Customer Reviews

Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman

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Inspirational stories fill hundreds of picture books every year. Most are simply awful. They either tell tales that are loose plots barely supported by facts or they paste together a slapdash concoction of truth and fiction with as little thought as possible. The truly beautiful bio-picture books out there are as rare as hummingbirds in autumn. So it was with great joy that I located "Wilma Unlimited" and found it to be not only inspirational but also a darned good read. Written by Kathleen Krull (the woman who could make long dead musicians fascinating in "Lives of the Musicians" and bring Cesar Chavez to life in the recent "Harvesting Hope") and illustrated by David Diaz the book is the best possible way to introduce kids to one of the world's greatest athletes.

Born in 1940 to a family of twenty-one people (nineteen siblings, no less), Wilma Rudolph was initially a sickly child. Though she was energetic enough, she often caught every disease imaginable. At the age of five, Wilma's left leg twisted inward and it was clear that she'd come down with polio. Still, Wilma was a determined child and she consistently exercised her unruly leg to get stronger. After continual practice, she was finally able to walk free of the leg brace that had weighed her down. At twelve the brace was put away for good and Wilma started participating in sports. She led her high school basketball team to the finals, catching the eye of a college coach. Before you knew it, Wilma was recruited into the Tennessee State University's track-and-field team on a full ride scholarship. In 1960 she competed in the Olympic Games in Rome. The book sets this part up beautifully. Wilma arrived with a twisted ankle into a place filled with television cameras (the first time they ever filmed the Olympics), the place "shimmering heat", and her competition consisting of runners who had run faster races than she ever had. Then Wilma proceeds to win one... two... three gold medals! The last medal is especially dramatic, hinging on the moment when Wilma drops her baton and STILL beats the other runners in the 400-meter relay. The last double page spread in this book shows Wilma standing, "tall and still, like a queen", earning the last of her three medals. It's a truly proud moment for all who have the privilege to experience it once again in picture book form.

Krull has a way with words. I'm not saying that Wilma Rudolph's life is dull. Far from it. But in the hands of a lesser author this story could easily have been bogged down in all the wrong moments. This author knows which moments should be given full glory. The moment when Wilma removes her brace and walks proudly into church will banish from your mind that similar pseudo-inspirational moment in "Forrest Gump". Wilma's struggle at the Olympics through pain and skepticism puts the reader through the same strains. You yearn for this woman to beat them and beat 'em she does. Then, best of all, come the illustrations of David Diaz. This is my first Diaz experience, though I suspect that I'll read many more of his books as the days go on. Diaz has accompanied his illustrations in this tale with sepia toned photographs. The book's endpapers display the outlines of footprints in the dirt. The title page is an evocative view of ivy climbing a raw wooden fence. Behind his colorful illustrations, each background photograph refers to the corresponding scene obliquely. When Wilma and her mother take the bus to the hospital, the photograph is a close-up of a wheel. When she packs away her leg brace, it's shredded packing paper. A great relief it is indeed that the colored illustrations are worthy of their sepia compatriots. Though these pictures may appear blunt at first, they are filled with the most delicate of designs. I loved watching the character of Wilma as she aged. As she grows in confidence, her posture improves and back stiffens until, by the last shot, she is standing taller than all the women around her. Than all the women in the world.

"Wilma Unlimited" should be known to everyone living in American today. This is inspirational without being either annoying or faux-patriotic. It's an actual honest-to-goodness amazing story. The book is beautiful and its story is worthy of its packaging. I challenge you to read it and not shake your head at least once in amazement. It's just that good.

I liked Wilma Unlimited becuase Wilma had a lot of courage to do whats right. One way Wilma had courage was she took off her leg brace and walked in front of church. I liked how Wilma was a hero, for example, when she got in the world Olympic races and won them. I liked it when Wilma did what she wanted for example, when she played basketball for the first time. I also liked how the book kept on going until Wilma died. Read the book because it's great!

"Wilma Unlimited" is a stunning blend of art and history. Author Kathleen Krull and illustrator David Diaz have done an outstanding job in bringing to life the story of Olympic heroine Wilma Rudolph, the African-American runner who overcame a disabling childhood illness and ultimately triumphed at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

Krull tells Wilma's story in a simple, straightforward way that should appeal to young readers. Her prose is accompanied by Diaz's truly memorable artwork. His full-color illustrations, which strike a perfect balance between realism and stylization, really convey the emotion of each stage in Wilma's incredible journey.

"Wilma Unlimited" is a story of working hard and overcoming adversity. Although much of the story is set in the world of sports, the message of this book is universal. If your child is struggling with some problem or setback and needs a book to renew his/her sense of hope, this might be the ideal choice. Krull and Diaz have created a wonderful tribute to a remarkable woman.

I have used Wilman Unlimited in my classroom for the past few years. It is a fantastic book to use any time during the year, but good for Black History Month also. I use it with fourth graders to teach sequencing and analyzing character. I highly recommend this book.

Wilma Rudolph was never expected to live past her first birthday, but she did. That wouldn't be the only thing she would have to overcome in her challenging life. Wilma was always a sickly child growing up. Her brothers and sisters would get sick, but she would get it twice as bad. By the time Wilma was five, her family found out that she had polio. The doctors had her wear a special steel brace, and told her that she would never walk again. Growing up she would watch children playing basketball, and wished she could some day play as well. One day she decided she was going to learn to walk without her brace. So, she did just that. Her and her mother worked and worked at strengthening her leg. Finally she was able to play with the other children. She helped lead her high school basketball team to the state championship, in which they lost. She caught the eye of the Tennessee State track coach. He couldn't believe how fast she was. Wilma ended up being the first person in her family to attend and finish college. Later on, Wilma went on to win an astonishing three gold metals in the Summer Olympics of 1960. I found this book to be very rewarding. I think it would help kids that have a lot of tough challenges in life. It would also help inspire anyone that would happen to read it. I had always heard of Wilma Rudolph when I was growing up, but I never knew how inpirational her life really was, until now!

i am a reading specialist in Washington, DC and chose this book b/c i love David Diaz and because, like wilma, my children have many obstacles in their lives. i simply can not finish this book without nearly crying in front of my class. i've read it so many times, but the suspenseful writing and triumphant ending never get tiring. it is a truly wonderful story and wonderfully told and illustrated by this duo.

I have used this book in my classroom, in staff development, and in graduate classes for teachers. The life lessons that can be learned from Wilma Rudolph are endless. Her determination and ability to overcome adversity are truly remarkable. Every child should hear and see the hard work and perservence that Wilma demonstrated. Every teacher with whom I have shared this book, plans to use it in her or his classroom. I bought this book for someone who is studying to be a teacher. I know that someday he will use this book with his students as well.

My granddaughter needed books on Wilma Rudolph for a 5th grade school project. This ended up being her favorite. The text was just right for her understanding and she really liked the illustrations. As she was reading it she clutched it to her chest and exclaimed to me, "Grandma, I love this book!" It prompted a conversation about overcoming doubts, believing in yourself and what things inspire us... a conversation I don't think we would have had otherwise.

A famous businessman once remarked that given a choice among intelligence, wealth, and persistence as the characteristic contributing the most towards success, he would choose persistence. He pointed out that skid row had its share of intelligent men, wealth could be lost in spite of man's best efforts, but persistence enabled a man to persevere in all circumstances, and often to triumph against all odds. Kathleen Krull's Wilma Unlimited, the story of how Wilma Rudolph became the worl'd fastest woman, is a tribute to just such persistence. Born in Clarksville, Tennessee, in 1940, Wilma weighed in at just a little over four pounds and continued to be a small and sickly child in a large supportive family of poor blacks. Just before turning five, Wilma was stricken with polio. Left with a paralyzed leg, Wilma was forced to hop on one foot to get around, and was barred from school because she couldn't walk. Wilma fought back by working hard at her exercises, wearing a heavy steel brace so she could attend school, and eventually, practicing walking without the brace. By twelve, Wilma took the brace off for good, and went on to become a star basketball player in high school and a track-and-field star in college. In 1960, Wilma, despite swelling and pain from a recently twisted ankle, won three Olympic gold medals in running events. David Diaz's bold, bright, stylized illustrations add a strong, colorful, and additional emotional impact to Krull's relation of Wilma's triumphs over extreme physical limitations. Set against sepia-toned backgrounds that contribute textural elements to each layout, Diaz's paintings all but leap off the page. An author's note tells of Wilma's career after retiring as a runner and her efforts to nurture young athletes. Readers young and old are sure to be inspired by this story of one woman's unlimited persistence and world class success in the face of mind- boggling adversity.

This is a wonderful true story of one woman's accomplishments. Wilma Rudolph was a bouncy child who ran everywhere as soon as she could walk. When she contracted polio and scarlet fever at the same time, the doctor said she would never walk again. But Wilma had a mother who rode the bus with her 50 miles each way twice a week, to the nearest hospital that would treat black patients. She had 21 brothers and sisters to help her exercise and practice until she could walk, first with a brace, then (finally) all on her own. Wilma had watched the other children play for years, and she wanted to play basketball as soon as she could. Wilma's long legs, strength, and determination helped her to lead her high school basketball team to the state championships, where she caught the attention of a track and field coach who offered her a college scholarship. In 1960, Wilma made the US Olympic track and field team. She wasn't expected to win any events, but it was an honor for her just to compete. And then Wilma amazed everyone. She won her first gold medal when she flew past everyone in the 100 meter race -- and then won another in the 200 -- and then she won another gold when she anchored the 4 by 100 meter relay. Wilma Rudolph did what no one else had done before, and she earned the richly deserved title of fastest woman in the world. Her story is proof that strength can overcome almost any disadvantages