When it comes to children’s books, we are all used to reading about young children going off and having wild adventures. But how many have you read that have the main character having a disability of some sort? Well, Arthur and the Land of Nimbostratus is one such adventurous picture book that puts a wheelchair user at the heart of a joyous and imaginative story.
Arthur and the Land of Nimbostratus, written by Rob Keeley, is a picture book for children age 3-8 years old. It is a fun and inspirational story that shows how adventure is for everyone, disability or not.
The story follows Arthur, who uses a wheelchair, looking forward to Saturday morning when his friend Maxine is taking him to the park. But Arthur has a big imagination and wishes that they could go on a special trip, one to the skies and visit the clouds! With a bit of eye closing and powerful imagination, suddenly they are transported to the land of Nimbostratus.
Now in Nimbostratus, a big white and fluffy cloud world, they find cotton-wool castles, cloud creatures with umbrella hats and even visit a giant teapot sitting on Cloud Nine. But over the horizon there are dark storm clouds arriving: large, heavy and full of water. This means it is time to start thinking about returning home, which is hastened when Maxine pokes the cloud and causes a leak, the slow dripping suddenly becomes a downpour of rain. But it doesn’t spoil their special trip, in fact it was one of their best outings yet.
Overall, Arthur and the Land of Nimbostratus is a fun adventure that soars into the skies. It is a fun and delightful picture book that celebrates creativity, friendship and the simple joy of exploring new worlds and imagination. As the main character is a wheelchair user it also offers children with disabilities the chance to see themselves in magical spaces and reassures all readers that adventure is for everyone.
The story is easy to read and follow, with a good pace and written with a warmth and authenticity that will delight young readers without overwhelming them. The characters are excellent with Arthur and his fantastic imagination, Maxine is bright, bubbly, colourful and fun and Nimbostratus and its flying cloud creatures, called Cloudlings, are wonderful.
As it is a picture book, there are of course plenty of illustrations by Simon Goodway. The illustrations are bold, bright and vivid. They provide a colourful visual representation of what is happening within the story, helping to bring it to life.
What I like most about the story is its inclusivity. While, Arthur has a disability and uses a wheelchair and his friend Maxine appears to be able-bodied none of this is made an issue of – they are allowed to be just who they are with no fuss, preaching or advantages/disadvantages. The book celebrates adventure and imagination is for everyone.
Arthur and the Land of Nimbostratus is a wonderful imaginative story. It is a quick read (24 pages) and is lots of fun.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £9.99 (Paperback) / £3.99 (Kindle)
For more information, visit www.robkeeley.co.uk. Available to buy from Amazon here.
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