Wheel-Mouse vs All The Crazy Robots

Wheel-Mouse vs All The Crazy Robots is a joint project between fantasy author Mark Lawrence and his daughter, Celyn. Now, I wouldn’t want Mark to take too much of the credit and so I’m going to tell you that Celyn did all the creation, the coming up with characters and plotting of the story line. Mark typed it up and illustrated it on his computer. You see, Celyn sadly wouldn’t be able to.

Celyn is seven years old and, as Mark Lawrence states in an interview, ‘[is] an intelligent child in a body too broken to allow her to play or watch TV. She can’t see well, use her limbs or fingers, speak, eat, or go for very long without having a fit.’ It’s heart-breaking to think of a child Celyn’s age being bound to a wheelchair. When I first read Celyn’s story, my first thoughts were of all the things she would never get to experience – the so many of the things that we take for granted she will never get to do.

But this morning, this little girl achieved something that I’ve never been able to. Something I may never do. She published a book. Yes, that’s right, on 31st May 2012, Celyn Lawrence became a published author. Her story, Wheel-Mouse vs All The Crazy Robots is about a young mouse in a wheelchair, Wheel-Mouse is his name. He has the magical power of zumming, which is kind of like zooming, but much faster! One frightful day, robots appear and begin to poo. Yes – they poo on our Earth! Of course, what is Wheel-Mouse to do, but hatch a plan to chase the robots away and save our now pooed upon Earth!? Suffice to say – the plot is simple and easy to follow. Remarkably, as you read it – you really get a sense of voice and you can almost hear the echo of a young girl’s laughter as you read the words from the page.

What Wheel-Mouse vs All The Crazy Robots proves is that despite all of Celyn’s suffering – there is a young girl who has a full imagination and an ability to use literature as a form of escapism. For her, literature is a way of leaving her body for a little while and accomplishing things that are beyond her. Whether Mark Lawrence is sat next to her, filling her imagination with pictures of faraway lands or she is using Wheel-Mouse as her own avatar to chase away All The Crazy Robots – Celyn is exercising and flexing her muscles – all be it in an intellectual sense.

All in all, Wheel-Mouse vs All The Crazy Robots is an amusing tale that reminds us just how powerful literature can be as a form of escapism. Often, when we hear about people such as Celyn, it’s easy to feel bad for them and focus on the negative aspects of their life. To me, Wheel-Mouse vs All The Crazy Robots is a reminder that despite her disabilities, Celyn is an intelligent girl with an ability to craft a story and make people laugh. With all that Celyn is going through, I’m rather touched she took time out of her day to share with us her sense of humour and make us laugh.

All proceeds from the sale of this book go to the Children’s Hospice charity for terminally ill and life-limited children a charity that has provided help for Celyn and her father. By buying the book you will be supporting them support children such as Celyn.

UK Kindle – £0.77
USA Kindle – $1.21
The Book’s Blog
Once you’re read it, please review it on Goodreads and Amazon.

And finally, for any writers reading this who, like myself, procrastinate or complain about the numerous obstacles that stop them from ever writing and publishing a novel – stop and think for a moment. Are the obstacles that you tell yourself are stopping you from writing and publishing that book really so big any more? I’ve taken my inspiration from Celyn today and know my answer.

Thank you, Celyn.

Editor’s Note: You can now watch Wheel-Mouse vs All The Crazy Robots on YouTube! Check it out here!

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