The Horn Book Guide

SPORTS

Deans, Karen

Playing to Win: The Story of Althea Gibson

32 pp. | Holiday | August, 2007 | Trade ISBN 978-0-8234-1926-5 $16.95

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Elbrite Brown. This detailed, carefully researched, clearly written account tells of Gibson's journey from poor sharecroppers' daughter to tennis champion: it's a straightforward, solid biography. As a picture book it's uneven. Blocks of text often feel crowded despite an expansive page layout. The brightly colored cut-paper collage art is sometimes effective, sometimes cluttered, and sometimes so minimal as to lack a focal point. Timeline, websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano