. Category: Books for Middle Readers--Fiction. 2005, Walker, $16.95, $17.85. Gr. 3-5.

Morning, T. (March 15, 2005).  [Review of the book Once upon a cool motorcycle dude, by Kevin O'Malley].  Booklist, 101(14), 1294-1295.

Library Uses

This would be a good book to pair with a writing assignment.  Because the book is somewhat open-ended it is conducive to a sequel or more conclusive ending.  After reading the book aloud to the students, they could write an ending (or sequel) from either the girl's or the boy's point of view.  Alternatively, you could create pairs of boy/girl students to create an ending/sequel.

Book cover image from:  https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kevin-omalley/once-upon-a-cool-motorcycle-dude/