Go, Wilma, Go! - by Amira Rose Davis & Michael G Long (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Good Housekeeping Kids' Book Award Winner

* "An engaging and insightful biography of an American hero--highly recommended." -School Library Journal, starred review

Wilma Rudolph was a champion on the track and for civil rights. Go, Wilma, go!

At the 1960 Summer Olympics, Wilma Rudolph became a gold-medal-winning track star. Discover the powerful story of what happened after she soared across the finish line . . .

Leaders in Wilma's hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee, plan a "Wilma Rudolph Day" to honor their champion. But when Wilma hears about their plans, she stops.

A segregated celebration? She won't go! She won't go unless they welcome Black people to participate. Thanks to Wilma, Clarksville hosts its first fully integrated event.

And Wilma doesn't stop there! The race to freedom is not a sprint, but a marathon. She spends the rest of her life protesting inequality and advocating for Black girls and women to have opportunities in sports and beyond. Go, Wilma, go!

With a powerful text from Amira Rose Davis and Michael G. Long, and art full of movement from Charnelle Pinkney Barlow, this powerful picture book is sure to inspire the next generation of athletes and changemakers.

Review Quotes

"An engaging and insightful biography of an American hero--highly recommended." --School Library Journal, starred review

"Davis and Long's inviting text realistically portrays the subject's athletic prowess and her determined commitment to racial equality. Barlow's inventive collages of hand-painted cut paper and various mixed media are well matched to the narrative and wonderfully capture Rudolph's essence." --Horn Book

"The message of Go, Wilma, Go! is timeless-and immediate." --Shelf Awareness

"Mixed-media art that includes hand-painted cut-paper collage and digital renderings gives a dioramic feel to scenes of Rudolph running, traveling, and resting." --Publishers Weekly

"Cheerful and engaging, buoyed especially by the dynamic collage and mixed media artwork." --BCCB

"A welcome tribute to Wilma Rudolph's accomplishments and her legacy as a civil rights activist." --Booklist

"Gracefully written . . . Pinkney Barlow deftly captures her subject's determination both on and off the track . . . Places salutary focus not just on Rudolph's athletic gifts but also on her strength of character." --Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Amira Rose Davis is an assistant professor of African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas-Austin. She had a PhD in history from Johns Hopkins University and specializes in twentieth-century American history with an emphasis on race, gender, sports and politics. She is the author of the forthcoming book, Can't Eat a Medal: The Lives and Labors of Black Women Athletes in the Age of Jim Crow. Davis also co-hosts the Feminist Sports Podcast Burn it All Down and season three of American Prodigies. She lives in Austin with her husband, three kids, and their dog and cat.
amirarosedavis.com

Michael G. Long has a PhD from Emory University and is the author or editor of numerous books on nonviolent protest, civil rights, and LGBTQ+ rights. His books for children include the National Book Award Longlisted More Than a Dream with Yohuru Williams and the picture book Unstoppable: How Bayard Rustin Organized the March on Washington.

Charnelle Pinkney Barlow received her BFA in illustration from the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, and her MFA in the Illustration as Visual Essay from the School of Visual Arts, New York. Charnelle's children's book illustrations include Everything in Its Place, The Real Santa, and Remember to Dream, Ebere. Charnelle lives in Indianapolis with her husband. When she's not drawing, she is baking, sewing, or reading with a cup of tea by her side.
callmechartreuse.com
Instagram @callmechartreuse