A Wheelchair That Flies - by Sandra Dutton (Hardcover)

About the Book

Lily, a newly minted fairy godmother, thinks she knows it all. But she has much to learn when she meets Daniel, a boy in a wheelchair who loves baseball and teaches her about friendship, wisdom, and the magic of flying machines.

Book Synopsis

Lily, a newly minted fairy godmother who loves fancy dresses and easy magic, is stunned when she fails to cure Daniel, a thirteen-year-old boy who is wheelchair-bound due to a muscular dystrophy. Assuming that Daniel's life is frustrating and boring -- stuck in his room watching old sports clips -- Lily is surprised to learn of his love for statistics and that he has billed himself as THE WORLD'S GREATEST EXPERT ON BASEBALL.

Moreover, his deepest wish is to see the first National League night game played between the Reds and the Phillies at Crosley Field in 1935. But how is this going to happen?

The world is ripe for a fantasy that celebrates the strengths of those with disabilities and rejects the notion that a fairy godmother needs to concoct a "cure" to help individuals find fulfillment and happiness. Daniel, in fact, shows Lily what really matters to him and challenges her to produce some of her own best magic.

​​​​​​​In the process, he teaches her about baseball, friendship, and the magic of flying machines.

An illustrated story in verse, with 36 original watercolor paintings.

Review Quotes

"A Wheelchair That Flies takes us into the heart of true magic, on beyond impossible wishes. A story told in poems and oh-so-evocative watercolors, we fly along, too."

- Charlotte Agell, author and illustrator of Maybe Tomorrow?

"In A Wheelchair that Flies, Sandra Dutton manages a feat that all readers will appreciate: infusing the tale with a wit and whimsy that is often sadly lacking in this type of book, while also acknowledging the reality that it is not possible to remove all suffering from the world. Children will delight in the bright illustrations and the way she turns the tables of the usual paradigm by letting the child teach the adult how to navigate a challenging world."

- Amy MacDonald, author of Little Beaver and the Echo

"Baseball is a magical time machine, connecting now with then and people with very different skills. With her new book, Sandra Dutton waves a wand."

- John Thorn, official historian of Major League Baseball

"A Wheelchair That Flies celebrates disability autonomy and self-direction in ways never captured by traditional fairy godmother stories. Readers will fall in love with Daniel for his confidence, passion, and absolute comfort in his skin. They will empathize with the adorable and fallible Lily, Daniel's fairy godmother. And they will be reminded that wishes, like people, hold unique and precious to the individual."

- Emily Wolinsky, President of NMD United