Author Brenna Jeanneret on Girls Who Dare to Ride- plus a GIVEAWAY! « Lydia Lukidis
Author Brenna Jeanneret on Girls Who Dare to Ride- plus a GIVEAWAY!
Hello world!!
Welcome to my kidlit blog, Blissfully Bookish. This week, I’m delighted to feature a nonfiction picture book that celebrates girls who dared to ride, challenge expectations, and make their mark on two wheels. I’m especially happy to feature this book because Brenna is a member of one of my book promotional groups. Please say hello to Brenna Jeanneret, here to tell us about A Bike Is Not Just a Bike: An Ode to Girls Who Dare to Ride, illustrated by Michelle Pereira, and published by Gloo Books.
BUT first- YAY! Brenna is generously giving away a FREE a signed copy of her book! Simply comment on this blog- contest ends October 2, 2026.
Please describe the journey to publication and inspiration for this book.
Hi Lydia! Thank you so much for having me on your blog!
I actually wrote A Bike Is Not Just A Bike several years ago for a short nonfiction contest. It was a much shorter version of what the book is now. I did not place in the contest but I felt really good about the story I wrote. An important sidenote here, even though the piece did not place in that contest my personal belief in it is what pushed the draft further and ultimately ended in publication. Just a note to anyone reading who might be in a moment of despair, if you believe, it’s possible.
The book took shape as an ode to my parents and how they handled my ADHD back in the 80s. We didn’t know as much about ADHD then. When medication zonked me out, my parents pivoted and gave me a bike (basically). Physical activity has been my coping mechanism ever since.
What message would you like the book to impart to children?
More than anything, I want kids––every kid––to know they can do anything.
Please paste a short and compelling excerpt from your book.
“Focus is just focus. Unless you were a girl on a bike. Then it was called ‘bicycle face’.”
The bicycle has historically represented freedom and independence for women. How did you explore that idea through a child’s perspective?
Making this idea kid-friendly came from the idea that the bicycle itself was performing a kind of alchemy. Depending on who sat on the bike, it was either an innocuous object (boys) or a polarizing symbol of freedom (girls). I took that idea and ran with it highlighting parts of the bicycle and the women riding them that would resonate with kids.
What is your writing process and does it vary depending on the project?
I’m a pantser, in writing and in life, haha! My writing process always starts with an idea. The idea has to have enough inspiration to get me to the computer to write it down and if that happens the rest is sort of like trying to capture a lightning bug! I’m just along for the ride and a lot of it depends on feel.
I will say that once I’ve drafted a longer work, like a novel, this way, the revision process is a lot more locked in. I do have to become a bit of a plotter to make sure things make sense!
Please share your favorite books from the last 5 years that inspired you.
I loved How NOT To Make A Jelly Sandwich by Ross Burach, How To Pee Your Pants: The Right Way by Rachel Michelle Wilson and This Book Is Definitely Not Cursed by Megan Woodward and Risa Rodil.
For nonfiction I loved, Up, Up, Ever Up! Junko Tabei: A Life in the Mountains by Anita Yasuda and Yuko Shimizu, First Ascent: The Epic Yosemite Rock-Climbing Rivalry of Royal Robbins and Warren Harding by Kate Messner and Stevie Lewis.
What is the best piece of advice you would give to other writers?
This industry is hard. Really. Hard. If you need a break, take one. But know this, if you believe, anything is possible.
And a bonus question just for kicks! What was your favorite book when you were a child?
What song would be the theme song for your book?
I absolutely LOVED The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. And I think the song that sums up my book best is Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill.
Bio
I am a neurodiverse children’s author and member of SCBWI. My debut, The Law Of Birthdays (2024) was published by Cardinal Rule Press, A Bike Is Not Just A Bike (Gloo Books, July 2026), which was recently featured in the School Library Journal by Betsy Bird, and the forthcoming The Dudes of Disposal (Tielmour Press 2027). I am also the co-host of the popular Kidlit podcast You May Contribute A Verse. When I’m not writing, you can find me rock climbing, snow boarding, or road-tripping in and around ColoRADo with my husband and son in our VW van.
Links
brennajeanneret.com
@brennajeanneret on IG and Bluesky
https://gloobooks.com/products/a-bike-is-not-just-a-bike?srsltid=AfmBOopr02Rar0FTqCy8-9aO4nAYF1h6JY3Nxv0ivaG5zh7S9_IkIhoM
