Tom's Wild Ride

By: Isabelle Arsenault

Published by Random House, 2026-05-26

Beloved author/illustrator Isabelle Arsenault returns to the Mile End Kids of Montreal in this charming picture book told in comic book-inspired panels about practice, overcoming fears and getting back on the wagon . . . er, bike. A perfect pick for introducing 4-to-8-year-olds to graphic novels.

Tom is ready to take the training wheels off his bicycle, but his friends aren't so sure. How will he convince them that his next stop is the Tour de France?!

Tom won't let a few mishaps keep him from becoming the cyclist he knows he was born to be; that's what bandages are for. But his friends in the Mile End neighborhood think he needs more practice. Helping him train, they build an obstacle course to get ready for the road . . . but when Tom announces he's ready for a longer ride, without training wheels, his friends are overwhelmed with worry! What if he gets lost? What if he falls? What if he just goes and goes FOREVER?
But Tom knows he has what it takes. A combination of experience, grit and determination is all he needs to prove to his friends he's ready for the ride of a lifetime!
Join Tom and familiar faces Colette, Maya, Albert, Jimmy and the rest of the gang on a Mile End Kids adventure in this beautiful picture book told in graphic novel-style panels from Isabelle Arsenault, one of Canada's most beloved children's illustrators.