Jess Horn is a neurodivergent author and former speech pathologist whose picture books focus on diverse ways of seeing the world. Her latest is also part of publisher Larrikin House’s intentional prioritisation of books about diversity created by people with lived experience – helping some young readers feel better seen and represented, whilst others develop empathy and inclusive behaviours.
In this adventure, we meet a group of animals on ‘cycling day’. As Bird, Bear, Sloth and Tortoise pump their tyres and check their brakes, Starfish says ‘I’m coming too!’ Awkwardly, the animals remind Starfish that its arms are too short for bike riding. ‘And you’ve got no knees. And your head is too pointy.’ But there’s no time to feel sorry for Starfish: ‘Incorrect!’ It’s the bike that cannot be ridden.’ So the animals band together to rebuild the bike in a way that means Starfish can ride along with them. ‘They lowered the seat, lengthened the handlebars, and even made a pointy helmet.’ A humorous twist at the end reminds us that Starfish still has a choice whether to ride or not – just like everyone else.
In the same spirit as The World We Can Build (Eliza Hull, Sally Rippin, Daniel Gray-Barnett) this book reminds us of the ‘social model of disability’, which suggests that people are not always disabled by their own bodies, but by their environments. Mo Davey’s bright, colourful illustrations help deliver this important conversation via a quirky group of animal friends, each of whom has their own style of bike and helmet. Engaging and not overly didactic, this book is enjoyable as a fun read, but will equally be useful for parent or teacher conversations about inclusion.
