Zoom! [Hardcover]

Robert Munsch (Author), Michael Martchenko (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Another rollicking collaboration of Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko, in which young daredevil Lauretta puts her brand-new wheelchair to the ultimate test--and saves her brother!

Lauretta's mother takes her to buy a new wheelchair, but Lauretta isn't satisfied with a regular 5-speed or 10-speed model. No, she insists on the 92-speed, silver and gold, dirt bike wheelchair! When she gets a speeding ticket during a one-day tryout, her parents insist that the wheelchair be returned to the store...until Lauretta's older brother has an accident and only one person can whisk him to the hospital on time--Lauretta, in her amazing wheelchair!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Strong-willed and quick-thinking Lauretta insists on the fastest, most souped-up wheelchair available. While her mother tries to persuade her to choose something a little more sensible, the girl prevails and she gets a 92-speed, dirt-bike model. Her love of speed gets her into some trouble with the police, but in the end, after her brother cuts his finger, she saves the day by whisking him off to the hospital. The watercolor, cartoon artwork conveys Lauretta's adventures and enhances the text. An amusing story with a positive message about young people with disabilities.
G. Alyssa Sadler, Highland Township Library, MI
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 3. It's time for Lauretta to replace her old wheelchair, and she wants one that is fast--the "92-speed, black, silver, and red, dirt-bike wheelchair" model. Reluctantly, her mother agrees. Soon Lauretta is joyfully zooming down the road. Unfortunately, a policeman issues Lauretta a speeding ticket, prompting her parents to rethink the purchase. Then a household calamity necessitates fast transportation, and Lauretta's chair saves the day. Munsch's high-flying fantasy blends humor, hyperbole, and sound effects set down in large print to evoke both silliness and suspense. Lauretta herself is a spunky kid, whose crutches, leg braces, and wheelchair are part of her character, not the focus. The brightly colored, animated art is almost frenetic; it's full of exaggeration and witty details, such as the wheelchair megamart. But what sets this apart, of course, is the story's refreshing, lighthearted approach and its lively, unstoppable protagonist, who, like many kids her age, dreams of going fast, faster, fastest--on a great set of wheels. Shelle Rosenfeld
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Cartwheel (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439187745
• ISBN-13: 978-0439187749
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #838,470 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robert Munsch is the author of more than 25 books for children including The Paper Bag Princes and Stephanie's Ponytail. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and studied to be a Jesuit priest before deciding to work with children instead. He taught in a variety of nursery schools and daycare centers while he earned an MA in Early Childhood Education. In 1975, Munsch and his wife, Ann, moved to Guelph, Ontario. The Munschs have three children: Julie, Andrew, and Tyya (see them all in Something Good!).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, March 20, 2006

By 

P. K. Edwards "Mystery Lover" (Urbana, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Zoom! (Paperback)

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!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zoom, July 20, 2004

By 

Janet Ann Collins "Writer and Speaker" (California, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zoom! (Hardcover)

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!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing, fun, October 2, 2006

By 

Paper Pen "S. Wilson" (Long Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Zoom! (Hardcover)

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!"