The little girl who everyone saw as a trouble maker became the first African American man or woman to compete in and win the Wimbledon Cup. I know some may not agree but this story is a prime example of it takes a village to raise a child. When others saw Althea, they saw a trouble maker but Buddy Walker saw possibility. He put her in a position to be great and others began to see it as well. Everyone she came in contact with put her in a better position to win. ( )

I liked reading this book for many reasons. I found colors of the illustrations in this book to be really interesting. Each time the main character, Althea, is shown in a picture she is surrounded by a watercolor rainbow of colors. This was not only captivating, but also symbolic of her importance to the story. In addition, I also liked the author’s use of repetition in the book. The phrase “she’s nothing but trouble” is repeated after pretty much every major life event that Althea experiences. This use of repetition creates a sense of predictability in the story. The message of this story is with hard work and determination you can achieve your dreams. Althea came from a poor urban family and had to spend years sacrificing her time and energy to become a successful tennis player. Eventually her hard work paid off when she became the first African American to win the Wimbledon Title. ( )

This is one of the best illustrated books I have seen. I love the water colouring that surrounds Althea in the whole book. It is like her intensity, love for the game and attitude perfectly visualized. I like how she was helped by a jazz musician it blended together and is a fascinating fact about her life.
I like that she is super sassy and does things her own way. She finds out how to harness those feelings to make her a better tennis player. Through that she achieved an amazing feat. ( )

This is an excellent picture book biography. I don't know that it's subject was reflected in such a positive light, but the research was thorough and the writing was strong. ( )

Sue Stauffacher tells the story of Althea Gibson, the first African American ever to compete for and win a Wimbledon Cup. The reader learns that as a child Althea was considered "trouble." However, she had one person that truly believed in her and encouraged her to work hard at her gift. A beautiful book that can provide encouragement and hope in all children. ( )