Lopez Lomong

March 1, 2017
The story of a Sudanese "Lost Boy" who pursued and achieved his dream of running in the Olympics.Seized at age 6 from his village by "rebel soldiers," Lopepe (a nickname in his native Buya later altered to "Lopez") escapes with other captives and runs for days to reach the U.N. refugee camp of Kakuma in Kenya. One day he joins a group of children watching the 2000 Olympics on a farmer's battery-powered TV, and the sight of runner Michael Johnson fires up his ambition to become an Olympian himself. His adoption by a white New York couple and his recruitment by the trainer of a local high school's cross-country team sends him on his way--to, ultimately, not only the 2008 (and, unacknowledged here, 2012) Games, but a joyful reunion with his biological parents, college, and a foundation dedicated to relief work in South Sudan. Except for name-dropping (notably a reference to "Brittany, the love of his life," who gets no further mention) Eulate's account is sketchy, particularly after Lomong's arrival in the U.S., and thickly sentimental: he last appears figuratively receiving "the medal life gives you when you fulfill your dreams." Uya's illustrations are likewise spare of detail, with stylized, folk-art-like human figures stiffly posed against near-featureless backgrounds. It's inspiring, but it presents Lomong more as an object lesson than as a living person. (Picture book/biography. 8-10)

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June 1, 2017

Gr 2-4-Written in a narrative style, each book in the series tackles the life of a real person who faced adversity and eventually discovered a "universal value." The story of Pablo Pineda is inspiring and engaging and candidly examines the fears his family expressed about him living with Down syndrome. Lopez Lomong's journey out of poverty and danger in Sudan and into a successful Olympic career is punctuated with violence and terror as well as love and support from far-off places. The title exploring the life of Rafa Nadal is arguably the weakest of the three, struggling with a lack of clear story structure, including unexplained characters who distract from the larger narrative describing his successful tennis career. The illustrations in each book are done by different artists in different media but are made similar by their oil pastel backgrounds, uniting the titles with a stylistic touch. The entries are honest though a little heavy-handed about the lessons imparted. Spanish-language editions are also available for each of the titles. VERDICT Certainly not short on heart, these selections are recommended for specific topical studies or as general additions to biography collections.-Chelsea Pemberton, Arlington Public Library, TX

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