A picture book of Jesse Owens

Book Cover
Average Rating
Publisher
Holiday House
Publication Date
[1992]
Language
English

Description

Before Usain Bolt or Tyson Gay, Bob Beamon or Carl Lewis, Jesse Owens was perhaps the greatest and most famous athlete in track and field history. Jesse Owens was born on a farm to a large family with many siblings. His grandparents had been slaves, and his sharecropper parents were poor. But against all odds, Jesse went on to become one of the greatest athletes in history. He learned to run with such grace that people said he was a "floating wonder." After setting multiple world records as a college athlete, including three in less than an hour—"the greatest 45 minutes in sport"—Owens competed in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Adolf Hitler intended for the games to display Aryan superiority, but Jesse disrupted that plan. He became the first American track-and-field athlete to receive four Olympic gold medals and established his legacy as a hero in the face of prejudice. This child friendly entry in David A. Adler's well-known series contains an accessible mix of biography, facts, and history supported with lifelike illustrations. Back matter includes an author's note and a timeline.For almost thirty years, David Adler’s Picture Book Biography series has profiled famous people who changed the world. Colorful, kid-friendly illustrations combine with Adler’s “expert mixtures of facts and personality” (Booklist) to introduce young readers to history through compelling biographies of presidents, heroes, inventors, explorers, and adventurers. These books are ideal for first and second graders interested in history or who need reliable sources for school book reports.

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Contributors
ISBN
082340966
9780823409662
9780590494397

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Published Reviews

School Library Journal Review

Gr 2-4-- Chronicling the life of a famous person such as Owens in approximately 25 pages, some with no text and the others with only a short paragraph or two, is a formidable task. Adler does as well as can be expected with these limitations. The portrait presented, although brief, is accurate and touches on the major events of the track-and-field champion's life. An interesting author note attempts to discern the facts from the fictional stories that exist concerning Owens's experiences during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Casilla contributes full-page watercolor paintings that nicely complement and expand the writing. Although containing hardly enough information for more than a brief report, this title meets the need of primary-grade children who are assigned or are interested in biographies. --Tom S. Hurlburt, La Crosse Public Library, WI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Horn Book Review

Enlivened by vigorous watercolors of Olympic scenes, this brief book covers the athletic prowess, historic Olympic achievements, and rise to national prominence of a sharecropper's son who had to work to overcome frustrations of prejudicial social systems at home and abroad. From HORN BOOK 1992, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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School Library Journal Reviews

Gr 2-4-- Chronicling the life of a famous person such as Owens in approximately 25 pages, some with no text and the others with only a short paragraph or two, is a formidable task. Adler does as well as can be expected with these limitations. The portrait presented, although brief, is accurate and touches on the major events of the track-and-field champion's life. An interesting author note attempts to discern the facts from the fictional stories that exist concerning Owens's experiences during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Casilla contributes full-page watercolor paintings that nicely complement and expand the writing. Although containing hardly enough information for more than a brief report, this title meets the need of primary-grade children who are assigned or are interested in biographies. --Tom S. Hurlburt, La Crosse Public Library, WI Copyright 1992 Cahners Business Information.

Copyright 1992 Cahners Business Information.
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