This partial biography couldn’t be based on a more inspirational story.  Ms. Krull tells about Wilma’s birth, her childhood years, and her illnesses.  She tells about Wilma’s challenges as a black person in the 1940’s, as a physically disabled student, and as a low-income family member.  It is about Wilma Rudolph’s triumph over polio, triumph over her station in life as a poor black and as a woman, and about her abilities.  Wilma Rudolph goes from being a preemie born sickly child with a leg brace to winning 3 gold medals in track at the 1960 Olympics in Rome.  Booklist says, “In this biography for younger readers, Krull skillfully demonstrates that in achieving her historic triple victory, Rudolph also claimed victory over three obstacles: a normally crippling illness, growing up African American in the segregated South of the 1940s, and competing in what was then regarded as a men's sport.”

Kathleen tells this story in a simple yet factual style.  Publishers Weekly says, “Krull's (Lives of the Musicians) characteristic, conversational style serves her especially well here. Through her words the nearly superhuman Rudolph seems both personable and recognizable.”  School Library Journal has this to say,” It is to Krull's credit that though her telling is affecting, it is also crisp and matter of fact, very much in the spirit of Rudolph's deep day-to-day determination.”  The writing reflects the person it is about.  An appended author's note offers additional historical context.

The artwork, type, and backgrounds add a whole dimension to the text of this book.  Caldecott medal (1995) winning artist David Diaz invented a new type for this book.  It gives it a woodcut look.  The acrylic, watercolor and gouache paintings are styled in the cubist technique.  They look like woodcuts.  The framed text on one page is opposed on the next page by a framed painting.  Both of these are set on pages of background designs related to the pages’ subject matter.  School Library Journal describes it, “The real impact of this book lies in the potent melding of powerful prose with Diaz's stunning artwork. His watercolor and acrylic illustrations with definite black outlining create a stained-glass effect, and the paintings themselves are backed on sepia photographs that relate to the text. For example, narrative about Wilma's bus trips to Nashville is matched with an illustration showing the girl and her mother at the back of the bus. This in turn is superimposed over a photograph of a bus tire.”  The backgrounds are set in brown tones. The book reminds me of African or Cuban art.  The artwork is a tribute to Wilma Rudolph’s story. 

Booklist says, “Both Krull's words and Diaz's illustrations are celebrations of an inspiring life that deserves to be remembered.”

Cart, Michael. Review of Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman in Booklist. Available from http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0152012672//qid=1098648556/sr=2-3/ref=pd_ka_b_2_3/104-7029233-8001543?v=glance&s=books&vi=reviews. Accessed 20 October 2004

Review of Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman in Publishers Weekly. Available from http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0152012672//qid=1098648556/sr=2-3/ref=pd_ka_b_2_3/104-7029233-8001543?v=glance&s=books&vi=reviews. Accessed 20 October 2004

Welton, Ann. Review of Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman in School Library Journal. Available from http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0152012672//qid=1098648556/sr=2-3/ref=pd_ka_b_2_3/104-7029233-8001543?v=glance&s=books&vi=reviews. Accessed 20 October 2004