What could be better on a Sunday afternoon than a nice bike ride through the woods to breathe some fresh air? Nothing. Stilton's word, Geronimo Stilton, editor of the Rodent Echo, the most famous newspaper on Mouse Island, protagonist of a series of children's books, translated into 50 languages and - according to Wikipedia - with over 180 million copies sold worldwide (35 million in Italy alone). "Operation Clean Air" (Piemme, 144 pages, from 2019, magically appearing in a book crossing) tells his latest adventure, this time on two wheels.

"Helmet securely fastened", "in the company of his family", Stilton was pedaling with his grandchildren Benjamin and Trappy "up and down the Happy Hills just outside Mouseville". He pedaled and puffed. "While I was pressing on the pedals calmly, no, very calmly, actually with extreme calm (I'm not a daredevil mouse!), the kids were having fun zooming back and forth at full speed!" The grandkids encouraged him, he begged them: "Wait for me!", he squeaked. "I started pedaling with more force... but just as I was about to catch up with them, my grandkids disappeared". They had slipped into a tiny path between the trees, "extremely narrow and full of rocks and holes!" Not only that. "The path started climbing extremely steeply!"

It's always like this on a bike: some go faster, some slower, and that little extra is a lot, neither the encouragements of those going faster nor the effort of those going slower are enough. "Why" - Stilton wondered - why couldn't we take a quiet walk on a nice wide, smooth, flat road?! Fortunately, my grandkids had reached the top of the hill and stopped. When I reached them, I was tired, exhausted, completely worn out!"

Uncle Stilton got five minutes to catch his breath. "I leaned the bicycle on the grass, took off my helmet and found a flat rock to sit on". Finally. "I was about to rest my tail on the stone when..." There's never peace. "Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!". What? "Oh no! There was a bee underneath!" Never mind. "I moved towards a trunk that looked comfortable. But this time too... Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! More bees?! I looked for a little spot on the lawn, but... Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! More bees!" The journalist was almost desperate: "For a thousand cheeses, there were bees everywhere". Until a beekeeper would appear from the woods...

I like Stilton. His simple stories, his fun lessons, his neologisms, his exclamation and question marks even together, his bicycle.