A biography of Wilma Rudolph, an African-American who overcame crippling polio as a child to become the first woman to win three gold medals in track during a single Olympics.

This board book version of Wilma Rudolph—from the critically acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series—introduces the youngest dreamers to the incredible life of this remarkable sprinter and Olympic champion. Wilma was born into a family with 22 brothers and sisters, in the segregated South. She contracted polio in her early years and her doctors said she would never walk again. But Wilma persisted with treatment, and she recovered her strength by the age of 12. At school, Wilma showed a talent for basketball and sprinting, earning the nickname "Skeeter" (mosquito) as she ran so fast. Wilma was in college when she went to the 1960 Olympics. She not only won gold in sprint events, but also broke world records with her sprinting skill. She had beaten polio to become an Olympic champion. She is a huge inspiration to many women in sports around the world. Babies and toddlers will love to snuggle as you read to them the engaging story of this fascinating dancer and will also enjoy exploring the stylish and quirky illustrations of this sturdy board book on their own. Little People, BIG DREAMS is a best-selling series of books and educational games that explore the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream. This empowering series offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardcover versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. Boxed gift sets allow you to collect a selection of the books by theme. Paper dolls, learning cards, matching games, and other fun learning tools provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children. Inspire the next generation of outstanding people who will change the world with Little People, BIG DREAMS!

Wilma Rudolph was born black in Jim Crow Tennessee. The twentieth of 22 children, she spent most of her childhood in bed suffering from whooping cough, scarlet fever, and pneumonia. She lost the use of her left leg due to polio and wore leg braces. With dedication and hard work, she became a gifted runner, earning a track and field scholarship to Tennessee State. In 1960, she became the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympic Games. Her underdog story made her into a media darling, and she was the subject of countless articles, a television movie, children’s books, biographies, and she even featured on a U.S. postage stamp. In this work, Smith and Liberti consider not only Rudolph’s achievements, but also the ways in which those achievements are interpreted and presented as historical fact. Theories of gender, race, class, and disability collide in the story of Wilma Rudolph, and Smith and Liberti examine this collision in an effort to more fully understand how history is shaped by the cultural concerns of the present. In doing so, the authors engage with the metanarratives which define the American experience and encourage more complex and nuanced interrogations of contemporary heroic legacy.

History, sports, biography, biographies, Wilma Rudolph, American, track, running, relay, race, gold medal, Olympics, Rome, Italy, Wilma, Clarksville, Tennessee, segregation, poverty, polio, paralysis, athlete, high school, car accident, pregnant, pregnancy, scholarship, Jackie Robinson, John F Kennedy, Black History

A biography of the African-American woman who overcame crippling polio as a child to become the first woman to win three gold medals in track in a single Olympics.

Profiles Wilma Rudolph, who overcame polio to become a runner, the first American woman to win three Olympic gold medals, and the founder of a group that helps poor children to do better in school and learn sports.

When did Wilma begin to run? What was the first important race she ever won? Cub Reporter interviews her to find out! Learn how Wilma overcame polio and became the first American woman to win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games. Readers will see how to use interviewing skills and journalistic questions to reveal the story behind a famous American.