Wilma Rudolph

Children's Literature - Jane Harrington

This title in the excellent "First Biographies" series brings the story of Wilma Rudolph (the first American woman to win three Olympic gold medals) into the hands of preschoolers and young elementary readers. The book is kid-sized, and the text is easy to comprehend, while introducing some challenging vocabulary and concepts. Since the photographs date back to the 1940s, they are black and white but still pop off the pages because of the lively graphic design. The encouraging images of a cheerful and talented athlete achieving such great feats despite a serious bout with polio will inspire young readers. This would be a particularly good selection for libraries and classrooms during thematic units on African Americans, women, the handicapped, and/or athletes. The book includes a table of contents, glossary, instructions for using Fact hound (a safe Internet search engine), an extended reading list, and an index. Other biographies in this series feature Dr. Seuss, Jane Goodall, Jackie Robinson, Mother Teresa, Albert Einstein, Rosa Parks, Sitting Bull, and many more.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-Through simple sentences and black-and-white photographs, readers are given snapshots into the lives of three notable African-American women. Coleman was the first woman of her race to earn a pilot's license, Jemison was the first African-American astronaut, and Rudolph was the first American woman to win three gold medals at the Olympics. Short chapters, with a time line at the bottom of the page, give basic biographical information and show how these women continue to be an inspiration for all. On each spread, a photograph faces a paragraph of large-print text. The concise information is perfect for the intended age group.-Tracy Bell, Eastway Elementary School, Durham, NC Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.