Picture Book #6: Mama Zooms

Author: Jane Cowen-Fletcher

Illustrator: Jane Cowen-Fletcher

Genre: Picture Book

Sub genre: realistic fiction

Theme: Disabilities in the family

Primary and secondary characters: A little boy and his mom who is in a wheelchair

Awards: N/A

Publication Date: 1993

Publishing Company:  Scholastic INC.

     This book follows a little boy and his adventuresome mama. His mama is unlike most moms though, she is in a wheelchair. The little boy does not see the difference in his mama and the mother chooses not to limit the fun she has with her little boy because of her disability. She zooms her son all around pretending to be a ship while her son is a captain or a racehorse while he is a jockey. With each new adventure there is a colorful illustration that accompanies it bringing out the true meaning of the words. This book could be used in any classroom setting and would help teach the students that it is okay to have a parent who is not exactly like the rest of the parents. The little boy and him zooming mama will steel any heart by the end of the book.
      With inclusion programs becoming more and more popular in schools, students in general education need to be more aware and comfortable with the various disabilities. Books like this one are perfect for introducing those disabilities. After this book is read a teacher could have a "disability station" set up in the room with different challenges someone with a disability may have. There could be a station where the students have to go through a course in a wheelchair or with a cast on their leg. There could be another station where they have to complete a problem with a lot of distractions that someone with a disability like autism might face.