Mama Zooms [Paperback]

Jane Cowen-Fletcher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1995 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

A small boy, with the aid of his energetic mother, her wheelchair ""zooming machine,"" and a bit of imagination, pretends that he is on a train, a spaceship, and more. Reprint. PW. SLJ.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When a toddler sits on his mother's lap, he pictures himself transformed into a jockey racing across green lawns, a ship captain negotiating stormy seas, a smooth race car driver, a pilot whipped by wind in an open airplane, a train engineer peering down a dark tunnel. But this is no ordinary lap of pretend, because Mama has a "zooming machine"--a wheelchair that transports mother and child to work and play and, best of all, far away realms of the imagination. Cowen-Fletcher's full-page pastel and pencil illustrations, frequently enhanced by the use of close-ups, depict within crisp outlines an energetic boy in changing costumes and appropriate positions on his mother's knees. A sense of motion that provokes joy makes it easy for little ones to join in the zooming from morning to bedtime, when "Mama is just my mama, and that's how I like her best." With mother and son obviously relishing their every moment together, youngsters will warm to this unusual and commendable book--an unaffected portrait of a physically challenged individual. Ages 3-6.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-- It's natural for a young boy to think his mother is omnipotent. Add to that the fact that she's wheelchair mobile and the pair have some wonderful adventures. On his mother's lap, the narrator imagines himself a jockey, a sea captain, a racing-car driver, a pilot, a train engineer, and an astronaut. Anchoring these exploits and tying them to reality is his father, who puts the child on his mother's lap in the morning and pushes her up the "very steepest hills." Rather than being a fully fleshed-out story, the poetic text describes the action in the full-page drawings done in pastel and colored pencils. "Mama zooms me through a puddle and she's my ship at sea. Mama zooms me across a bridge and she's my airplane." The pictures feature an attractive woman, her costumed son, and her manually operated vehicle. Some are closeups, while others show an entire scene. Children will tune in to the fantasy and enjoy the speed and energy captured in the artwork. The large type and simple sentence structure are appropriate for beginning readers. Best of all, this understated book presents a positive image of a physically challenged individual. --Nancy Seiner, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (December 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590457756
• ISBN-13: 978-0590457750
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #432,340 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mama Zooms, November 27, 2000

By 

Jennifer Mac Monagle (Citrus Heights, Ca United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mama Zooms (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)

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!!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What is a zooming machine?, March 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Mama Zooms (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)

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

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great way to look at a wheelchair!, December 19, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Mama Zooms (Paperback)

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!