Customer Reviews

Mama Zooms

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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 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!

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.

This is a beautiful book about a mother and her son sharing their daily adventures together on her wheelchair. This book has all the magic and exuberence a children's book should contain. You won't be disappointed!

This book touched my heart in many ways. As a mother who raised a son while using a motorized wheelchair, it reminded me of the beautiful and unique experiences we had together as mother and child. I bought this book as a gift for my son who is now a father himself. Surprisingly, I too received this book on Christmas from his father, as it reminded him too of a precious and unforgettable time in our lives. Thanks goes out to the author for increasing disability awareness!

When I read this to my classes for the first time, we talk about why Mama would zoom. The kids give all sorts of answers and as we read they continue guessing until someone gets it.
They are all amazed. Every time we get to the "and Mama zooms me to the stars" page the kindergarteners always say..."Can she really do that?" So cute!! :0)

Oh so sweet illustrations and the lovely story of a little boy who "zooms" with his mother, who is in a wheelchair. This book helps children understand that people in wheelchairs and those around them can experience their own adventures. This is a fabulous book for young children to help them with understanding and acceptance of disabilities.

DeeDee Fox, author and illustrator, The Ruby Red Slippers

This has been a fun book for our family. As soon as our son was born, we bought a copy. My wife uses an electric wheelchair, and my son now has a little sister - so, while the story isn't a perfect match - it's still very similar to riding on mommy's zooming machine! My wife drops my son off at school and picks him up, using her wheelchair. They also ride the bus, go to the park, go out to eat, and do plenty of other activities on that "zooming machine"! Written in 1993, the story seems a little dated to me, but there is no other book like this! Great imagery - the words are paired with the author's own pastel and colored pencil illustrations. A great way to show the mother/son relationship - I'd like to see a sequel! A follow up book could give readers more insight on how a mother with a disability cares for her child - expanding beyond just giving rides. I love the ending: "Mama zooms me right up until bedtime. Then Mama is just my mama, and that's how I like her best." All in all a wonderful book and we're glad it's available! Our family also enjoys Zoom! and A Rainbow of Friends.

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.