Book Review #1: "Rolling Along: The Story of Taylor and His Wheelchair"

Heelan, Jamee Riggio. Illustrated by Nicola Simmonds. Rolling Along: The Story of Taylor and His Wheelchair. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers, LTD, 2000.

Rolling Along: The Story of Taylor and His Wheelchair is a picture book made for lower elementary students. This book is narrated by a boy named Taylor who has cerebral palsy, and lives his life in a wheelchair. Taylor talks about his struggles in therapy with trying to learn how to walk with a walker and how frustrating it was. Taylor soon discovers, however, that he can accomplish many activities when using his new wheelchair.

The first word that came to mind when I finished reading through this book was 'inspirational.' It is very positive and shows determination and accomplishment of a boy going through struggles that come with having cerebral palsy. I also thought it was very informative. Not only would this book be a great read for a child who is also wheelchair bound to learn from and relate to, but it's a great way for outsiders to be able to see into the mind of a child who is experiencing this disability first hand, what they go through, and what they have to consider on a day to day basis. Taylor also describes cerebral palsy himself, making readers know that he is aware of his disability and he does not mind talking about aloud and sharing his difficult times. It is both informative and easy for inside readers to relate to, portraying a tone of confidence that could possibly be contagious.

This book does not focus on only the struggles that Taylor experiences in his wheelchair, however. This book also portrays Taylor as a normal boy, one who likes to eat chocolate ice cream, wrestle, and watch the Chicago Bulls play basketball, all with his brother, Tyler (Heelan). The illustrated bodies with the real life faces make Taylor a more personable and real character who is actually surviving through his disability day by day. I thought that this was a great example of making a seemingly inconvenient disability seem positive and sometimes even fun, and would be a great addition to a classroom library for both inside and outside readers. A child could learn a lot about cerebral palsy from this book, and that other children with this disability are more like them than they think; they just get around a little differently.

Author Jamee Riggio Heelan has a degree in occupational therapy. She works at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago with a focus on pediatric rehabilitation. She has written a few other children's books with the hope of educating others about childhood disabilities.