Beep! Beep!

Beep Beep! Make way for Bubbie! Bonnie Sherr Klein and Élisabeth Eudes-Pascal bring readers the story of Bubbie and her scooter Gladys as they take on a day with the grandkids in their award nominated picture book Beep Beep Bubbie.

Kate is not so sure about Bubbie’s new scooter. She worries it will change everything and they will miss out on all the fun they have when they spend the day with Bubbie. Over the course of an outing together, Kate realizes that Bubbie is still the same old person, just a little speedier.

We are beginning to see more picture books featuring characters with disabilities. Sometimes when a beloved person suddenly becomes less mobile, it can be a strange and confusing thing for young readers. Beep Beep Bubbie demystifies disability for young readers and helps them to realize all of the great things that can still be done with a mobility device. From “scooting” the dog’s poop to carrying all the heavy groceries, Gladys is actually pretty cool. However, it’s not all sugar and rainbows, as Bonnie Sherr Klein included some of the feelings others have when they encounter a person in a wheelchair or mobility device, their impatience and anger. Bubbie navigates it all with a Beep Beep! and a smile. Bubbie can do all of things she has always done with her grandkids, just a little bit differently. Plus Kate and Nate get to meet other people in wheelchairs during the day and make some great new friends.

The illustrations by Élisabeth Eudes-Pascal are lovely and bright. She has filled each page to the edges with colour and activity. They remind of comic art I would see as a child in the Saturday newspaper.