Incredibly Fast and Not at All Fun
by Tadgh Bentley
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2026. 44 pages.
Review written August 17, 2026, from a library book.
Starred Review
I love roller coasters, so the cover of this book made me laugh out loud.
Here’s the set-up, that takes up the first few spreads:
Many summers ago
the world’s first roller coaster
was invented almost entirely by mistake.All Bear wanted was a quick
and easy way to get from
the stillness of home . . .to the calm of his beehives.
One that avoided the hustle and bustle
of the chattering woods below.Bear called his invention the Honey Runner.
It was a bit steep.The corners took some
getting used to.
And it was way too fast.But he needed the speed to get up the slopes.
During all of these, we see a beautiful autumn forest with roller coaster tracks popping up between a vertical pillar where bear lives and a place on the forest floor with his hives. The start of the track is a vertical drop from bear’s house. There’s another hill and a bend before the track ends.
To Bear’s great surprise, his neighbors – from squirrels to moose, want to try out his invention. And even though they scream with terror, they want to do it again! What’s going on?
Bear tries signs:
It is incredibly
FAST
not at all
COMFORTABLE
and definitely not
FUN
But that doesn’t work at all.
He tries making rules against screaming or riding at night. That also doesn’t work.
Then he tries making the ride even scarier, with loops and twists, but that only brings bigger throngs.
I don’t know if this will delight the hearts of people who, like Bear, don’t understand the appeal of roller coasters – but it delighted me. (I have a theory that if you are exposed to roller coasters when you are in junior high, when your good sense is outweighed by your desire to try new things that your friends are doing – you will love roller coasters forever. I was at that crucial age when I first went upside down in a roller coaster and decided that nothing could scare me after that.)
Bear finally gives up and leaves his invention to the forest creatures who keep swarming it – and finds a new location for his home and hives that have a waterfall between them.
Bear’s cluelessness in not understanding the love other folks have for fast rides is shown rather than told – and it’s a delight! Check this one out to see for yourself and your kids.
Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Picture_Books/incredibly_fast_and_not_at_all_fun.html
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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.
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