Roll On

The remarkable story of Rick Hansen's Man in Motion World Tour—and all the big dreams it inspired.

As Rick Hansen wheels around the globe on his incredible Man in Motion World Tour, the children he meets are encouraged to dream their own dreams and work to make them come true. In China, after meeting Rick, Lin, who longs to be a ballerina, pictures herself leaping gracefully over a wall as high as the Great Wall of China. Back in Canada, Jack makes great progress in his wheelchair—even learning to do a wheelie—as he eagerly awaits his hero's return.

On the eve of its twenty-fifth anniversary, Rick Hansen's compelling journey is retold for young readers and brought to life in this beautifully illustrated book. It is a story of triumph, adventure, and enormous personal challenge. Readers travel with Rick, glimpsing not just the joys but all the ups and downs and the aches and pains that he endured on the 43,000-kilometre journey.

Readers also discover little-known facts of the great journey. They learn that Rick wheeled the equivalent of three marathons a day and went through ninety-four pairs of gloves. And they learn about the gift of a song that Rick and his team sang or hummed kilometre after kilometre. The lively text and enchanting illustrations combine to bring to life Rick's amazing feat and the impact it has had on children everywhere.

Ainslie Manson is the author of twelve books for children, including Ballerinas Don't Wear Glasses, Just Like New, and Boy in Motion, which was about Hansen's youth and his coming to grips with his disability. Ainslie lives on Bowen Island, near Vancouver, British Columbia.

Ron Lightburn's career as a children's book illustrator was launched with his Governor General's Award–winning artwork for Waiting for the Whales in 1991. Since then his artwork has graced the covers of more than sixty books. Ron and his partner, Sandra, live in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley.