sorman0110's review
5.0
I really loved this story of Annette Kellerman who could not walk as a child but became a strong swimmer and played a prominent role in the history of the swimsuit. The illustrations are cool, and I especially liked the last page where it shows the evolution of swimsuits over the years. C. 2009, genre-informational
babayagareads's review
5.0
Empowering! This is a little known story about a truly influential figure. It was perfect from start to finish. And as I always say, don't skip that author's note (it's so informative)!
readingthroughtheages's review
5.0
Great biography about Annette Kellerman, the Australian who invented water ballet and the modern swim suit. Loved her feistiness!
drpschmidt's review
4.0
Of course I am a sucker for stories about strong girls, but when it's a real person, I love it even more! Whimsical, bright illustrations make this book visually appealing while the true story of Annette Kellerman's perseverance is inspiring!
abigailbat's review
5.0
Vivid colors splash across the page in this picture book biography of Annette Kellerman, the Australian swimmer who invented water ballet and shocked audiences with her "skimpy" (for the times) bathing suits. Annette's vivacious personality comes across on every page as she becomes a record-breaking swimmer, advocates for female athletes, and designs new non-restrictive bathing suits for women. This is a great story of a woman who was not afraid to follow her dreams or fight for what she believed in!
thewinnielife's review
4.0
I randomly found and picked this book up from my library to discover that it's illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham, who also did What to Do About Alice, one of my favorite picture books! I had never heard of Annette Kellerman, but it was very interesting to learn more about her. Water ballet is so fascinating to me and Annette was a big part of inventing it.
jembrickner's review
4.0
Wonderful true story of a woman overcoming physical challenges to exceed the world's expectations, while breaking past social barriers of her time.
toad_maiden's review
2.0
I had higher hopes for this one. The illustrations were not to my taste--the pixelated quality looked to me like poor printing. In addition, there was something really lacking in the message here. Each time Kellerman bumped up against public mores, she ended up compromising to meet expectations (adding stockings and skirts to her swimsuits, for instance). It did make me want to track down a '20s-style swimsuit, though...