Booklist (04/01/2025):

"Grades 2-4 As August's grandpa Paolo prepares for his "secret dream," a 600-mile bike tour, Auggie's best friend, Nour, cooks up a plan for the kids to join Paolo's adventure. Nour is desperate to avoid "another slow, sweaty, uninspiring summer," and the road trip satisfies Nour's dream of traveling the world while also offering animal-loving Auggie plenty of time in nature. Their neighbor, 76-year-old Aïda, merrily drives the group's support vehicle, and the road trip provides ample opportunities to model helping and to explore less traditional STEAM-based activities, including birdwatching, photography, route finding, and yurt construction. This third book in the Kaleidoscope Club series, translated from French, jumps right into the plot with fairly sophisticated language (e.g., reconnaissance and shell middens) and features stylized color illustrations throughout. Nour's chipper first-person narration, coupled with generous margins and spacing between lines, helps the 13 chapters whiz by faster than Grandpa Paolo's bike trip, and an endnote lauds cycling as environmentally sound. A lively multigenerational pick for fans of adventure, STEAM, and friendship tales. COPYRIGHT(2025) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED."