Book star Thomas is disabled

Author Ian Whybrow's included a new hero in his latest book, inspired by a Herefordshire charity...

A children's author was so inspired by a disabled children's charity that his latest fictional hero attends a very real centre for Conductive Education based in Herefordshire.

Through the Catflap is a new book by author Ian Whybrow.

It's part of a series of ten books commissioned by Hodder and designed to motivate boys aged 7-9 to enjoy reading.

Ian didn't draw on fantasy when writing Through the Catflap; the story?s lead character, Thomas, has Cerebral Palsy and attends Megan Baker House which is in Leominster.

Ian has a house where he writes, just a few miles away.

He says: "We were immediately bowled over when we first visited Megan Baker House; the centre is in a converted barn in a very rural location.

"It was light and airy and had the most wonderful atmosphere.

"The teachers - conductors they call them - were welcoming and full of enthusiasm.

"One of them was coaxing a little girl with quite severe cerebral palsy to reach forward and pick up a brush.

"It doesn't sound like much until you find out that a week ago the little girl couldn't even hold a spoon to feed herself.

"Elsewhere, children were being given muscle-relaxing baths or taking tentative, concentrated steps or lying quietly, listening to stories.

"They were enjoying themselves."

Ian and his wife, Ann, were invited to the centre by the director of the charity, Jo Baker-Watson.

Jo and the trustees felt that with their local connection, high profile and a clear love for children, they would make excellent patrons but she also had another, not so hidden, agenda.

Jo founded the charity and she says: "After many discussions with the children and parents, we all felt that there was very little representation of disabled children in young people's literature.

"We weren't talking about books that had disability as a core theme but about stories where the characters just happened to be disabled.

"We asked Ian if he'd consider writing a book with a character that had a disability."

It is the legacy of her daughter who was born with cerebral palsy but sadly died soon after the first centre was opened in 2001.

Ian agreed to the request and the idea became reality through this book which is said to be a very funny, very appealing tale of young Thomas, who walks with sticks, but so what?

His big problems lie with his dysfunctional family, including his irritating toddler twin sisters who think that cats enjoy being dressed up as fairies.

But who else can Thomas turn to when they all get locked out of the house?

Besides, it's a brilliant idea to pop them through the cat-flap and tell them to look for the keys. Isn't it?

Ian says: "It was so refreshing, they weren't after money; they just wanted a story that had a disabled hero.

"These kids just wanted to be represented in the mainstream because they feel they are so often marginalised.

"I hope that Through the Catflap can help dispel a few myths, blow away some stereotypes and instil a sense of pride and normality in young disabled people -?that's worth more than money can buy."