Remember when you were a kid and your parents didn’t have to force you to play outside? You just went, because that was where the fun and friends were waiting! That [fantastic] feeling is captured in Valerie Bolling and Sabrena Khadija’s new picture book:
Valerie, everyone who reads this blog loves to hear origination stories. Where did your idea for RIDE, ROLL, RUN: TIME FOR FUN! come from?
The idea for RIDE, ROLL, RUN: TIME FOR FUN! came from a similar place as that of my previous books, LET’S DANCE! and TOGETHER WE RIDE. I notice what children enjoy doing and write about those things. Children love to move, play, and have fun. They enjoy being with other children.
The first version of the story took place on a playground, the next was set at an amusement park; and then—at the suggestion of a friend—I decided to make it about children being able to play right in their neighborhood. They can walk outside—grabbing a ball, jump rope, or chalk—and start to have fun with their friends!
I love that—immediate fun!
Why is it important to show kids in their own neighborhood?
It’s important to show kids in their own neighborhood because that’s where play often happens and where community is built. It can be fun to travel outside of one’s neighborhood, too, but it’s not necessary to have fun. Children can enjoy themselves right outside their home.
Yes! That’s how we did it back in the day…outside until the sun went down!
Besides “play-is-where-you-are,” what other messages do you hope to impart with this story?
I would add “play-is-who-you’re-with,” and “play-is-whatever-your-mind-can-imagine.” I want children to understand from an early age that they can play with anyone in their wonderful community. (Be inclusive.) I also want them to know that there are no limits to what they can play. They can make up games and the rules. (Be imaginative.) Exercising our creative minds is as important as exercising our bodies when we play.
You touched on a little of why play is so important to developing minds; care to delve further?
I’m sure a doctor could provide a much more in-depth and research-based response, but I’ll share my thoughts. When children play with others, they have to communicate, collaborate, and cooperate. This requires children to exercise their minds and use negotiation and problem-solving skills. When students use their imaginations to play games, they expand their mind muscles. In addition, physical play develops healthy bodies, which, in turn, leads to healthy minds.
As someone who is disabled, I was interested to see you had a character in a wheelchair on the cover of your book. Is that something you had planned or was that an editorial or illustrator choice?
It was my goal to have the children in this book represent a variety of backgrounds, but I’m not sure I explicitly mentioned creating a character in a wheelchair. I’m so glad that character is in the book though and am not sure if the credit goes to the illustrator or editor. I can tell you that when I submitted the manuscript, I included a note that said, “The illustrator should utilize her/his/their creativity, but my goal for this book is to convey a sense of community with children from diverse backgrounds,” so perhaps that provided the inspiration. In my book, LET’S DANCE!, I made a specific request that there be a child in a wheelchair because I’d been at a wedding where a young man in a wheelchair was “getting down” on the dance floor. Out of my three currently published books, two have characters who are in wheelchairs, and they are just as active and having as much fun as their peers.
What’s next for you, Valerie?
In 2023 readers can look forward to the sequel to RIDE, ROLL, RUN: TIME FOR FUN!, the second book in this “Fun in the City” series, which is about a musical block party, titled BING, BOP, BAM: TIME TO JAM!. In addition, 2023 will welcome TOGETHER WE SWIM (check out 2022’s TOGETHER WE RIDE, if you haven’t done so yet), and my Scholastic Acorn early reader series, RAINBOW DAYS, about a girl and her dog who love to create art. So far, I have one title to share for 2024, I SEE COLOR, which I co-authored with Kailei Pew.
Congratulations, Valerie! Thanks for sharing your newest title with us.
Blog readers, we are giving away a copy of RIDE, ROLL, RUN: TIME FOR FUN!
Leave one comment below about what you loved to play outside as a kid. (Me? Kick the can, frisbee golf and Chinese jumprope.)
A random winner will be selected at the end of the month.
Good luck!
Valerie Bolling is the author of the 2021 SCBWI Crystal Kite award-winning and CT Book Award finalist LET’S DANCE! Valerie has been an educator for almost 30 years. Immersed in the writing community, Valerie is on the faculty at Westport Writers’ Workshop and a member of SCBWI, the Authors Guild, NCTE, and ILA. She is also a 2020 WNDB Mentee and a 2022 WNDB Mentor as well as a member of Black Creators HeadQuarters, The Brown Bookshelf and Highlights Foundation’s Amplify Black Stories, and 12X12 Picture Book Challenge. In addition, Valerie is a member of three co-marketing groups—Kid Lit in Color, Soaring 20s PBs, and PB Crew 22—and three picture book critique groups. Valerie and her husband live in Connecticut. Get all her links and connect with her here: linktr.ee/ValerieBolling.
46 comments
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October 21, 2022 at 9:22 am
Lucky Jo Boscarino
Kick the Can, Building Forts
October 21, 2022 at 9:29 am
Kelly Bennett
Excellent Valerie! Love the energy of your post—as playful and engaging as your books!
October 21, 2022 at 9:51 am
Joan Swanson
I love this concept of children playing with one another and exercising their social skills and problem solving skills. Thank you for writing!
October 21, 2022 at 9:52 am
Hannah Roy LaGrone
Love the fun and inclusiveness here! When I was a kid we loved jumping on the trampoline in the backyard. 😊
October 21, 2022 at 9:53 am
JenFW
I loved playing tennis . . . with a power line across the road as the net!
October 21, 2022 at 10:18 am
geigerlin
Bravo to outdoor play! My parents had a baseball diamond on our property; a popular draw to neighborhood children.
October 21, 2022 at 10:46 am
Joyce Uglow
Your PB ideas roll into PBs beautifully.
October 21, 2022 at 10:54 am
jennifercowanwriter
Communicate, collaborate, cooperate- yes! My friends and I loved rollerskating. We’d change out the wheels (green and sparkly for me) and tie fat Pom Pom balls (green, again) to the toes and fly down the hill of my cul de sac, intentionally crash landing in a neighbors bushes to break the fall. Thanks for conjuring up that memory! And congrats on all of your success!
October 21, 2022 at 11:02 am
Andrea Denish
This is great! I always told my kids about the days when we would play outside with other neighborhood kids. Still electronics won out 😦
Loved jumprope and lemon-twist! (who remembers?)
October 21, 2022 at 11:40 am
Lynn Baldwin
Congrats on your new book, Valerie. I loved playing made-up games w/neighborhood friends as a kid.
October 21, 2022 at 11:53 am
Judy Palermo
Oh my gosh, all I remember is going outside to play! There were so many kids on my block, we always played team games. Kick ball, hide and seek, relay races — you name it, we played it.
October 21, 2022 at 12:03 pm
Rita
Congrats, Valerie! You always do such a great job of capturing the wonderful whimsy of childhood play in your books. One of my favorite outdoor toys was the Lemon Twist/Lemon Skip Ball. (Yes, I remember @AndreaDenish!)
October 21, 2022 at 12:05 pm
Pat Finnegan
RIDE, ROLL, RUN generates such enthusiasm, and I’m sure many readers, young and old, will connect with the characters and their activities. Your books are loaded with energy and love – Just like you, Valerie!
October 21, 2022 at 12:08 pm
rosecappelli
Congratulations, Valerie! My favorite as a kid was double dutch and hula hoop, neither of which I could most likely not do now!
October 21, 2022 at 12:24 pm
Gabi Snyder
Congrats, Valerie! I loved playing kick the can, hide and seek, and freeze tag!
October 21, 2022 at 12:54 pm
Jilanne Hoffmann
Congrats, Valerie! I loved hunting mushrooms in the woods and racing corn cobs in the creek on my parents’ farm.
October 21, 2022 at 2:53 pm
Bethanny Parker
I wish I could get my kids to play outside. All they want to do is play video games and watch YouTube.
October 21, 2022 at 2:55 pm
lynnbmaccom
I/m very much looking forward to reading this book! I grew up in the city and played outside all the time. Anyone remember those asphalt playgrounds? I loved punchball and, well, climbing around on that asphalt playground!
October 21, 2022 at 3:22 pm
Debbi G
Kickball in the street– every night after dinner! Somehow there were always enough kids outside for a game.
Looking forward to seeing your book!
October 21, 2022 at 3:53 pm
chardixon47
Congratulations Valerie! Dodgrball and jump rope–good times! Looking froward to your new book!
October 21, 2022 at 4:56 pm
Danielle Hammelef
We loved to play baseball (with a tennis ball), tag football, and hide-n-seek.
October 21, 2022 at 6:51 pm
Heather Stigall
A few things we enjoyed playing outside were Ghosts in the Graveyard, hide & seek, playing superhero (my mom made us capes), riding our bikes, climbing trees, and exploring the creek. Can’t wait to read your latest book, Valerie! Congrats!
October 21, 2022 at 8:27 pm
Ava
Looking forward to reading this book! I loved riding my bike just around the driveway and drawing on the sidewalk with rocks!
October 21, 2022 at 8:33 pm
seschipper
Congratulations, Valerie! I love all of your books! We were always playing outdoors. Hopscotch was a favorite, Red light, Green light, Jump rope and double dutch! When the street lights came on, we knew it was time to go in! 🙂
October 21, 2022 at 8:59 pm
Chelle Martin
We were always playing outside–riding bikes, jump rope, tag, or swings. Fun days. Nice to see a book that encourages children to be creative and have fun. I like that you have the wheelchair, too.
October 22, 2022 at 8:10 am
Sue Heavenrich
This is such a fun book – all of Valerie’s books are great fun to read aloud to kids, and they encourage movement, which is great for wiggly listeners.
October 22, 2022 at 8:12 am
katiemillsgiorgio
How great…thanks for sharing!
October 22, 2022 at 10:44 am
kurtzmom548513
I grew up on a farm and we lived outside and enjoyed a one hundred acre playground .Valerie’s book definitely took me back to those days. It’s so good to see a book that celebrates the importance of playing outside.
October 22, 2022 at 11:46 am
Pamela Harrison
I love the concept of this delightful book! It brings back such wonderful memories from my childhood. My neighborhood friends and I played outside all summer and after school during the rest of the year. We had such fun making up games and being active with each other. Congratulations, Valerie, on your amazing book.
October 22, 2022 at 12:35 pm
marty bellis
This idea takes me back to my childhood, where jumping rope, putting on ‘shows’ for moms and younger siblings, and playing hide and seek till the streetlights came on, were all big parts of neighborhood life. Hope this book gives children of today that desire to just go out and play. Great topic, Valerie!
October 22, 2022 at 1:15 pm
seahorsecoffeeelektra79018
We girls loved jump rope, especially during recess and lunch hour on our school playground. In our neighborhood we played hide and seek and enjoyed hop scotch. Well, not the boys so much but we girls loved it.
October 22, 2022 at 4:20 pm
Rebecca Van Slyke
I love this! I rode my bike (sparkly banana seat with ape-hanger handlebars!) and played hide-and-seek with the neighbor kids until WELL after dark.
October 22, 2022 at 4:47 pm
Darcee A Freier
I remember summer evenings playing hide and seek all up and down the block.
October 22, 2022 at 8:00 pm
Abigail Perry
I heard you speak at the virtual scbwi conference last year! You rock!
October 23, 2022 at 8:30 am
Lindsey Aduskevich
This is one of my favorite interviews!! RIDE, ROLL, RUN! is a fantastic book to get children outside. We loved playing hopscotch during the day and flashlight tag at night.
October 23, 2022 at 11:51 am
Kathy Watson
Love it! We played Ghost in the Graveyard in the neighborhood at night. It is backwards hide-and-seek where one kid hides and everyone goes to find them.
October 23, 2022 at 1:28 pm
Antoinette Truglio Martin
Great interview. I love Valerie’s books!
October 23, 2022 at 5:46 pm
Arlene Schenker
I loved roller-skating on my “dead end” street with friends and yelling at any cars that turned onto the street: “You can’t come down here. It’s a dead end!” We wore the keys for the roller skates around our necks. The book looks great!
October 24, 2022 at 10:38 am
Shannon Fossett
I loved our neighborhood games of hide and seek and riding bikes in the dirt lot!
October 24, 2022 at 11:46 am
Sandy Lowe
My favorite thing about playing outside was the freedom of being in the great outdoors rather than the sometimes boring indoors.
October 24, 2022 at 2:22 pm
Patricia Toht
Congratulations, Valerie, on this book and all those that you have coming! I loved running bases. Tried to explain this to a kid the other day and failed miserably at conveying the satisfaction of running back and forth/playing catch for hours at a time…
October 25, 2022 at 11:41 am
Sylvia Mary Grech
Jump rope! Hopscotch! Congrats Valerie.
October 26, 2022 at 2:51 pm
Nancy Ferguson
What a great post! I remember playing red rover and because we were in Pittsburgh and all the houses had steep hills we’d fly through the arms and have to run down the hill, too.
October 26, 2022 at 6:00 pm
Stephanie D Jones
This is great fun! I loved make believe games – the swing set became a pirate ship, or a circus – but also many forms of tag!
October 28, 2022 at 10:49 pm
Kathy Doherty
Such an active, energizing story!
November 4, 2022 at 11:18 pm
Elayne
Val, your books always have such great energy and joy! Congrats on what looks like another sure winner!