A truly inspiring book.
I was born in the 1950’s and knew of his exploits at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. I didn’t appreciate how this political capital for the Allies against Hitler was a touch hypocritical given his struggles at home as a Black American.
This story may surprise a younger generation but this road to equality and racial segregation must never be forgotten. I am pleased to see that Jesse was a humble man and despite being the youngest of 10 siblings worked hard and loved athletics.
He deserves his place in this wonderful collection of titles that covers so many people across many disciplines.
We may not be able to run like the wind but our hearts must be stirred up to confront and overcome any forms of prejudice and discrimination.
I hope others will love and enjoy sharing Owen’s life story with their children. The colours lend to the time and life pre-war. These booklets never disappoint and are worth collecting as these stories stand the test of time.

I love this series: Little People Big Dreams, short, kid friendly biographies, of people they study! This one chronicles the life of Jesse Owens, and shares the racism and prejudice he faced, even when he was one of the fastest runners alive. The soft illustrations add to the text and help children understand on their level who Jesse Owens was, why he was important, and some of the adversity he faced.

This was a short book about an athlete I didn’t know a whole lot about. The bright illustrations are eye catching and were a great addition to the story. This book tackles difficult topics like racism gracefully, and would be a good way to teach children about mistakes that have happened in the past that we don’t want to repeat in the future.

I requested and received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and the Quatro Group in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a great book about Jesse Owens highlighting his amazing work ethic, his athletic abilities, and his achievements. I am glad that this series of books is introducing children to people they may not hear about through other learning avenues.

This series is defect fo children, especially those in the ks1/2 age bracket. Well written and illustrated, this book is perfect for the classroom or library.

I am totally digging this series, so it was only natural to pick up yet another great biographical picture book! And to top it off, a book about sports!!

This time around Jesse Owens is the star. This young boy grew up to be an Olympic runner! From a small town start, to the big leagues, this guy is truly incredible!

I had heard of Jesse Owens but didn't know his background, so this was yet another great book to read. I find that this series makes non-fiction and learning so easy and fun, and as an adult I love them!

Overall, this is another great book! I'd highly recommend picking up this book for your youngsters!

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Group for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Beautiful book that is engaging for young children and older children with stunning illustrations with a great strong message of what he achieved and the discrimination he faced

Would make a lovely keep sake gift

Love Love Love this addition of Little People Big Dreams! Great illustrations. Great way for children to learn about people who have changed the world!
Thanks for the ARC NetGalley!

Jesse Owens by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara explores the life this Olympian who participated in the Games in Hitler's Germany, and who stood against racism on many fronts. I appreciate that the author didn't shy away from portraying the racism faced by young Jesse (and adult Jesse). The end of the book contains a more detailed look at Owens' life, using language suited for much older readers. Inspirational and educational both, this entire series is great! I read this with my cubs. We love this series! Highly recommended!

***Many thanks to the Netgalley & Quarto Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Another installment in the Little People, Big Dreams series. Jesse Owens faced a lot of adversity in his running career. This book provides a great conversation starter for younger kids about his life and the racism he faced.

Perfect addition to school and public libraries.

An adorable and insightful look into the life and career of Jesse Owens, very interesting to read and good for all ages and audiences.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.

This series is one of my favorites for picture book biographies. I am passionate about teaching my students about ordinary people who did extraordinary things. Reading Jesse Owens biography in this format will help my students become more comfortable with my favorite non-fiction genre.

A beautiful, inspiring overview of Jesse Owens' life for children. I would recommend this book for children 7 and up as adults would have to explain the segregation and racism Owens faced during his life. Another great book in this collection!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

Ms. Sancez Vegara does a beautiful job telling the story of Jesse Owens.  While reading this book, young readers will learn about Owens's many incredible athletic achievements, while also learning about  the racism and hardships that he endured.  This entry is most highly recommended.  As always, the illustrations enhance the text.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

This picture book biography of Jesse Owens portrays his life story in a thorough, accurate way, showing what an inspiration he was as he harnessed his talent and triumphed in spite of bigotry and hatred. I enjoyed reading Owens's autobiography years ago, and this book hits the highlights and the hardest parts of his life, from his victory at the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany to his struggles to find employment in the US afterwards.

The book is very direct about the racism that he experienced, showing that not even his fame could buffer him from its insults and limitations. He was expected to take the back entrance to parties celebrating his victory, and as the author's note mentions, FDR did not invite Owens to the White House, as he did with other Olympic victors. However, one thing that parents should be aware of is that an illustration about Owens's segregation on track teams shows him sitting outside while white men are showering, and although the other men's frontal nudity is hidden with clouds of soap suds, one man is illustrated buck naked from the back. This portrayal of people in the shower was unnecessary and distracting.

Despite that one objection, I greatly enjoyed this book and recommend it to people who are fans of Owens or are learning the details of his life and struggles for the first time. This is a great, accurate resource that covers his life without leaving out anything significant that would distort the rest of the story, and the historical note and pictures in the back are also excellent.

I really like this series, and I think it features a bunch of very different and interesting people! This is one of those I've enjoyed the most since I feel like it dealt with racism and the historical time period in a good way. This would also make this perfect to use in the classroom, especially since I'm sure a lot of people struggle to find the parallels between Nazi Germany pre-war and the US.

Jesse Owens was someone deserving of the sobriquet 'legend' but somehow, he was forgotten far too soon to enjoy it. had he been white, that might not have happened, but had he been white, his blazing trail across the athletic world would carry far less weight than it does.

Something this book doesn't make clear is that his actual name was James Cleveland Owens. He went by 'JC', but when he was inducted into his new school, the person writing down the names didn't understand him and thought he was saying 'Jesse'. The name stayed with him ever since.

He grew up in a large family - ten children, which is far too many for poor parents to support, but had he never been born he could never have made the impact he did. He was notable for his running speed even at an early age, and his gym teacher was so impressed with him that he allowed him special training privileges so he could fit his athletics in alongside his work - work that was necessary to help support his family.

He became renowned in his own lifetime after he set three world records and tied another at the 1935 Big Ten track meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan, something that's been described as "the greatest 45 minutes ever in sport" and which has never been repeated by anyone.

Perhaps his biggest triumph was sticking it to Adolf Hitler at the 1938 Olympics. While the dictator of the Aryan race, who considered black people to be inferior, sat and watched, Owens won four gold medals. Hitler couldn't even take pride in the fact that in an early case of sponsorship, Owens was wearing German running shoes made by the founder of the Adidas athletics-wear company!

This was an intriguing and educational book for young kids, and I commend it fully.

Very important title added to this series. This shows how Jesse Owens proved Hitler wrong and won 3 gold medals but still suffered racism. This can help start the important conversation of how racism is wrong in a sensitive way. Beautifully illustrated.

Find the good. It's all around you. Find it, showcase it, and you'll start believing in it.

The life story of Jesse Owens is one that is inspiring and a good role model for all of us. Being discriminated against because of race in the 1930's he rose above and lived his mantra.

Not to sure what to make of the shower scene. Again, these series of books are geared towards adults not toddlers unless you are progressive in nature.

A Special Thank you to Quarto Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

My 5 year old son loves the 'Little People Big Dreams' books and I adore reading them to him! This book on Jesse Owens did not dissapoint. As all of the books in the collection do, this tackled very complex themes of racism and class in a way that is easy for children to process and understand. The illutrations were beautiful and overall the book was stunning. Will be recommending to customers once I return to work.

Please note that we are not premitted to add bookseller reviews on Waterstones.com whilst on furlough and as such I will post online as soon as I return to work.