Mama Zooms

This is a sweet story about a boy spending his days with his mom, zooming here to there, playing make-believe the whole way. When she zooms him down a hall, he's a train conductor, that sort of thing. His mother zooms him in her wheelchair, but that's only shown in the illustrations, not discussed. There is a mention that "we love ramps", but the fact is that able-bodied children love running up and down ramps too, it doesn't say explicitly "Because Mama can't get up the stairs". This sort of presentation is, I think, very important in normalizing disability. Books that make a big deal about the subject can serve to make it seem scarier and stranger than it actually is. This book, by contrast, is a storybook, nothing more. I really recommend this to any child, especially any child who knows anybody who uses a wheelchair.

I love this book, I am a mother of a beautiful daughter and I am a paraplegic the frist time I read this book I cried. Because right now I am just mommy and someday soon my baby will come to me with questions, and now I will have a way to help her better understand the answers. I highly recommend this book to anyone with or without a disability, children or not, it's wonderful!!!

Cowan-Fletcher, Jane. (1993). Mama Zooms. New York: Scholastic. This picture book is a positive portrayal of a mother with a physical disability, yet does wonderful fun things with her little boy, even "zoom him to the stars". The father is involved and facilities their pretend activities of a racecar, airplane, and train, even a space ship. The soft, warm pastel illustrations strengthen the emotional warmth of the story. The mother is attractively dressed and coifed-even to the two earrings in each ear. The little boy wears the outfits of the pretend characters. Happiness, excitement, mother-son love exude from each illustration. This book is for children ages 5-8 and could be a bedtime story for younger children. After a long day of "zooming" there is a tender picture of the mother holding her sleepy son. I especially like the picture on the flyleaf- the mother in her zooming machine holding the little boy and the father holding the little boy's hand---a happy family. K

I use a wheelchair or scooter, and have a 5 year old son who loves to ride on my lap. I've given this book (I buy them in bunches!) to teachers, friends and libraries so they can begin to understand life and parenting in a wheelchair. Kids love the special treats (like zooming down ramps!) that only Moms on wheels can do! I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because it mentions how strong Mama's arms are from using the chair; many of us aren't strong and it reinforces the stereotype that people using wheelchairs have superior upper-body strength.

I was given this book [I have a w/c] and my son and I LOVE it! She puts a warm spin on an otherwise cold subject: living with a wheelchair. A must read for those who know someone in a chair - it helps see the possibilities and not the impossibilities!