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P L AYhood and education. The appropriatenessof toys, far from being a technical feature,
emerges as profoundly political, something fundamentally socially constructed.
The Handbook of Developmentally
Appropriate Toys, then, should not beread by educators as a recipe book, withsimple instructions for one-size-fits-all
educational solutions. We should readit, instead, as an atlas, which offers us
detailed maps and relevant data of thevast territory that is the world of toys. It
is a tool that contains suggestions, recommendations, and examples. But, ultimately, it delegates to our own contextual
judgment and expertise the difficult taskof deciding what criteria define appropriateness and what approaches are able
to encourage forms of developmentallyappropriate play.
—Mattia Thibault, Tampere University,
Tampere, Finland
Two Wheels Good: The History
and Mystery of the Bicycle
Jody Rosen
New York: Crown, 2022. Prologue,introduction, acknowledgments, notes,
photo credits, and index. 338 pp. $28.99,
hardcover. ISBN: 9780804141499
As much as we include the bicycle in ournostalgic recollections of fun and youth,
for the past two centuries this contraption has played—and still plays—a majorrole in the practical activities of people of
all ages and all places. As Jody Rosen, apop culture and music critic whose works
have appeared in the New York Times
Magazine, New Yorker, Slate, and otherpublications, informs us in this idiosyncratic but charming book, there may be
a billion automobiles worldwide, butthere are two billion bikes, and they havemostly serious functions. Though car
culture dominates most nations, Rosen
reminds us that, “Around the world, morepeople travel by bicycle than by any otherform of transportation” (p. 5).
Two Wheels Good consists of a usefulhistory of the bicycle from its invention inGermany in 1817 to the present, plus an
unconnected series of chapters and essaysthat focus on uses of the bike in various
international contexts to highlight what
Rosen says are “some different stories”(p. 14). Though he does not overlook
ways bikes have evoked controversy andunfriendly reactions, especially from automobile drivers, Rosen is a true enthusiast
able to wax poetic at the mention of a twowheeled, human-powered vehicle. To him,a “bike ride is better than yoga, or wine,or weed” (p. 17). Beyond this euphoria,
Rosen identifies uses of the bicycle thatare rarely considered. For example, in one
chapter he relates that prospectors during
the Klondike gold rush of the 1890s freed
themselves from depending on costly draft
animals by riding bikes in their search
for a strike. In another chapter, he notesthat in Bhutan, one of the world’s more
mountainous countries and one where
paved roads are scarce, there nevertheless has been an official effort to makethe country a “bicycling culture.” Rosen
also introduces readers to the joys andchallenges of bike races and expeditions,such as the Bikecentennial, in which morethan four thousand riders pedaled from
Astoria, Oregon, to Yorktown, Virginia, in
1976 to celebrate the two hundredth anni-

Book Reviews

versary of the signing of the Declarationof Independence. And, he also expands
his coverage to three-wheeled vehicles
by recounting his experiences riding in arikshaw in oppressively crowded Dkaka,Bangladesh, dubbed the “rikshaw capitalof the world” (p. 221).
A few years ago, I was cruising on
the Seine in France when I witnessed ayoung man on the shore heave his bike
into the river, a scene that illustrated firsthand Rosen’s point that today waterways
in France, England, and The Netherlands
have become common depositories forunwanted or stolen bicycles. (I think thefellow I observed had fallen off his bikeand gave it a watery burial in a fit of anger.)
So Rosen is cognizant of both the abuses
as well as the uses of this universal vehicle.
Rosen’s book is replete with information
like this, as well as his own experiences,that make it an engaging read.
A disappointment for me is that
Rosen barely mentions the importance ofbicycles to childhood and play. Not until
page 252 does he make the point that “achild’s first bike ride . . . enacts the flightfrom the clutches of adult caretakers.” Asanyone who grew up riding a bike canattest, this simple invention has been central to a youngster’s quest for freedom.
True, a kid might have used it to run
errands for the family, but mostly theirride was one of escape to join peers in acts
of independent play and joy. Rosen’s use ofrecollections of such acts of release frominterviews and autobiographies or, better
yet, from young people’s own voices would
have enriched the book.
—Howard P. Chudacoff, Brown University,
Providence, RI

Cosplay: A History
Andrew Liptak
New York: Saga Press, 2022. Foreword,
introduction, acknowledgments. 368 pp.
$24.99, paper. ISBN: 9781534455825
Andrew Liptak’s Cosplay: A History discusses the development, creativity, andplayfulness of fan costumes. In recentyears, cosplay (the dress-up and reenactment of fictional characters) has become
more popular at conventions and socialmedia. By now, it is a well-known practice within fan cultures and also known by
outsiders. Liptak’s book explores the history of these cultures in detail. Through its
many examples and cases, it paints a lively
picture of these cultures, as well as theirparticipants and their passion for costuming. The book provides insider views
as well, drawing from Andrew Liptak’sexperience as a journalist, historian, andmember of the costuming organization ofStar Wars’ The 501st Legion.
Cosplay: A History discusses thelong history of cosplay and cosplaying,including such traditions as Halloween.
Cosplay’s development happened alongside the growing popularity of fan conventions. Different competitions, groups,and scenes emerged and gradually became
more international, as Liptak explains.
Recent trends in cosplay are discussed aswell. Cosplay, for instance, is increasinglymediated by internet platforms. Liptak
discusses the different technologies thatdrive cosplay and are used to create communities, share tutorials, photoshoots, andnew types of content. How have online
forums, social media, and gaming contributed to the success of cosplay? Liptak
traces the development of these different

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