Evonne Goolagong (Little People, Big Dreams, #36)

by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

Lisa Koesterke (Illustrator)

In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Evonne Goolagong, the inspiring indigenous Australian tennis player.

Evonne grew up on a hot, dusty farm in Australia. She was the third of eight children, and descendant of the Wirundjuri people, who have lived on the land for more than 60,000 years. Her talent for tennis was discovered at a local tennis club, and before she knew it, the girl dreaming about the place called 'Wimbledon' was playing on centre court. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the brilliant tennis player's life.

Little People, BIG DREAMS is a bestselling biography series for kids that explores 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 of books 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 hardback and paperback versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. With rewritten text for older children, the treasuries each bring together a multitude of dreamers in a single volume. You can also collect a selection of the books by theme in boxed gift sets. Activity books and a journal 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!
 

• ISBN13: 9780711245853
• Publish Date: 3 March 2020
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 21 December 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Frances Lincoln Publishers Ltd
• Imprint: Frances Lincoln Children's Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 32
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Evonne Goolagong is a short age appropriate illustrated biography of the famous tennis player and a new addition to the Little People, Big Dreams series. I've reviewed a number of these titles and all of them are delightful and exuberant books which cover the lives of famous cultural, science, arts, and sports icons while maintaining an age-appropriate level of detail.

Due out 3rd March 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 well written in clear accessible language. The gentle and sweetly whimsical illustrations are well done. The art by Lisa Koesterke is appealing and colorful and supports the text very well. The art is rich in small subtle details which bear a closer look (like the animals, multicultural children, and more which appear throughout the book). There was a small typo in the timeline in the early eARC I received - Goolagong was picked up and trained by Vic Edwards in 1965, not 1956 (when she would've been 5 years old), but otherwise it's factually correct and engaging.

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. Evonne Goolagong has used her fame as a platform to encourage and help others and this little book is a nice introduction to her life and work for the youngest generation.

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