Girl Running

November 15, 2017
Pimentel tenders the story of Bobbi Gibb, the first woman to (surreptitiously) run the classic Boston Marathon, with illustrations that pay close attention to the route along the way.Hot on the heels of Kristina Yee and Frances Poletti's The Girl Who Ran, illustrated by Susanna Chapman (2017), is another rendering of Gibb's saga. This time the story pivots less around Gibb's trick to evade the officials than the sheer joy of running--it is as though Gibb is on one long runner's high, and it's good fun to run along with her. Readers learn that Gibb trained in nurse's shoes, making "her feet feel weightless" when she bought proper running shoes (boys' size six, as there are none for "girls"). Once she was in the race and doffed her sweatshirt to avoid heat exhaustion, she was cheered on by all but the most curmudgeonly marathon watchers. Archer provides the landscape through which the blonde white woman trains and then the marathon path itself. Her artwork is an eyeful, a deep-dish mixture of oil paint and collage with tissue paper and hand-stamped patterned papers as materials. In addition, she adds mile markers and elevation notes to convey the runners' toils and why it is called "Heartbreak Hill." The tiny smattering of African-Americans engaged in the race and in the crowds is sad but true.A bright salutation of a story, with one determined woman at its center. (Picture book. 4-8)

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December 1, 2017

Gr 2-4-Bobbi Gibb found joy in running before it was an activity women were encouraged or even allowed to participate in. Faced with enormous obstacles (including having available running gear), Gibb went on to become the first woman to complete the Boston Marathon, blazing the trail for thousands of women to come. The story does justice to Gibb's dream, although additional contextual details may have helped foster a richer understanding. For example, there is no mention of the year during which the story takes place (1966) until the book's afterword. Gibb's age is also unclear. On the very first page she is an adolescent, but the work soon transitions into her running across the country and entering the Boston Marathon as an adult without clear indication that many years have passed. The lush collage-style illustrations are a highlight, specifically the clever mile marker and elevation indicators which stretch across the pages as Gibb runs the race. The closing image nicely incorporates the names of other female marathoners as a tribute. VERDICT An inspiring addition to picture book biography collections.-Alyssa Annico, Youngstown State University, OH

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 18, 2017
Pimentel introduces Bobbi Gibb, who in 1966 became the first woman to run the Boston Marathon, in an affectionate portrait informed by interviews with Gibb herself. In textured collages, Archer creates a cozy community of autumn leaves, spring fields, and quaint rooftops, against which Gibb trains for the marathon. Disappointed after receiving a letter denying her entry to the race (“Women are not physiologically able to run twenty-six miles and furthermore the rules do not allow it”), she disguises herself with a hooded sweatshirt and runs the marathon anyway. Concentric circles radiate from Gibb’s feet some 20 miles in: “Bobbi learns the hard way that you should not race in new shoes,” Pimentel writes; Gibb finishes the race to acclaim, opening the door for other dedicated women runners. A triumphant story of an athlete and spirited individual. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Kathleen Rushall, Andrea Brown Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content.