WIZZY and Slime – books by Anthony Ridgway and David Walliams

Dan, WIZZY and Nellie

The WIZZY books by Anthony Ridgway and

Slime by David Walliams

both about a boy in a wheelchair.

David Walliams broadcast from home during lockdown

Slime started as an idea planted by 11-year-old Dante Marvin, who asked David Walliams to write a book about a boy in a wheelchair. David Walliams has dedicated the book, ‘For Dante, the coolest kid on wheels’. . ….. (To buy Slime go to the end of this post.)

Click on the picture to watch the video, ‘How I Write’ by Anthony Ridgway

Anthony Ridgway started writing about his own wheelchair, WIZZY, when he was himself ‘the coolest kid on wheels’.

Anthony has cerebral palsy with sight impairment. When he was a boy, his dad would transcribe his stories to paper while he dictated. But since his dad passed away, Anthony uses a special computer programme to write the stories himself.

This was the start of Anthony’s wonderfully imaginative stories about Dan, James, Sophie and WIZZY, the irascible, funny and amazingly clever wheelchair.

Anthony’s first published story, WIZZY’s Worm, is available as an audiobook from Calibre Audio, a national charity lending free audiobooks for anyone who is print disabled.

To buy this book click on the picture

Author Anthony Ridgway’s next published story, WIZZY the Animal Whisperer, followed as a large paperback book. The beautiful illustrations by Suzan Houching tell the story too, allowing children who can’t read or who are learning to read to enjoy all the exciting twists and turns of the plot.

Click on the picture for video

At the book launch for WIZZY the Animal Whisperer, actor David Suchet had the guests in fits of laughter when he read a passage from the book.

To buy the audiobook click on the picture

A few months later, David Suchet and his wife, Sheila Suchet, recorded the whole story, giving voices to all the characters and inimitable timing to Anthony’s amusing dialogue.

The audiobook of WIZZY the Animal Whisperer faithfully follows the words in the paperback books so that early readers can use the audio alongside the book when learning to read.

To buy this book click on the picture

WIZZY and the Seaside Adventure, Anthony’s second paperback book takes Dan, James, Sophie and WIZZY to the coast, along with their dog, Honey, and as you can guess, an ordinary day becomes another crime busting adventure.

Listen to Dante’s version of his meeting with David Walliams:

Click on picture for video

Children’s Storybooks Reductions

You might like to know that all the children’s story books have been reduced in price here on this website.

These books (links below), all beautiful with pictures, will be a fun resource for children who are home schooling during this worrying time.

To allay any concerns, the books are new, straight out of the boxes that they arrived in from the printers, and I will pack them wearing disposable gloves and in new packaging.

Should you want an invoice, please be sure to fill in your email address when ordering and I will send it by email.

Children’s books reductions

WIZZY the Animal Whisperer by Anthony Ridgway and Suzan Houching

WIZZY and the Seaside Adventure by Anthony Ridgway and Suzan Houching

The Strange History of Seagulls by Maldwin Drummond

The Company of Goblins by Celia Leofsy

WIZZY the Animal Whisperer audiobook with voices by David Suchet and Sheila Suchet (the words are exactly the same as in the book – a great learning-to-read aid)

Where disability is no bar – Maria Giulia Cotini

In the town of Narni, Italy, lives the author, Maria Giulia Cotini, who this summer was directing I Ragazzi Pon Pon (The Cheerleaders) in their performance of her play Giullarino Mingherlino (The Skinny Jester).

This was part of the children’s holiday activities, where they got together to learn more about their town’s history and link it with places around the world.

Maria Giulia Cotini directs the play, Guillarino Mingherlino

Maria Giulia is also the author of the book, Shotaro – the child who wanted to become a Samurai.

Anthony Ridgway, author of the WIZZY books

Just like Little Knoll Press author, Anthony Ridgway, Maria Giulia has been disabled from birth, but for both of them this has been no bar to imagination and achievement.

Shotaro is written in Italian and is available as a hardback book (ISBN: 9788804674610) and e-book.

Here is a translation of the blurb:

‘Shotaro is intelligent and stubborn, and he refuses to accept that his greatest dream (to become a Samurai like his father) is unattainable. Shotaro is disabled from birth and his father decided he would become a monk.

The rōnin, Kenya, arrives at the monastery and declares he is willing to train even him.

But when the terrible Daimyō destroy Shotaro’s home village and his father disappears, Shotaro’s life is turned upside down and everything seems lost.

In ancient Japan, a country marred by war and corruption, Shotaro is able to demonstrate, with courage and determination, that you don’t need a perfect body to make a man into a warrior.’

And here is some more about Maria Giulia:

Maria Giulia Cotini was born in 1980; disabled from birth, she does not walk and has problems with her hands, sight and hearing.

Maria Giulia has been in love with the martial arts since a child, and at the age of ten she was the first child with a disability to practice karate in the gym with the able-bodied.

Working on her knees, she adapted the techniques up to competition standards, which was previously considered impossible.

Always passionate about myths and legends, Maria Giulia graduated with honours in History of Religions.

You can see Maria Giulia at a Karate event by clicking on her picture here –

Anthony Ridgway winner of the Barbara Large Memorial Prize

A wonderful and well-deserved surprise for

author, Anthony Ridgway,

awarded the

Barbara Large Memorial Prize

at the Hampshire Writers’ Society evening, June 2019.

To see Anthony receive news of the award, watch the video by clicking on the photo below –

(HINT: The sound is much better on iphone – don’t know why, but if you want to hear what David Suchet says, then listen on your i device.)

Anthony Ridgway’s books

WIZZY the Animal Whisperer

and

WIZZY and the Seaside Adventure

both beautifully illustrated by artist Suzan Houching

delight readers, young and old(er)!

To find out more click on the pictures:

Children love Anthony Ridgway’s Wizzy books

Anthony Ridgway’s latest story

WIZZY

and the Seaside Adventure

– pure adventure, Enid Blyton-style

– children on their own quest

– Wizzy, the talking wheelchair with attitude

– animal magic with Honey, the dog

– watercolour illustrations by Suzan Houching

What young readers from a Worcestershire school think …

Dear Anthony
I love the idea of Wizzy and the Seaside Adventure. It’s very creative. My favourite part was where the policemen were puffed out from climbing the cliff.
Other children will love this book and the adventures they have together. All of the characters have great personalities.

The cover is very clever and it shows you the setting of the story. Wizzy is a funny wheelchair with an attitude and your story’s hilarious. Dan is a clever boy, who’s adventurous. James is a kind, helpful and brave boy. Sophie is shy and can get nervous quite easily, and startled. Honey is a very loud, sweet and loving dog.
Keeping writing more stories.
From A

HUMOUR

My favourite character is Wizzy because he was really funny and cheeky.

I found it funny how the wheelchair Wizzy never understood any of the catch phrases.

I found Wizzy and the Seaside Adventure really funny and it’s my favourite book now.

This book is filled with funny and interesting things and I would recommend this book to any child.

I thought that Wizzy and the Seaside Adventure was full of humour.

I like how Wizzy doesn’t understand sayings and phrases.

My favourite part was where the dog peed on Wizzy’s wheel.

I like the part about the dog peeing on Wizzy’s wheel.

My favourite part of the story is when the dog sniffs Wizzy’s wheel, then wees on him.

I really love your book so much. I think it is very good and it makes me and my class laugh a lot.

ADVENTURE and CREATIVITY

I’m really impressed that you can create a book like that.

Wizzy, especially, was a very good detective in the book.

Pete is really bossy and it’s lucky those thieves didn’t get away. I can imagine the manor house and the pirate coming for me – gives me the chills!

Your story was wonderful. It made me want to have more adventures.

CHARACTERS

I really liked how you put in a wheelchair in to your story, called Wizzy.

Wizzy is my favourite character because he is like a robot but in wheelchair form. Honey is one of my favourite dogs. Dan is very funny because he really gets into it and can be very clever like Wizzy.

I loved how you made Wizzy so full of himself and how he always has to get everything right. I also liked how you put in more than one character and said not only what the children were doing but put in what Honey the dog was doing.

I liked how Wizzy is funny, Dan is very cheeky, Sophie is very cautious, James is very caring, Pete and Cindy are very mysterious and Honey the dog is very energetic.

In most books I feel like I’m about to fall asleep but with this book I felt very alive. My favourite character was Dan because he was very brave and wanted to get on with everything. I like how you put Dan into a wheelchair.

I really like how Wizzy thinks he’s better than Honey and is jealous of her.

My favourite character is Wizzy because he’s such a bighead.

I loved Wizzy and Sophie because Wizzy is such an amazing, cool wheelchair. I could not believe he could talk. He is also very smart, just like you. I also like the part when Sophie likes Wizzy, but then does not – it is like changing the weather.