Loving Healing Press (2011)
ISBN 9781615991129

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt, MS, PPS, for Reader Views (8/11)

It isn’t often that a children’s book makes me stop and say, “WOW!,” but I have to admit that “Cinderella’s Magical Wheelchair” got this response from me.  Set in modern times, Jewel Kat’s version of the story follows the traditional one, with some much needed modern improvements. Cinderella is still a mistreated orphan with a wicked stepmother and evil stepsisters.  This Cinderella, however, has to use a wheelchair to get around and to get her chores done. The author also throws in some cultural diversity by having the fairy godmother as a woman of color named “Monique.”

For me, the icing on the cake with this version of the story is that when Cinderella has her magical night, she doesn’t wait for the prince to find her afterwards to start living; she becomes empowered to create the life that she wants on her own. This means moving into a wheelchair-accessible society and creating a career that she loves.  When the prince finally does find her, she has already “arrived” on her own. He loves her for who she truly is.  I really loved this part of the story because traditional fairy tales have the future princess feeling trapped, or even in a coma, until the prince comes along to rescue them.  It is high time for this to change, especially for young readers with disabilities, who still have to deal with those in society who see them as “wheelchair bound.” “Cinderella’s Magical Wheelchair” will empower these readers to work towards living the lives that they want to live.

As a school counselor/instructor who has worked with disabled individuals of all ages and disabilities, I frequently see how society has a tendency to make them feel trapped and unworthy because of their differences from the mainstream.  While I agree that they do have a lot of hardships to overcome, from my experience, once they do overcome them and utilize what resources are available to them, they become even more incredible people than most of those that are able bodied. 

While I highly recommend “Cinderella’s Magical Wheelchair” for children with disabilities, I also believe that it would be of value for children who are not disabled.  It will give them a chance to see children with special needs in a different light. Currently working with adults with disabilities, I have several female students who have both learning and physical impairments. I also believe that they would enjoy this book because it is both beautifully illustrated and written on a reading level that they could handle without too much difficulty.  I can’t wait to see what comes next in the “Growing with Love” series.

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Reviewed by Madeline (age 10) & Sophia (age 8) McElroy for Reader Views (9/11)

 Madeline:

This is another Cinderella story with something added! In this book, Cinderella is in a wheelchair. It may sound like a weird story, but it is very good. Life is hard for Cinderella; her jobs are harder to do and her step-sisters treat her like an animal. The day of the ball, her step-mother says she can go to the ball if she makes jewelry for her and her step-sisters. She had worked all day on the jewelry and had made herself a dress too. Right before they leave, Cinderella’s stepmother sneaks up behind her and disables her wheelchair so she can’t make it move. Cinderella cried, “What about the promise you made?” She laughed and said, “Promises can be broken.”  Just then somebody says, “Don't Cry.”  It’s Cinderella’s fairy godmother! She zaps her. “But remember, the spell wears off at midnight, be careful!,” said her fairy godmother. Then she disappears. Now, Cinderella is flying to the ball! She lands inside and her step-sisters and step-mother get very angry. The Prince comes over and asks her to dance. She possibly couldn’t! Then, her wheelchair flies up and he grabs her hands, everywhere he went, the wheelchair followed while flying. The end is for you too see.

I liked this book because I like fairy tales and Cinderella is one of my favorites. It is great for kids who have disabilities in life such as being in a wheelchair or having a disease that bothers them. This book can help them get through it and realize life can be the same as others lives too.

Sophia:

“Cinderella’s Magical Wheelchair” is a good story for kids who have had a horrible accident or injury. This book is about a girl named Cinderella with two evil step-sisters and one step-mother. The step-mother says the step-sisters can go to the ball, but the step-mother said Cinderella couldn’t go. But the step-mother said she could make jewelry for the step-sisters. When Cinderella makes the jewelry for the sisters she gets ready. But when she is ready the step-mother makes a flat tire on her chair. Then she realized she had a fairy godmother! The rest you should read to see yourself. This book was very wonderful.