The Scooter Twins

Twin brother and sister Melvin and Melanie, the main characters in this story, live together with their grandmother in a small apartment. Early on, readers learn that they both have some unspecified disability that would make owning motorized scooters life-changing for them. But the cost is prohibitive.

Grandma sank deep into her flowery couch.

“Mobility scooters are expensive,” she sighed.

Grandma had a tiny apartment, ancient furniture and

even older clothes – most of them purple.

There is a discussion about “selling one of Mom’s paintings”, something that is a difficult idea for both children to agree on. There is no explanation for the absence of either parent. The only hints about the kids’ memories of their mother are mentions of previously sold paintings and an image of a woman at an easel.

It was bad enough selling Dad’s motorcycle.

But Mom’s art made her [Melanie] feel like Mom was

still here, singing in her studio with paint on her nose

and a rainbow in her hair.

Presumably using the proceeds from the sale of the painting, the trio goes to the Accessibility Store where the clerk seems to believe that it is Grandma with her cane who needs help. The twins soon set him straight by explaining that, while they can walk, it is not for any distance and not without danger of falling. As various scooter models are brought out, it is plain that the two have very differing ideas about what they want. Melanie likes the shiny black-and-chrome model that is “all decked out” while Melvin’s attention is drawn by a smaller pale green one which he describes as “absolutely little-green-frog-perfect”.

The Scooter Twins is an earnest attempt to give realistic but sympathetic space to two young children who do not want to be defined by their disabilities. They are both ready to speak up for themselves, and some of their sassy comebacks will elicit smiles. They appreciate the support of a loving Grandma, their only caregiver. However, the text sinks into the maudlin near the end with lines such as Melanie’s:

Mom always said, “When people stare, tell them

what you want them to see.”

and Melvin’s

On these cool scooters, it feels like the whole family

is holding our hands.

Author Palmer is a retired teacher, mobility scooter user and accessibility advocate. She has written about a cause close to her heart on a topic that has not been dealt with often in a work for young children. The book includes information about use of motorized scooters and how people with physical disabilities have been helped by modifications to sidewalks. The lack of detail about both the twins’ disabilities and the whereabouts of the parents may be intended to make the book more universally appealing, but I wished the story had been a little more fleshed out in this regard.

The message-heavy story is not much helped by the illustrations done by comic-book artist Sweeney. Although the backdrops of Grandma’s cluttered apartment and a neighbourhood streetscape provide some interesting detail, the colours are muddy and physical attributes of the characters, especially the faces, are often distorted.

Scooter Twins could be employed as bibliotherapy or used in an educational setting where differing levels of ability are up for discussion, but, as an entertaining picture book, it does not succeed.