On the morning of August 6, 1926, Gertrude Ederle stood in her bathing suit on the beach at Cape Gris-Nez, France, and faced the churning waves of the English Channel. Twenty-one miles across the perilous waterway, the English coastline beckoned. Lyrical text, stunning illustrations and fascinating back matter put the reader right alongside Ederle in her bid to be the first woman to swim the Channel—and contextualizes her record-smashing victory as a defining moment in sports history. Time line, bibliography, source notes.
"Macy's riveting narrative is a pleasant balance of storytelling and factual information. Collins brings the story to life with his stunning double-page scenes and mixed-media illustrations"—Booklist
"Macy's immediate, involving text takes breaks only to supply essential backstory . . . Collins's retro-flavored mixed-media art has a you-are-there, camera-like perspective, zooming in at key points along the way;"—The Horn Book
"The dramatic, full-bleed illustrations combine with the evocative text to humanize the event and the heroine. . . . A valuable addition to picture-book biographies of women who made waves in history."—Kirkus Reviews
Sue Macy has written many critically acclaimed books about sports and fearless women. She lives in Englewood, New Jersey. Visit her at www.suemacy.com.
Matt Collins has illustrated numerous books for children. His art has also appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Sports Illustrated for Kids. Visit him at www.mattcollins.com.
On the morning of August 6, 1926, Gertrude Ederle stood in her bathing suit on the beach at Cape Gris-Nez, France, and faced the churning waves of the English Channel. Twenty-one miles across the perilous waterway, the English coastline beckoned. Lyrical text, stunning illustrations and fascinating back matter put the reader right alongside Ederle in her bid to be the first woman to swim the Channel—and contextualizes her record-smashing victory as a defining moment in sports history. Time line, bibliography, source notes.
Praise
"Macy's riveting narrative is a pleasant balance of storytelling and factual information. Collins brings the story to life with his stunning double-page scenes and mixed-media illustrations"—Booklist
"Macy's immediate, involving text takes breaks only to supply essential backstory . . . Collins's retro-flavored mixed-media art has a you-are-there, camera-like perspective, zooming in at key points along the way;"—The Horn Book
"The dramatic, full-bleed illustrations combine with the evocative text to humanize the event and the heroine. . . . A valuable addition to picture-book biographies of women who made waves in history."—Kirkus Reviews
Author
Sue Macy has written many critically acclaimed books about sports and fearless women. She lives in Englewood, New Jersey. Visit her at www.suemacy.com.
Matt Collins has illustrated numerous books for children. His art has also appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Sports Illustrated for Kids. Visit him at www.mattcollins.com.
