  | Fastest girl on Earth! : meet Kitty O'Neil, daredevil driver! Author: Robbins, Dean | |
| Price: $22.58 | ||
Summary:
Kitty O'Neil was a force to be reckoned with. She jumped, ran, raced, and swam, all while learning to read lips and communicating through sign language. Eventually, Kitty took a job as a stuntwoman, doing the most dangerous job on set and even filming stunts for films and television shows like Wonder Woman!
| Illustrator: | Baddeley, Elizabeth |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (06/15/21)
School Library Journal (+) (07/01/21)
Booklist (06/01/21)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 06/01/2021 This rare, if spare, tribute to deaf, part-Cherokee professional stuntwoman Kitty O’Neil focuses almost solely on her record-breaking 1976 speed run in a rocket-powered three-wheeler called the Motivator. Interspersed are flashbacks that trace how that need for speed drove her to a series of feats and athletic achievements from early youth on. In the otherwise representational style illustrations, Baddeley makes lavish use of splashes, blurs, shock waves, and blasts of flame and dust to capture a heady sense of acceleration; then, after showing Kitty being carried off on the shoulders of cheering onlookers (“Kitty could not hear their cheering, but she could feel it in her bones”), closes with a finger-signed countdown. Robbins adds further notes on O’Neil’s car, stunts, and records, and though he neglects to mention that her land-speed record, at least, was broken in 2019, he still makes a strong case for remembering her as a high flier in the annals of daredevil women. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 07/01/2021 Gr 1–3—Speed! Action! Excitement! This incredible biography shares the adventures of daredevil and record breaker Kitty O'Neil (1946–2018). The book begins at the onset of a world record attempt, then cuts back to Kitty's childhood and the events leading up to the current attempt. Kitty lost her hearing in childhood but as the book explains, "that didn't slow her down." Short sentences throughout the work build anticipation to Kitty's big challenge of breaking the women's land-speed record. The illustrations are colorful and detailed, which will keep children engaged and support comprehension. With its exciting pace, this book could be used as a read aloud or enjoyed individually. The back material includes facts about Kitty O'Neil's records, sports, and stunts, as well as details about her supercar, the SMI Motivator. Young race fans and car enthusiasts will appreciate these details. There are also author's notes which, like the facts and details, are written with young readers in mind. With exciting prose and positive representation, this book would be an excellent addition to biography collections. VERDICT This thrilling biography provides excellent representation of the deaf community as well as of a woman in sports. Highly recommended.—Christina Salazar, Mesquite I.S.D., TX - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
