Ramp It Up!

A child brainstorms ways to ensure all her toys can attend a celebration.
Zoe can’t wait to throw a party for her friends and their toys. She’s even built a little house out of blocks, with a pool on the roof for the occasion. But Car and Miles—a figure who, like Zoe, uses a manual wheelchair—can’t climb the steps to the roof. Chagrined, Zoe sets out to build a ramp, but it’s trickier than she thought. Some attempts are too steep, others too short. What if Zoe has to cancel the party? Author and illustrator both use power wheelchairs; together, Tangen’s clear explanations of Zoe’s trials and errors and Wen’s rounded, cheery illustrations—complete with Zoe’s graph-paper ramp drawings—introduce young readers to concepts such as slope and inclined planes while gently highlighting accessibility. Toys’ speech-balloon quips add humor (“It’s all fun and games until somebody loses a headlight,” remarks a princess figurine as Car tumbles from a steep ramp). Backmatter includes information on ramps and other simple machines, a glossary of terms such as force and work, and a list of relevant activities. Inviting readers to consider whether their playgrounds are accessible, the author asks, “Are there simple machines that could make it easier for everyone to play together?” The presentation of accessibility and inclusion as concrete parts of STEAM is especially refreshing. Zoe has pale skin; her friends are racially diverse.
A fun introduction to accessibility and simple machines.

At Harvard, Katrina Tangen studied the History of Science. She introduces STEAM to scientists of the future through books like RAMP IT UP! (Charlesbridge, 2026) and the award-winning COPY THAT, COPY CAT!: INVENTIONS INSPIRED BY ANIMALS (Barefoot Books, 2023). Katrina uses a power wheelchair because she is disabled by ME/CFS. She lives in Southern California between Disneyland and the beach.

Wendy Wen graduated from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in illustration. Born with a rare congenital disease that leads to a calcium deficiency in her bones requiring the use of an electric wheelchair, Wendy never gives up on pursuing her dreams of creating art. Her artwork has been recognized by many illustration awards, including being highly commended for the Macmillan Prize and longlisted for the World Illustration Award. She currently lives in Taiwan.

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