(3) K-3 Illustrated by Huynh Kim Liên & Phùng Nguyên Quang. Composed mostly of questions, this picture-book biography traces Jeremy Lin's uphill battle as the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA. Moving from his youth to his breakout 2012 game with the New York Knicks, the book shows how faith, diligence, and tenacity helped Lin weather taunts, setbacks, privation, and an agonizing NBA draft wait. The digital illustrations employ spot art to depict Lin's off-court life, while full bleeds portray on-court action and the media craze ("linsanity") surrounding his meteoric rise from obscurity. Ho prompts children to reflect on their own experiences contending with naysayers, find role models who look like them, embrace who they are, and defy stereotypes. Back matter fleshes out Lin's life story and includes an author's note and bibliography.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Alison Jay. Perseverance and a willingness to try new things win the day in this lively picture-book biography. Latvian Jewish immigrant Annie Cohen Kopchovsky (1870–1947) is a hard worker with a determined spirit, and when she sees an advertisement that the first woman to bicycle around the world in fifteen months will win ten thousand dollars, she immediately signs up for cycling lessons. Despite never having ridden a bicycle before, Annie (now with a new last name given to her by an advertiser) soon starts a grueling journey from Boston with many setbacks, from injury to thievery to overzealous customs officials. She builds support wherever she goes by connecting with other cyclists, completes her journey in the allotted time, and begins her new life as a celebrity journalist championing women's independence. Kirkfield's text picks up on attention-grabbing details, such as the single pair of underwear that is the only thing in Annie's pocket as she begins her ride, and keeps the story focused with a repeated chorus of "Pedal. Balance. Steer!" That refrain is often worked into the illustrations, the words winding beside Annie's bicycle in Jay's characteristic flat oil paintings with a crackled varnish that adds to the sense of history. Direct quotes are often included in speech bubbles in a cursive text (which can be difficult to decode). Back matter includes an author's note with more information on Kopchovsky, the history of biking and of women riding bikes, a timeline, and an extensive bibliography.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alexandra Badiu. Chaffee gets the ball rolling with a quick sketch of soccer icon Abby Wambach's childhood as the last-born in a competitive, seven-sibling-strong family. After riding the highs and lows of youth soccer league and high school soccer, Abby is noticed by college scouts and trains relentlessly to land a spot on the U.S. National Soccer Team. The fast-moving account of her subsequent historic career presents her as a team leader and class act on and off the field. A refrain -- "But Abby was tougher" -- emphasizes the pluck and mettle that helped her surmount defeats, self-doubt, and a major injury. In the vector-like illustrations, a color motif of coruscating pinks reconciles femininity and athleticism. Back matter includes a run-through of Wambach's professional milestones and a glossary of soccer terminology.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(2) 4-6 Survival Scout series. This humorous and informative comic-format guide showcases all things survival in the great outdoors. After getting lost while hiking and later abandoned by her exaggeratedly incompetent grown-up brother (he gets chased away by a bear), protagonist Scout is left alone in the wilderness. She has no communication devices and only half of the gear she needs, but she is determined to pull through. Straightforward narration documents Scout's planning and behavior as she tends to her most immediate priorities of shelter, signals, water, and food. As she confronts each challenge (how to light a fire, use a compass, etc.), readers gain access to her decision-making processes and her persistence and problem-solving skills when tasks don't immediately go as planned. Each survival scenario is presented with tension, but none verges on scary or stressful. A silly cast of talking critters (especially a friendly skunk) lightens the tone, offering clarifications and lots of laugh-out-loud jokes. The thick-lined, brightly colored illustrations are jam-packed with diagrams, labels, and other instructions akin to what one would see in a survival handbook; a variety of layouts and visual perspectives allows for readers to focus on the facts and soak in the beauty of the setting. An appendix includes information on knot-tying, Morse code, first aid, bear safety, skunk scent remedies, and going to the bathroom; resources for further reading; and an author's note.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Leo Espinosa. Smith introduces African American cycling legend Marshall Walter "Major" Taylor (1878-1932) to a new generation. Beginning with prose and then switching gears to (sometimes-clunky) verse, the story focalizes Taylor's remarkable performance in the grueling Six-Day Bicycle Race at Madison Square Garden when he was eighteen years old. Through chronological flashbacks, readers meet an even younger Taylor performing bicycle stunts in front the bike store where he worked and winning amateur races in jaw-dropping fashion. Smith does not soft-pedal the challenges Taylor faced while breaking the color barrier in sports. Espinosa's cinematic digital illustrations in a palette of largely neutral colors use dynamic visual perspectives to propel the story with drama and charged emotion. Back matter includes a timeline, bibliography, and supplementary profile of Taylor.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Arigon Starr. Baseball's 1911 World Series was the first to feature a match-up between two Native players. Future Hall-of-Fame pitcher Charles Bender (Ojibwe) would pitch in three of the six games, including the decisive sixth, for the Philadelphia Athletics; while hard-hitting catcher John Meyers (Cahuilla) would be behind the plate for the New York Giants for all six games. Both players were nicknamed "Chief" by the racist press and endured insults and slurs throughout their entire professional careers. Sorell (Cherokee Nation) provides readers with biographical sketches of Bender and Meyers, tracing their childhoods and divergent paths to professional baseball before diving back into the game-by-game highlights of the thrilling 1911 championship series. Starr (Kickapoo Tribe of ­Oklahoma) employs a mix of hand-drawn and digital art throughout and incorporates Ojibwe and Cahuilla designs in the pages relating Bender's and Meyers's childhoods. The art expertly foregrounds the central figures: Bender and Meyers are drawn with detailed texture, setting them apart from the largely flat backgrounds featuring teammates, fans, and reporters. An author's note, a detailed timeline, and a list of sources round out this handsome package, sure to pique the interest of young baseball fans.

Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) YA In his latest nonfiction thriller, Bascomb (Sabotage: The Mission to Destroy Hitler's Atomic Bomb, rev. 7/16) turns to the race to break the four-minute-mile barrier. "Running the mile was considered an art form in itself, requiring a balance of speed and stamina." For decades, it seemed the four-minute mark was beyond human limits. Gradually, runners chipped seconds off the world record and, finally, it seemed that three men were poised to make history: Englishman Roger Bannister, Australian John Landy, and American Wes Santee. The 1952 Helsinki Olympics provided a showcase for all three amateur runners and proved to be a catalyst for each to make a final push for glory. Artfully drawing readers into the drama, Bascomb segues between the principal characters, fleshing out their personal histories, their setbacks and challenges, and their training regimens, running styles, and competition strategies. With much anticipation and acclaim, all three competitors eventually broke the four-minute threshold. Two advanced to meet in head-to-head competition, while the third, much to his disappointment, was forced to be not just an observer but a commentator for the live television broadcast. Bascomb interviewed each of the men, giving the suspenseful tale an additional level of detail and authenticity. An author's note, bibliography, and source notes are appended; a photo insert appears in the middle of the book.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Martina Peluso. Rena "Rusty" Glickman Kanokogi (1935–2009) grew up in a cramped and noisy Coney Island apartment where "not even Shabbat brought quiet." Brash and strong, she was considered "unladylike" and a judo class was the first place she felt she fit in. As her skills developed, however, she faced barriers as a woman: e.g., she won a YMCA championship while disguised as a man but had her medal rescinded when an official saw through the ruse. The straightforward text focuses on her obsession with the sport (she practiced on subway platforms and took down "unsuspecting trash cans") and on her persistence and advocacy, including being the first woman to study at Japan's Kodokan and helping to establish women's judo as an Olympic event. Illustration layouts vary, with many of the more dynamic ones being vignettes of Glickman practicing judo moves. An author's note gives a bit more background, especially about Glickman's later life. A welcome addition to the growing canon of picture-book biographies amplifying lesser-known women, with added sports appeal.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Nidhi Chanani. In a conversational third-person text, "professional strongman" Kearney shares his path from strong kid who excelled at strength-based sports (football, cheerleading, weightlifting) to adult strongman champion. But this story's true focus is about embracing who you are and celebrating self-expression. Before he was "the first and only openly gay strongman in the world," Kearney kept his "bright, bold" style private. When he falls in love with fellow weightlifter Joey, he's emboldened to forego lifters' typical "boring colors" and instead sports colorful clothes and a rainbow Mohawk. Chanani's cheerful illustrations help reinforce Kearney's message, summed up in his author's note: "There is nothing that shows more strength than being who you truly are." More information about the Strongman competition is appended, as is a list of related websites and books.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Cannaday Chapman. In 1947, eleven and a half weeks after Jackie Robinson became the first Black player in Major League Baseball, Larry Doby became the second, and the first in the American League. Doby faced the same racism as Robinson. He was shunned by some of his teammates on the Cleveland Indians. He couldn't stay at whites-only hotels, or even enter the main gates of some stadiums. Opposing players spit on him and called him racist names. But he made a place for himself and was named to the All-Star team seven years in a row. Following her subject from an integrated neighborhood in Camden, South Carolina, to high school football, to the Newark Eagles in the Negro Leagues, Vernick (Brothers at Bat, rev. 3/12; The Kid from Diamond Street, rev. 1/16) provides just the right amount of lively text to complement Chapman's (Feed Your Mind, rev. 1/20) beautifully composed illustrations, especially effective in dramatic angles and shifting viewpoints: sliding into third base with a panoramic view of left field and the stands; a handshake with team owner Bill Veeck; and a back-view image (based on a famous photograph, appended) of a hug shared with pitcher Steve Gromek after a World Series win. This is a balanced account of one player's brilliant achievements and the ongoing struggle for racial equality in sports and society. Back matter includes a bibliography and an author's note detailing the many firsts in Doby's career.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Chris Sasaki. When a science teacher in 1930s Maui, Hawaii, notices the sugar plantation police chasing neighborhood children out of irrigation ditches on hot days, he comes up with a plan--to persuade the sugar company to let the children swim under his guidance. This book provides a brief glimpse into the creativity and perseverance that took these bored kids and a local teacher from an irrigation ditch to Olympic gold. The text is somewhat limited by its form: rhyming couplets split into very short lines. It's a choice that often leaves readers wanting more information--we read "science teacher's / new approach / turns him into / master coach" but don't learn anything about that new approach or why it is so successful (the appended note helps fill in some of the text's blanks). The art is where this story comes to life--Sasaki's (Home Is a Window, rev. 3/19; Paper Son, rev. 11/19) painterly digital illustrations play with perspective and make the water and Hawaiian flora jump off the page. Back matter offers opportunities to learn more about Coach Sakamoto and the swimmers he trained in the Three-Year Swim Club. A brief but compelling introduction to an unlikely sports hero.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

(3) 4-6 Spectacular Sports series. "Baseball wasn't always centered on hitting the ball over the fence." Doeden's well-organized presentation begins by tracing the game's evolution from a focus on "methodically moving runners from base to base" to celebrating powerful, record-breaking home runs (a discussion of the steroids era is included). Other accessible chapters cover physics of the home run, "some of the most memorable long balls in major-league history," the twenty-five "most prolific home run hitters," and the home run's MLB future. Enhanced with lots of action photos, Doeden's engaging style brings the story to life. A glossary, source notes, a reading list, and an index are appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Who Did It First? series. Illustrated by Ebony Glenn. "They were two of the strongest and most successful athletes in the world, but they were also Black." This picture book biography follows the Williams sisters' careers, from childhood training to the tournament circuit to world championships. The admiring text and digital illustrations both emphasize the sisters' close relationship, even as rivals on the tennis court. Together, the Williams sisters faced challenges, including a family tragedy and overt racism, head on. A suggested reading list, timeline, and list of sources are appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) YA Burke was baseball's first openly gay athlete--but he didn't come out publicly until after homophobia had ended his fledgling major league career. Maraniss follows the African American athlete's rise and fall from his Berkeley, California, childhood; to playing in the minor leagues and for the LA Dodgers; to drug addiction, homelessness, and HIV/AIDS. Sports writer Maraniss's compelling narrative weaves together sports action, social history, and first-person reflections for a rich biography of a talented yet troubled figure who was forced to lead a double life to chase his dreams. The extensive back matter includes a list of interviewees, bibliography, stats, "U.S. Gay Rights Timeline," an annotated list of other "significant Black American LGBTQ figures," and an unseen index.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Adam Gustavson. Stories of inventions usually have a single starting point. But when it comes to the origin of the flying disc, more than one individual has a claim. Muirhead's text provides a few possible answers but focuses on the one individual with enough entrepreneurial gumption to create the product seen flying through the air at beaches and parks today. In 1937, California high schooler Fred Morrison happened to be tossing a flat popcorn lid with his girlfriend. Something about the way the lid flew grabbed hold of Morrison, and soon the lid was replaced by a better-flying cake pan. Muirhead describes the many iterations of ­Morrison's invention, from five-cent cake pans sold at the beach for a quarter to specially designed and molded plastics that led to the durable Frisbee we know today. Gustavson's gouache illustrations (a bit static-looking for capturing the excitement of a disc's gliding flight) allude to Norman Rockwell's Americana style while effectively situating readers in pre– and post–World War II settings. An author's note and sources are appended. Fans of Barton and Tate's Whoosh! (rev. 7/16) and McCarthy's Earmuffs for ­Everyone! will flip for this unique ­invention tale.

Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Erika Medina. After seeing a skateboard for the first time, young Patti McGee makes her own board (with wheels from her roller skates) and starts "ZIP! SWISH! ZOOM!"-ing around town. Eventually, she earns a spot on an all-boys team and wins the first national championship (in the girls' division, which the text doesn't specify). The upbeat text emphasizes McGee's devotion and dedication: "It wasn't easy. Her arms ached and her knuckles bled." The illustrations in sun-bleached colors emphasize the athleticism and artistry of the sport. An endnote brings readers up to speed on McGee's current activities; an author's note sets the story's time (early 1960s) and place (San Diego) and adds details about McGee's early career. A list of sources is appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Nguyen Quang & Kim Lien. Young Prasit Hemmin and his friends loved soccer. But because their small island home of Koh Panyee, off the coast in Thailand, had so little land (the homes were built on stilts over the ocean), there was no room for even a small field. The boys played on sandbars at low tide, but as soon as the tide came in, the game was over. Set in 1986, this inspiring true story of determination and teamwork tells of Prasit and his friends' wild plan to use scrap lumber to build a floating soccer field. Not only did the young people succeed, but practicing on this small, unsteady, nail-and-splinter-filled field floating off the docks helped build the players' quickness and footwork. They entered a local tournament--and, playing their own way, came in third. In the ­colorful pen and digital illustrations, soccer scenes are especially lively and expressive, filled with happy smiles and strong kicks. An appended note tells more about the real-life players and about the Panyee Football Club, which is still in existence. A bibliography, further reading, "Words You Might Hear on the Floating Field" in English and Thai (with a pronunciation guide), and a first-person "Prasit's Perspective" section are appended. A splendid nonfiction picture book to pair with Baptiste Paul's fictional The Field (rev. 5/18).

Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Sophie Diao. Tsui's picture-book debut introduces young readers to Sarah Gerhardt, a pioneering figure in modern women's surfing. The text opens in 1999 with Gerhardt facing her first massive ­Mavericks wave (so named for the waves' location, a surf break in ­Northern ­California) and then jumps back in time to her childhood in Hawaii when women were not encouraged to surf, and surfing equipment for girls was not even available. The text is mostly very immediate and focused on Gerhardt's feelings and experiences, but it does take several digressions to give information on wave formation and size. Diao's expansive, breathtaking art is the showstopper here, with several spreads and one spectacular gatefold giving readers an idea of the size of the waves Gerhardt is surfing. The ocean in the illustrations shifts from glass green and inviting to stormy and intimidating, making the waves almost their own personified character. The timeline of women in surfing history is the only back matter; readers may find themselves left with unanswered questions and looking for more information about Gerhardt's feats.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(3) K-3 Little People, Big Dreams series. Illustrated by Paulina Morgan. Soccer phenom Rapinoe was always most at home on the field and in the game. This series entry follows Rapinoe as she and her twin sister play the sport growing up and win college scholarships. From there, Rapinoe--now with her distinctive purple hair--begins her ascent, collecting World Cup and Olympic wins. Vegara mentions Rapinoe's coming-out announcement before the London Olympics and her wish to "be an example for other gay athletes." The stylized cartoon illustrations should help draw readers to the story. Back matter includes four photos, a simple timeline, additional information, and two recommended books.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Sarah Green. This collective biography introduces a diverse group of both well-known (Simone Biles, Abby Wambach, Wilma Rudolph) and less-well-known women athletes from a notably wide range of sports and other physical disciplines, including softball, swimming, cycling, wheelchair racing, football, and ballet. The three-page profiles follow the same format: full-page action illustration, a page of some "Amazing Facts and Unbelievable Stats," and a one-page overview of career highlights, personal and professional challenges, and causes championed off the field/mat/ice/etc. Readers will be inspired to learn more; two pages of selected sources are appended as is an index.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn