Becky's Little Red Airplane
by Becky Weickmann and Ukulele Loki

 

Becky lives in a purple house at the bottom of a hill.

 

     

At the top of the hill, Becky keeps her red airplane parked beneath the tall tree.

Becky loves to fly her red airplane through the big blue sky.

     

One day, she flew so long that the sun started to set. The sky turned a beautiful shade of sky-blue-pink.

Just then, Becky noticed storm clouds approaching.

     

 

Becky bravely flew her red plane through the storm...

 

... and landed safely on top of her hill.

     

Becky was very tired when she walked back down the hill to her purple house. She was glad to be home, safe and sound.

 

 

 

     

Becky Flying (self portrait)


Rebecca was born with a division in the cleft of her corpus colosum. Becky has difficulty perceiving depth the same way as you or I. Becky does not use language in the same way we do. She can understand the words we use but she relies on sign language to communicate. She also has difficulty with spatial relationships.
I had the opportunity to work with Becky in an art class for three months. We worked first on drawing different line types: squiggly lines, straight lines, diagonal lines, and crossing lines. From there, we worked on shapes: circles, squares, and triangles. To make it more fun for Becky, I drew an airplane. Becky loves airplanes. Then, guiding her hand on the pencil, we repeated the airplane. Gradually, over the next few weeks, she began drawing, from memory her own version of the airplane. Each day, when I asked her what she would like to draw, she would use the sign for airplane. In this way, Becky learned to draw all of the basic components used to create Becky’s Little Red Airplane. This is my first collaboration with Becky and her first book. I am very proud of her. – Loki

 

Ukulele Loki
Ukulele Loki is Aaron Johnson, a writer, performer, radio DJ, and educator, serving seniors, children, and persons with disabilities. He is the leader of the Boulder, Colorado group: The Gadabout Orchestra and "Ukulele Loki's Vaudeville Variety Show." He also co-hosts the classic honky-tonk radio program Route 78 West. Loki has several children's books in the works as well as a full-length puppet musical. More information can be found at: http://www.ukuleleloki.com

     

Ukulele Loki & Becky at an outdoor ice-skating rink in Boulder, Co.


If you are an agent or publisher interested in our book, or if you know an agent or publisher who would be interested, please let us know. Part of the proceeds from any future sale of this book will go to Sky’z the Limit, a non-profit community link in Boulder Colorado. Sky’z the Limit is dedicated to pairing disabled teens with their non-disabled peers for the sake of empowering each other and enriching the community.

contact: ukuleleloki [at] yahoo.com