Jesse Owens is the newest to be spotlighted in this latest edition of the Little People, BIG DREAMS series by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara. This series is such a delight and the perfect way to educate not just kids but everyone about historic and cultural icons.

Jesse Owens is a track and field star who won four gold medals in the 1936 games. While I was aware that Owens was a widely acclaimed runner in history, I wasn't aware of how he got that recognition. This book highlights Owens getting his nickname "Buckeye Bullet", the racial discrimination and segregation he endured, and Owens breaking three world records at the 1936 Olympics.
Anna Katharina Jansen illustrates this installment and does an fantastic job. Jansen's art style was so captivating and her art definitely further helped tell Owens' story. This installment easily became one of my favorite in the series. I love collecting these books and am so thrilled to add this one to the rest of my collection.

It impresses me how the author of this books manages to make everything seems positive without ignoring horrible things went on. In this book, we meet Jesse Owens as a child, youngest of ten, and see how he started training despite having to earn money for his family, being admitted to university and later becoming an athlete who competed at the Olympic Games - and stole Hitler the show.

The unnecessary and harmful practises like having to wait to shower till the white athletes were done are not ignored, or how he was honored guest for a dinner and still had to use the servants entry just because of having more melanin in him. All is shown and explained in a way children can understand, and which make even me feel like we can do better in the future, just because we have to.
Despite being very depressed at the moment, I could read this without feeling even more down, and I had this experience multiple times with this series.

This was not my favorite entry in the series, but that was mostly due to the formatting choices of text colors that made portions difficult to read. It did a good job telling the story of Jesse Owens and giving an introduction to the extremely difficult subjects of racism, segregation, and Nazis.

5 out of 5 🌟 Educational and nicely illustrated

Little People, Big Dreams are short books for children about exceptional people who shaped our world. They're enjoyable pieces of non-fiction to enjoy by children. I love biographies of people who dared to be different, and these short books are one of my favorites.

What I especially like about the series ‘Little People, Big Dreams’ are simple and friendly illustrations to make children feel it was truly made for them. Graphics to 'Jesse Owens' were made by Anna Katharina Jensen and they're fit perfectly amid the spirit of the first half of the XXth century with their sepia warm colors.

The biography is highly educational and besides Jesse Owens' history, it touches problems of segregation and racism in the United States and in the World. It should be read along with children to help them explain the struggles Jesse Owens had because of his skin color. I love the most in 'Little People, Big Dreams' that I keep learning something new about influent personas in the history.

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and feelings are my own.*

I will start of this review with my only negative in my reading experience with this book, I did not overly like the art in this book, especially when compared to the other books in this fantastic series.
This being said aside from this, the actual content and information given about the athlete was fascinating, and the issue of race inequality and segregation was handled in a tasteful and palatable way.
A good read.

This was another great addition to this series - it is a series I would definitely recommended to all!!

This book featured Jesse Owens, I knew a little about Jesse but even as an adult I would the book to be informative and I did learn more about his back story. I liked how the story told not only his success but also the issues he faced at the times with racism and segregation too - it was a well rounded book.

It is 5 stars from me for this one, it was a great book, I loved the images and the way that the story of Jesse Owens was told - his is a very positive story of determination through adversity.

Classic Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, another amazing addition to this wonderful library of inspiring legends , I cannot recommend these enough for big people as well as little, they are a joy to read and may teach you something new.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a wonderful biographical board book about the life of athlete Jesse Owens. The fastest man of this time. I admired how the author included a realistic picture of his life and battle with racism. Although he was one of the most admired athletes of the world he was still met with prejudice and racism. Loved it!

This was such a powerful story of determination and resilience.

I enjoy the ilistratuons some truly portrait the emotions and I almost cried.

Definitely one of the pioneers in the fight against discrimination.

Awesome biography about one of the most historic figures in the past century! Can’t wait to add to my classroom library.

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The ‘My First Little People, Big Dreams’ series provides informative and inspirational biographies about people who left a mark on this earth, no matter what difficulties they have encountered.
These stories are very short, but that’s because they’re books for children, so it’s totally understandable.
I think they are a very smart and wonderful way to introduce little children to such important figures.
In this volume we have the story of Jesse Owens, the famous American track and field athlete and four-time gold medalist in the 1936 Olympic Games. I liked how here is shown not just his success but also his struggles with racism and segregation.

I can't say enough about this series! Simple without being overly so. Great illustrations and the perfect amount of information for little learners! We look for these books every time we visit the library. Another excellent addition to the series!

This was a pretty solid overview of Owens' life for a picture book. It hit the major events and it didn't gloss over the racism he faced both at home and internationally.

A better entry to this series that has to be given the over-arching verdict of 'patchy to good'. This is not at all patchy, and nicely combines the details of Jesse Owens' formative years, Olympic fame and so on with all the attendant racism that hampered his existence throughout. The artwork is still a naff, childish design, all cheesy ball-shaped cheekbones sticking out from all the faces and all dodgy lack of perspective, as if one of the target readers had drawn it themselves (you know, I THINK young kids are OK with books that look like they had an adult hand in creating them). It does at least contain some nice beats, though, such as Hitler storming off his VIP box at the sight of Owens getting Berlin Olympic gold. But the text in these books hasn't always been wondrous, either, so it's nice to say this really does pin down why we look up to the athlete Owens to this day – it was both what he had within him as a natural talent and how he reacted to all that was going on around him. Classy, and even though this doesn't look to fit that descriptor, it more or less is.

This series is always a joy to read, it’s a really nice introduction to well known people for little children. Of course the plot is always a little bit fast but that’s to be expected and it’s totally understandable.
This volume is about Jesse Owens, an athlete who had to face segregation and racism. I've always admired him for his achievements and it's sad to see that his own country recognized him as he deserved only later in life when segregation was finally over. His achievements in the 1936 Olympics sure made history and I'm very glad children can read his story.