Review by Booklist Review
Simone Biles has overcome many challenges to become one of the most impressive and decorated gymnasts of all time. This is the true story of how she and her siblings were placed in foster care, split apart, and adopted by different families, as well as how she was introduced to gymnastics. Readers will see how hard Biles worked, pushing past crushing defeat and leaving high school in order to homeschool, to rise into the Final Five of Team USA at the Olympics. The highly simplistic rhyming couplets can feel a bit saccharine for this wonderfully complex and triumphant subject matter, but very young readers certainly deserve an introduction to this stunning gymnast, and the author should be applauded for not shying away from the more difficult parts of her backstory. Glenn's illustrations are full of action, energy, and expressive emotion, and she captures the impressive athleticism and trademark flair of her subject on every page, most notably a dynamic dual-page spread highlighting Biles' signature floor move, a double layout with a half-twist landing.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The creative team behind Brave Ballerina relays the early struggles, diligent training, and eventual successes of record-breaking Olympic gymnast Simone Biles in this movement-filled picture book biography. Employing rhyming text ("Uplifted by love,/ pulled into the light,/ Simone rediscovers/ the magic of flight"), Meadows sketches Biles's experiences with foster care and adoption, her entry into gymnastics, and continued resilience that carried her to the Olympic Games. Glenn's art, rendered digitally, focuses on both motion and emotion: a spread of Biles's signature move--"two breathtaking flips/ high up in the air"--shows each stage of the flip in flowing detail that celebrates both Biles's expertise and the range of the human body. Back matter offers further biographical details, fun facts, and a select bibliography for further research. Ages 4--8. (Dec.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3--This picture book biography of elite gymnast Simone Biles follows a pattern of setbacks and triumphs. Readers see the uncertainty of Biles's first childhood home, then watch as Biles and her three siblings are placed in a foster home, get separated, and are eventually adopted by their biological grandparents. A canceled field trip resulted in her first visit to a gymnastics facility; the disappointment of missing the cutoff for the national team fueled the efforts that led to her Olympic fame. The story does not dwell on the negatives but emphasizes how each obstacle was overcome through family support and hard work. Gymnastics terms, such as vault, bars, and beam, are introduced and the rhythm of the rhyming text reflects Biles's energy and movement. Glenn's illustrations portray the athlete at various ages; she tumbles through the house and later perfects her competitive moves. The artwork captures the power and poise of gymnastics as well as the emotions of each scene. One dynamic spread depicts "the Biles" signature floor move as she flips through the air. Back matter includes photos, sources, facts (height, birthday), and important milestones in the Olympics and International Gymnastics Federation. VERDICT A good addition to the biography section and an excellent book to hand to readers always asking for gymnastics titles.--Suzanne Costner, Fairview Elem. Sch., Maryville, TN
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Simone Biles enchanted the nation at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and this book aims to introduce her to young readers. Readers watch as little Simone and her three siblings are placed in a foster home, then separated, before she and one sister are adopted by their biological grandparents. Simone is always in motion from toddlerhood, "shooting off the vault / like a rocket blast" when she discovers gymnastics. There is a simple beauty in showing how Biles' rise to Olympic gold medalist was not smooth. Children will be saddened by her failure at making the national team and heartened by her determination to keep pursuing her dream. Meadows emphasizes resilience, demonstrating how Biles met each failure with persistence, getting back up and trying again. Glenn's clean line-and-color illustrations are reminiscent of animation, at their best in the many vignettes of Biles in motion. One double-page spread, in which 10 separate images trace Biles doing her trademark double layout with a half-twist landing, is electrifying. The text does not equal the illustrations' effectiveness; scansion is sometimes spotty, and the jaunty rhythms are at odds with the challenges and drive depicted. Its lightness seems particularly inapt when juxtaposed against Biles' powerful muscularity. Two pages of backmatter include a few more facts and selected sources. This book was so close to soaring! (Picture book/biography. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
