Women in Sports

May 15, 2017
Following the format she introduced in Women in Science (2016), author/illustrator Ignotofsky now celebrates women who broke barriers to change the sports world. The collection represents a variety of figures from all over the globe born between 1881 and 1997, ranging from pioneering white figure skater Madge Syers and Tiny Broadwick, a white sky diver who advised the U.S. military on parachute safety during World War I, to beloved contemporaries such as white swimmer Katie Ledecky and black gymnast Simone Biles. Ignotofsky devotes one spread to each, with a brief profile on the recto and a stylized portrait containing inspirational quotes and facts on the verso. Readers will find stories that surprise and profoundly move them, for a number of these athletes not only battled societal challenges, but also personal hardship. African-American track star Wilma Rudolph overcame polio, segregation, and sexism. French-Canadian Chantal Petitclerc, paralyzed in youth, worked to set five Paralympic world records in wheelchair racing. Cricket player Mithali Raj risked familial displeasure to break records and traditional gender roles in India. Influential sports teams are also included, perhaps most notably the multicultural women of the 2016 Olympics' Refugee Team, whose stamina proved stunning--first in life-threatening conditions, then in the sports arena. The collection is rounded out by brief introductions to other women athletes and pieces on muscle anatomy and pay and media statistics. Exhaustive and enlightening--don't miss it. (timeline, conclusion, sources, index.) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

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May 1, 2017

Gr 4 Up-Utterly browsable and completely engaging, this collection of 50 female athletes offers up brief glimpses into the lives and careers of a relatively diverse group of women. Wandering far off the well-beaten path of familiar names (Billie Jean King, Wilma Rudolph, Mia Hamm), the book also highlights women who excelled (or currently excel) at less traditional activities, such as roller derby (Ann Calvello), archery (Kim Soo-Nyung), bodybuilding (Bev Francis), and refereeing (Violet Palmer). Ignotofsky clearly made every effort to scour the globe and include athletes from many different countries. Each spread profiles an individual and features a page-length description of background and career high points, a quote from the athlete, and a cheerful illustration captioned with additional facts. Organized chronologically by the athletes' birth year, this compendium, taken as a whole, is a captivating look at the history of women in sports, emphasizing that no individual athlete is more or less important than the next. Information about anatomy, pay inequalities between men and women, and other related topics can be found throughout. The writing is accessible to a wide range of readers, and the material is concise and orderly, often leaving readers wanting more. Fortunately, a thorough bibliography is appended, making it easy to dive deeper into the lives of some of these fascinating trailblazers. VERDICT This title is as edifying as it is entertaining; a timely addition to nonfiction collections.-Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA

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