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