Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn't Sit Still

Gray debuts with a picture book biography of phenomenal Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci, the star of the 1976 Olympic Games. From climbing (and toppling) her Christmas tree as a child to becoming the first gymnast to earn a perfect score in any event, the "feisty and fearless" Comaneci overcame early defeats and channeled her boundless energy into a successful gymnastics career: "Nadia mounted the bars. Now fourteen years old, she was a long way from the forests in Romania. But she swung around as easily as she had jumped from branch to branch as a little girl." The jaunty narrative takes readers from Comaneci's childhood through her first Olympics with lively illustrations in ink, watercolor, and pencil. Davenier (the Very Fairy Princess series) depicts a determined Comaneci swinging, balancing, and flipping, all while smiling as her ponytail flies out behind her. Vignettes of Comaneci in multiple stances on the same apparatus, such as the balance beam or uneven bars, evoke continuous movement, adding energy to the competition scenes. An afterword, which includes a timeline, briefly continues Comaneci's story, highlighting her defection to the U.S. in 1989 and her post-competition career. Ages 6-9. (June)■

K-Gr 3--This picture book biography of Olympic gold medalist Nadia Comaneci draws information from accounts written by Comaneci and her coach Bela Karolyi, as well as other sources, to present a somewhat idealized story of a lively little girl who became a champion. Climbing trees, roller skating, biking--Nadia is in constant movement until her mother lands upon the idea of signing her up for gymnastics lessons. Her ability at age six catches the attention of Karolyi, who, with his wife Marta, runs a gymnastics school. The text describes the dedication and years of practice that were required of Nadia, including even difficult moments, such as her 13th-place ranking at her first Romanian Junior National Championships competition. But the cheerful illustrations, rendered in ecoline and colored ink, with colored pencil accents, maintain a buoyant tone throughout. The pictures include a lot of energy, showing Nadia as upbeat and determined. If Comaneci suffered along her road to the Olympics, those details are left out. Several pages are devoted to her record-breaking performances at the 1976 Olympics. A brief afterword fills in later parts of her life, such as winning more medals at the 1980 Olympics and defecting from Romania in 1989.