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Little Parachutes Gold Star Winner
Categories: Acceptance & Inclusion, Confidence & Self-esteem, Disabilities

Amazing

A joyful book that celebrates friendship, play and acceptance. The story features 'incidental' inclusion: the central character uses a wheelchair, which features prominently in the illustrations but is not mentioned in the text.
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Amazing

Author: Steve Anthony
Illustrator: Steve Anthony
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

The narrator of the story, who is a young boy, has a pet dragon called Zibbo. This inseparable duo play, laugh, sing, dance and make things together. They hang out with lots of other children, too (the illustrations show the boy’s friendship group as animated and diverse children whizzing about on wheels, playing hide and seek and generally enjoying each other’s company in variously active ways). Zibbo has a tendency to get over-excited at parties: there is a really funny moment when the birthday girl gets completely covered in soot after the little dragon goes a bit overboard while blowing out the cake candles. 

The story concludes with a declaration that Zibbo and the boy are best friends despite of (and perhaps because of) their differences…and they both think the other one is AMAZING! 

Steve Anthony has created a story that has no forced message about disability; instead he uses Zibbo the dragon to reflect acceptance and inclusion (Zibbo is very different to the children in every way, but they love and accept him regardless). The character of the boy is refreshingly liberated from the all too common shackles of disability representation in stories  (he’s not shown being assisted and his friends don’t have to adapt their behaviour for him, he’s not marked out as being brave, lonely, teased….) instead he’s just a normal, active boy having fun with his friends. Highly recommended for any child’s bookshelf. 

This video link is provided to help an adult assess the book's suitability for a child's situation before purchasing it. It has been filmed by a third party and hosted on YouTube and is not made by Little Parachutes. More info

The messages we found in this book:

Acknowledgement:

  • It’s hard to be well-behaved all the time (Zibbo is a little bit mischievous and gets carried away at times). 

Guidance:

  • You don’t have to think, act or look like other people to be really good friends with them. The boy’s friends accept Zibbo despite his obvious differences. 
  • Friendship makes us stronger (the boy knows that ‘anything is possible when he’s with Zibbo). 

Hope & Inspiration:

  • The boy understands that Zibbo’s not perfect and gets into mischief sometimes, but he accepts him for what he is. He has a very positive outlook on life. 
Review by: Claire Ward-Dutton

Categories: Acceptance & Inclusion, Confidence & Self-esteem, Disabilities
Tags: exercise, friends, wheelchair



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What is a Parachute Book?

A challenging experience can make a young child feel as if they are in emotional free fall. As a parent, you can’t stop them falling, but you can offer them a softer landing:
a Parachute Book.

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The information provided on the Little Parachutes website is not a substitute for professional care by a qualified practitioner, and is not intended to provide medical advice. If you are concerned about the health and wellbeing of yourself or children in your care, you should always consult an appropriate healthcare professional.