Growing up in foster care, Simone's gymnastics training was an anchor in her life. She first tried out the sport after visiting her local gym on a field trip. Coaches spotted her natural talent and, after years of hard work, she began winning world championships and Olympic gold medals. Widely cited as the greatest gymnast of all time, Simone is also an advocate for mental health awareness, having famously put her health before her sport by withdrawing from the 2020 Olympic finals. This picture book tells her heroic story in a way that inspires young children to follow their dreams while taking care of themselves.

This book was very cool, as I'm a huge Simone fan, and a big fan of gymnastics in general. I remember when Simone burst onto the senior state in 2013. This is a very uplifting and inspiring story, although I feel like it's written at a higher level than the pictures would indicate. There are also key points in Simone's story that are glossed over or completely that would explain some weird things (like mentioning she was adopted by her grandparents would explain why she chose to call them mom and dad). Overall, a fun and inspiring book for kids!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

It's a great biography book for young children to learn about an exceptional olympian gymnast.. Has amazing illustrations across every single page. Great book for a primary school library when researching celebrities.

I have watched Simone perform with such a sense of awe and fascination that it was with much joy that I read this book in the Little People, Big Dreams series. A wonderful short overview of Simone’s life until now in bite size fashion for children to enjoy and adults to gain brief insight. Great addition to the series

I love this series of books and how they tell the stories that should be told, to children, in easy language but clearly showing why these little people and their big dreams should be celebrated.

This book was no exception and told Simone’s life story beautifully, from her unusual start in life all the way through to her unusually way of handling the pressure she has found herself under in both her private and professional lives. Simone is a true great, a GOAT, not only in gymnastics but in the way she composes herself and stays true to what is important.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review.

This was a cute book. I would definitely read it to my nieces and nephews. It’s well written for children to understand the concepts. The illustrations are beautiful. I also love the timeline and real photos of Simone.

This was a great intro into Simone Biles. A lot of these little books forget to mention other aspects of a famous person's life, but this one revealed at least a few little things about Biles that were different than "she was good at gymnastics". I love how they included the whole gross business with Larry Nassar but without including names, and I love how they talked about her. being a champion of mental health.
4.5 stars

Beautifully aimed at the target audience, this book details the struggles Simone Biles has faced, and the strength and determination she has found to get through to be top of her game. With wonderful illustrations, the book is perfectly pitched to inspire children to be all they can be, and to never hide from speaking up. Great addition to the Little People Big Dreams series.

Simone Biles is one of my favorite athletes and people and it is wonderful to see a book for younger children that tells her extraordinary story. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is definitely inspiring.

That said, I have mixed feelings about the way that the author portrayed some of the difficult times in Simone’s life. Is it enough to say that at age three she went to live with her grandparents? Or that she spoke up when “some adults were doing something wrong”? How would a parent answer questions about these things? I’m glad that they are included - her actions with her teammates were very important. But is glossing over these challenging times makes it sound like everything was positive when it was not. I take particular issue with the description of the description of the illness that caused her to drop out of the Olympics. It was an illness that required a great deal of physical therapy to heal - it wasn’t just “stepping back” with a mental problem and coming back “when she was ready.”

I’m not a child psychologist and so I don’t know what is the most appropriate way to share difficult issues about a celebrity while still emphasizing their greatness. I’m just not sure that hedging the truth is the best way to go.

Thanks to Quarto and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Strength, flexibility, balance, and grace—these words certainly describe the amazing Simone Biles. I am a huge gymnastics fan and a huge Simone fan. This book is super cute and perfect for children. Simone's path has not been easy, and she has dealt with hardships. This story shows that even those who are top performers in their sport are still just people who are trying to do the best they can. This wonderful book shows children they can reach their goals with hard work and dedication.

This is a super fun and cute book which I loved just like every other in this brilliant series. I didn't know much about Biles prior to reading this and I'm in great awe of her accomplishments and dedication to her work

Simone Biles, the little girl who couldn’t keep still, and her sister moved to Texas to live with their grandparents when she was three. She struggled with academic subjects but on a field trip to a gym, her natural gymnastic talent was spotted by the coaches and they asked her grandparents to sign her up. Her grandparents, who she calls Mom and Dad, knew it would be her chance to shine and at age 14, Simone won a place on the US senior team. She was the first African American gymnast to win the All-Round title at the World Championships and became the first US female gymnast to win four golds and a bronze at a single Olympics.

Whilst undoubtedly one of the most accomplished sportspeople that we will ever see, Simone’s greatest achievements were possibly outside of the arena. In 2018, she revealed that the US Gymnastics team physician had sexually assaulted her and several teammates and set about to bravely take a stand against him and the institution of USA Gymnastics to ensure that this abuse could not happen to anyone else. She also had the courage to speak out about her mental health and take a step back from competing and became a role model for young athletes struggling with the pressures of being at the top of their game. She returned to competition at the age of 26 to become the oldest woman to win the All-Round at the Nationals and sealed her place as greatest of all time (GOAT).

This series has yet again picked a total trailblazer, a Presidential Medal of Freedom awardee and a passionate mental health advocate to highlight in its wonderful series of biographies. Simone Biles’s grandparents taught her not to take things for granted and to always try her best and Simone shares that mantra and acts as inspiration, not only to budding sports stars everywhere, but to those with ADHD, showing that it is both a superpower to channel and also a risk factor to mental health which warrants awareness and self care. She used her position of power in the media to talk about ADHD and to stand up against a behemoth and be the voice that her teammates weren’t necessarily in a position to be and she teaches our little ones that stepping back isn’t a failure and can be essential to continue to achieve. The book presents all of this in an age-appropriate way and champions her beautifully.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto for sending this eBook for review consideration. All opinions are our own.

Little People, Big Dreams - Simone Biles, by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara. Including all of the necessary biographical information but told as a children's story, this book describes the events of her childhood and adolescence as well as interesting information about her achievements and records. I love how Vegara covered the Dr. Nassar scandal, saying that she and her friends "spoke up about the things the adults in charge of the team were doing wrong, they realized they were strong." A great way to show young readers that they can stand up for what they believe in, without going into adult details.

As with all of her amazing biographies, Vegara creates informative and carefully crafted picture books that are perfect for young readers. Each page of her books has beautiful, colour-filled illustrations with about 3-4 lines of text. While they are biographical, they are also written in story form, demonstrating how young people can persevere, break barriers and do great things as they grow! The books end with a timeline and some pictures/biographical information about the subject.

I could definitely see this book in my Grade 2 classroom library and would recommend it to parents and teachers of children in the age 6-12 range. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

As a long-time gymnastics fan, I was thrilled to discover the "Little People, BIG DREAMS" series and incredibly excited to read Simone Biles. This delightful book introduces young readers to the incredible story of the GOAT, Simone Biles.

What I loved most was the book's focus on Simone's childhood. It showcases her early talent, boundless energy, and the joy she found in gymnastics. I appreciated how the book tactfully includes important topics like the support from her grandparents and her courage in speaking out about mental health and past abuse.

The vibrant illustrations bring Simone's signature moves to life, making the book visually engaging for young readers. The photos and timeline at the end provide a great way for children to connect to the real-world inspiration behind the story.

If you've got a budding gymnast in your life (or simply a child inspired by greatness!), I wholeheartedly recommend this book. It's a wonderful reminder that with dreams, hard work, and the proper support, anything is possible. Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Children's Books for the opportunity to preview this inspiring biography!

An inspiring retelling of the famous US gymnast's journey to the top. It's nicely illustrated and informative. I like that they always add a longer biography at the end.

This was a wonderful and informative read. I learned more about Simone Biles. This is a great addition to a classroom or home. This would be especially great for young gymnasts. I highly recommend this book.

"Simone Biles" is a great book for kids to learn more about the gymnast. My ten-year old daughter is a gymnast herself and huge fan of Simone Biles so she helped me review this book. She likes how this book doesn't just feature her accomplishments but also tells the reader about her childhood. We really enjoyed the illustrations as well. All in all, we'd recommend this book to children interested in learning more about Simone Biles.

Thank you to the publisher for the digital advance copy of this book in exchange for our honest review.

An uplifting account of the life and career of one of the greatest gymnasts ever. It discusses Biles's challenges in an age-appropriate way (with some extra information in the back of the book).

In this series of picture book biographies, the format is similar to that of a fictional picture book. Half of the text focuses on the subjects’ youth, the other half on their achievements as adults, which makes sense since most of them are fairly young.

Love, love, love. I adore how it touched on the hard topics in her life with such grace and care, such as the lawsuit and the Tokyo Olympics. The framing and wording for her comeback was absolutely amazing as well.

This series does such a great job of picking out relatable parts in a person’s life and presenting them in age appropriate ways. This book is no exception and is done so incredibly well! The biography at the end provides a few additional details about her life meant for slightly older readers and adults. A must own for little fans of a power house of a woman.