Jesse Owens

Jesse Owens is a new biography for young readers in the Little People, Big Dreams series. I've reviewed a number of these titles and all of them are delightful and exuberant little books which cover the lives of famous cultural, science, arts, and innovative icons while maintaining an age-appropriate level of detail.

Due out 2nd June 2020 from Quarto on their Frances Lincoln imprint, it'll be 32 pages and will be available in hardcover format.

Written by Isabel Sánchez Vegara it's presented in clear, accessible, age-appropriate language.  The gentle and sweetly humorous illustrations were well done. The art by Anna Katharina Jansen is appealing and colorful and supports the text very well. Both the illustrations and text are rich in small subtle details which bear a closer look (like the illustrations based on historical photos, of him being a gracious winner at the olympics, and receiving the medal of freedom).

Well written and appealing, I am really enjoying all of these little books. This one is a worthy addition.

Five stars. This would make a superlative reading circle book, classroom library book, or gift.  Jesse Owens was an incredibly important sports and cultural icon under incredibly difficult conditions. It's vital for youngsters to learn about racial history and for their caregivers to never forget (lest we be doomed to revisit those awful times). For completeness (mostly for children's school and public library info): there's one illustration showing Jesse waiting his turn to shower while all the white athletes were showering and obviously there are strategically placed bubbles everywhere, but there is one, single, unoffensive, caucasian butt shown.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes