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Best Friend on Wheels, by Debra Shirley, is a charming picture book showing a close relationship between two girls, one of whom is in a wheelchair.  The narrator is asked to show Sarah, the girl in a wheelchair, around the school.  Noting her awkwardness around Sarah, the young girl’s not sure how to act or what to say.  Sarah quickly puts her at ease by pointing to a pin on the girl’s shirt that reads, “Rockhound.” “You’re a rock collector too?  So am I!” And the fast friendship begins.

From there, the book goes on to detail all of the activities they share together, essentially depicting a relationship no different than that of most second grade girls.  They have pizza, share secrets, have sleepovers, and share a special bond.

The author doesn’t completely ignore the fact of Sarah’s disability.  During their sleepover, the young girl offers to help get Sarah’s wheelchair in the bed. Sarah responds: “Silly, that’s not how I do it! I slide off my chair into bed—nothing to it!”  Sarah confidently shows her new friend how independent she is.   Also, near the end, the Sarah’s friend notes a rude interaction with the clerk at the ice cream parlor.  The clerk stares until Sarah breaks the ice by finding something in common with the clerk, their love for birds. 

This is a wonderful picture book to teach young children about disability and how people who may seem very different from them are really more similar than they thought.  While the rhymes may have been a stretch at some points, the core meaning of the book paired with Judy Stead’s vibrant, joyful illustrations combine to deliver a book that leaves you with a smile.

Best Friend on Wheels
Debra Shirley; Illustrated by: Judy Stead
Albert Whitman, 2008
ISBN: 0807588680