Real Life Rickshaws!!

                  Rickshaw Reggie is able to fly around the whole city of Chicago in one night, showcasing some of its most iconic neighborhoods while giving Charlie and his grandma the ride of a lifetime. Lucky them.

                  But did you know that there are close to 100 real life rickshaw (or pedicab) drivers who pedal around Chicago every day? On a sunny morning, little Miss B and I had a chance to meet two of them: Dale and Dan. They gave us some insight into the cheers and gears of rickshaw driving and treated us to a rollicking ride we’ll never forget!

                    Rickshaw Dale, a graphic design teacher by trade, was inspired to drive a rickshaw while touring the Mayan ruins of the Yucatan peninsula. His wife thought maybe the hot Mexican sun had gotten to him, and never gave it another thought. But that didn’t deter Dale who came home and met Dan, a seasoned veteran of the bike lanes, who introduced him to the ins and outs of the job.

                  “I always loved riding my bike,” says Rickshaw Dale, “Even as a young boy. Riding my bike is the closest I’ll ever feel to flying.”

                  Flying around the city, offering tours and scenic routes to tourists and locals alike took some practice. On his first night out, Dale actually lost money. As the years have gone on, however, and with Dan’s help, Dale now owns his “trike”—equipped with LED lights, phone charging station, customized music, sun shade, and decorative giraffe—and enjoys the extra income while keeping fit.

                  “Buckingham Fountain is my office,” he explains, “I get to enjoy the beauty of Chicago in the summer, keep fit, meet nice people, and spread joy. No one ever has a bad time on a ride.”

                  Dan couldn’t agree more about the perks of the job.

                  “I ride my tricycle around the city and talk to people,” Dan says with his trademark 400-watt grin. Everybody knows Dan, and they all like him too. He’s even connected to rickshaw drivers around the country who use Facebook to swap tales. Like his friend down in Florida who pulled Shaquille O’Neal the other night—and didn’t even realize who it was!

                  On our ride with Rickshaw Dale we passed the brunch crowds of West Fulton Market while enjoying gorgeous views of the skyline and the fresh air. Dale has a friendly wave and a howdy-doo for everyone we see. A typical day for him starts at the Willis Tower and winds around the Loop, the lakeshore, and Buckingham Fountain. At $10/rider plus mileage and tips, it might be more of an investment than bus fare, but his customers appreciate the chance to learn about the city from a new perspective. It’s about the experience, never just the destination.

                  Rickshaw Dale grew up in the Portage Park neighborhood (featured in Rickshaw Reggie!) and has loved this city his whole life. Next time you’re looking for a unique way to explore the city, or for a friendly local to spin a yarn or two, he hopes you’ll flag him, Dan, or one of their other driver friends down for a ride!

                  But what did little Miss B have to say about our ride?

                  “I really enjoy driving around in rickshaws. Even if they don’t fly!”

                Are you interested in taking a rickshaw ride? Come to the book launch! See the facebook evite or e-mail the author: kathleen.dragan@gmail.com for more details!

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to check us out at www.rickshawreggie.com and follow along on Twitter: @RickshawReggie

Pilsen reads!

Children who grow up with more books at home end up with an average of three more years of "schooling" than children with fewer books, independent of other factors including education and occupation of their parents. (Source)

And yet, 61% of low-income families have no age-appropriate books in their home.
There is only one book for every 300 children in low-income neighborhoods.
How can we change this in Chicago? What obligation do authors have to bridge this gap?

As we began to envision what a proper "launch" event for Rickshaw Reggie would look like, one theme became clear: it had to give back to the communities featured in the book.

One way we are trying to achieve that goal is by combining the event with a book drive for Pilsen Community Books and the Pilsen Reads project.

(All photos in this post courtesy of Pilsen Community Books, used with permission)

Pilsen Community Books is everything you would want in an independent bookstore. It's in a charming space, has well-read and engaged owners, a great location, and creative events.

That's not all. They've set up a whole new business model with a mission to promote literacy in their neighborhood.

Pilsen Community Books accepts donations of books to be redistributed to local schools or to be sold as used books with the proceeds directly benefitting the same program. And they're donating A LOT.

So far they've donated 1,664 books valued at $6,106.00 and benefitting more than a 1000 local students!

We're so excited to be partnering with Pilsen Community Books and supporting them through a book drive at the Rickshaw Reggie Chicago Neighborhoods book launch block party!

How does it work?:

Simple. While you're making room on your bookshelf for your brand new copy of Rickshaw Reggie, go through your adult or children's books and find some that you would like to donate.
All books are accepted with four exceptions: NO encyclopedias, magazines, pre-collegiate textbooks, or cigarette-soaked books, please.

Bring the books to the launch and be entered into a raffle for a free signed copy of Rickshaw Reggie, just for donating!

Can't make it to the launch?
Check out Pilsen Community Books at their 18th St location! (Hint: You can use your Pilsen/Chinatown Map from Rickshaw Reggie Chicago Neighborhoods!)

Read more about their story online: http://www.pilsencommunitybooks.org/

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to check us out at www.rickshawreggie.com and follow along on Twitter: @RickshawReggie