Wilma Rudolph

February 15, 2000
Gr. 2^-3, younger for reading aloud. The story begins in 1946 with six-year-old Wilma on the bus to Nashville for her weekly physical-therapy session. Weakened by polio, her leg is thin and crooked, but her family's loving support, and her own determination enable her not only to walk and run but also to win three gold medals for running in the 1960 Olympics. This book from the On My Own Biography series has the short words and large type of a beginning reader, but the text is somewhat longer than most in that category. Sherrow tells Rudolph's inspiring story with simplicity and dignity, and Johnson's paintings expressively portray the action and emotion implicit in the text. The artwork, sophisticated yet accessible to kids, makes the book a good choice for older children reading below grade level, though the placement of the suggested grade level on the front cover may put them off. A fine addition to library collections, even those with other Rudolph biographies on the shelf. ((Reviewed February 15, 2000))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2000, American Library Association.)