Zoom!

You might expect a book about a girl in a wheelchair to have some socially correct message -- something about how the "differently abled" are people, too, so we should all be nice to them. Or maybe how we should try to imagine life from their perpective, so we can count our blessings. Yada yada yada. So it's refreshing that "Zoom!" doesn't try any of that. Rather, it simply uses a girl's need for a wheelchair as the basis for a fun story. The girl, Lauretta, wants a FAST wheelchair, and when she gets one, a series of fast-paced scenes ensue. More than most kids books, "Zoom!" has ACTION. My kids, now 4 and 5, never ask, "Why is she in a wheelchair?" or anything like that, they just accept that she is. They love this story for its lively story and colorful, expressive, pictures. It's fun to read out loud, with "sound effects" built into the story like "Blam! Blam! Blam!" and "Zooooooooooooom!"

My daughter adores this book! She checked it out of the school library so many times the librarian asked me if she would consider reading something different. I decided to purchase her own copy to avoid conflicts. She reads it constantly. I adore the fact that Robert Munsch has the foresight to reflect real life children in his books. The star of this story is a little girl in a wheelchair. As soon as I see Robert Munsch as the author of a book, I know that we are in for a great story with good humor and the story will take us on a fun ride. My daughter knows this too. Keep up the great work!

Once I saw a Munsch book that dealt with a child in a wheelchair, I just had to get it for my daughter. We just got her first wheelchair and it was a great book to not only have her look at the pictures, but to read to other friends and family that see her in her chair and I see they are curious about it. It was a fun book and it's great to see a book out there that shows children with a disability having fun. I'm sure once she outgrows the wheelchair she has now, she will want a super fast one just like the girl in the book! Umm, thanks. :)

Kids will love the fast paced action of this story. Instead of suggesting that Lauretta is "confined" to a wheelchair, as so many authors unfortunately do, Munsch recognizes the sensational independence that the wheelchair brings to this spunky young girl. Highly recommended for all!

You don't have to know anything about disabilities to enjoy this book. And although it's a little text-heavy for his age, my barely three year old grandson loves it because the fun style, humor, and lively action hold his attention. It's great!