Fearless

Starred review from October 11, 2010
Louise Smith never played by the rules, first getting behind the wheel of a car when she was a free-spirited seven-year-old. Her love for driving doesn't stop there, and when, years later, a race promoter is looking for a girl to drive in a race—as a joke—Louise steps up. She places third and starts regularly competing in races (frequently getting into wrecks), but winning 38 times. Dawson's gorgeous, light-infused acrylics convey Louise's self-assured nature, while race scenes capture the rush of adrenaline in a blur of glinting metal. Rosenstock's upbeat prose finishes on a high note, with aging Louise flying down a country road: "Yep, the old lady could still drive fast enough to go anywhere she wanted." This debut for both author and illustrator is a winner. Ages 5–up.

October 1, 2010

Louise Smith was not your typical girl growing up in the 1920s. She craved speed, and that led her to car racing, a relatively new sport dominated by men. Louise's spunk was never dampened by the challenges she faced as a female racecar driver. Though her husband disapproved and the sport was dangerous, she pursued her dreams and never gave up, paving the way for today's female racers. Using bits and pieces of the legends that grew up around Louise, Rosenstock tells her story in a simple but animated way, moving from one character-developing anecdote (she crashed her car into a chicken coop at the age of seven) to another (she snuck off to Daytona under the pretext of a vacation in the South). "Fast! Faster! Flying Free!" is the book's refrain, repeated in bold, red type that conveys movement and energy. Dawson's paintings give Louise's story the acceleration she loved. The blurred images show motion and speed, depicting history accurately, though through a nostalgic lens. A solid choice for racing fans and those who like to read about women trailblazers. (author's note, sources) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

December 1, 2010

Gr 3-4- "Fast! Faster! Flying! Free!" is the mantra of this picture-book biography of a female pioneer in the then 100 percent male world of auto racing. In an era full of no's, don'ts," and can't's for women, Louise's fearless daring behind the wheel brought her to the attention of an entrepreneur looking for a girl driver as a gimmick to attract a larger audience in the stands. He opened a door Louise never thought to go through, and she never looked in that particular rear mirror again. Rosenstock's brief, fast text follows the dust laid by her spunky daredevil of a heroine, while Dawson's color-saturated paintings portray a determined woman who was still driving fast cars years after she left the circuit. This slender, brief biography of the first woman elected to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame will be an eye-opener to NASCAR beginner-buffs and welcomed by young sports fans (and feminists) assigned a biography book report.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2010
Grades 1-3 In 1923, when she was 7 years old, Louise Smith crashed a car into a chicken coop, and after that, until her death at age 90, she never stopped driving, or crashing, even when she needed bifocals to see the road. While still adhering to a traditional life path (marriage, a nursing career), she went out at night and drove until she felt that she was finally going fast enough to get somewhereeven if she always wound up right back home. Eventually, she began entering races from Daytona to Canada in the early days of what would become NASCAR, and she competed confidently, becoming the first woman elected to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. Realistic, action-filled, mixed-media images and a well-paced text express the exciting, biographical story of a figure rarely featured in childrens books. Anchored by a strong authors note, this account of a person once called the craziest woman we know is a great choice for both racing enthusiasts and children seeking stories about female trailblazers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)