Sunday, December 2, 2007

Mama Zooms


Cowen-Fletcher, Jane. Mama Zooms. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1993.

Mama Zooms is the story of a young boy and his mother, who happens to be in a wheelchair. The boy sits on his mother’s lap and as they “zoom” various places, he imagines himself as a racecar driver, a pilot, a train conductor, and much more. In the end, Mama zooms the boy into bed, and that’s how he likes her best.

The story portrays people with physical disabilities in a positive light. The mother and son have a great relationship and do many fun things together. The illustrations are done with pastels and colored pencils, depicting the young boy sitting on his mother’s lap in seemingly realistic positions. The father is also present in the story, helping the boy to push his mother up steep hills.

One stereotype I saw within the book was that the mother had strong arms from all her “zooming.” Not all people that use wheelchairs have great-upper body strength. Jane Cowen-Fletcher does not have a physical disability herself; however, her sister uses a wheelchair.

Overall, I found this book to be beneficial for young children. I think it would help them to realize that people who use wheelchairs can go the same places that people without physical disabilities can.

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