Serena: The Littlest Sister

by Karlin Gray, Monica Ahanonu (Illustrator)

Overview

Serena Williams is one of the biggest names in sports, but she grew up the littlest of five girls in her family. While sharing a room and playing tennis with her older sisters, Serena had to figure out how to be her own person—on and off the court. This empowering biography showcases the rise of the youngest Williams sister and how her family played a part in her path to becoming the strong woman and star athlete she is today.

Bold, colorful illustrations highlight the tight sisterhood and tennis action of Serena’s childhood and teenage years. This true story about a tennis icon will inspire littlest siblings everywhere to forge their own path and leave their mark.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781624146947
Publisher:	Page Street Publishing
Publication date:	05/21/2019
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.90(w) x 12.00(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

About the Author

Karlin Gray loves writing about strong female athletes. She holds a BA in Creative writing from Florida State University and has worked in publishing and copywriting. She is also the author of Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn’t Sit Still (HMH BYR, 2016) and An Extraordinary Ordinary Moth (Sleeping Bear Press, 2018). When the weather’s nice, she loves to play tennis in Westport, Connecticut, where she lives with her family.


Monica Ahanonu is a freelance illustrator and motion designer whose work showcases black creatives in a variety of fields. A graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, she worked for DreamWorks Animation before deciding to pursue a career as an independent artist. She lives in Los Angeles, and this is her debut picture book.

Editorial Reviews

03/25/2019

Gray diverges from other picture book biographies of Venus and Serena Williams by focusing more fully on the youngest sister and by introducing the three other Williams sisters: Lyndrea, Isha, and Yetunde. The story opens with Serena accepting her trophy at the 1999 U.S. Open final at Arthur Ashe Stadium. “Thirteen years earlier,” the Williams children are seen pushing a shopping cart filled with tennis balls to practice at the public courts. And outside the family sport, the “girls dreamed of what they could become: Tunde, a nurse... Isha, a lawyer... Lyn, a singer.” When Venus’s career takes off, Serena receives assurance from her sister Tunde (“You’ll have your day. And it’s gonna be even bigger”). Ahanonu’s cut-paper-like compositions place exaggerated emphasis on the sisters’ bright clothes, creating a pop-art aesthetic. The conclusion brings the book full circle, as Serena again appears with her trophy, thanking “all my sisters for all the support.” Ages 8–11. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"…Illuminating and inspiring…" - Kirkus Reviews

""Each page is alive with movement, joy, and vibrance...A fine addition to the growing Williams biography collection." - School Library Journal

"A special effort." - Booklist

From the Publisher

03/01/2019

Gr 1–4—Superstar Serena Williams has dominated the world of tennis for so long, her name is synonymous with excellence. The audience for this book will likely already know about her power and style, but might not know her family's remarkable story. Raised in Compton, California, Serena was the youngest of five close-knit sisters. Starting out with secondhand equipment on a court they cleaned for practice, the girls were coached by their father to move fast and hit hard. They learned to always put in their best effort, and that their dedication would allow them to achieve their dreams. Venus and Serena put that passion into becoming elite tennis players, first in California, then at a tennis academy in Florida, and finally on the professional circuit. This book splits time between Serena's career and family, focusing on how her devotion to Venus allowed both to become better athletes who supported each other while being one another's fiercest competitors. Ahanonu's digital illustrations morph from a bold palette—all 90s-inspired patterns and sharp angularity reminiscent of Keith Haring—to a more sophisticated and contemporary design filled with soft pastels as the time line progresses. Each page is alive with movement, joy, and vibrance. In a market saturated with picture book biographies about Serena, the unique artwork is what makes this one notable. VERDICT A fine addition to the growing Williams biography collection.—Abby Bussen, Muskego Public Library, WI

School Library Journal

2019-03-03

A picture-book biography of tennis champion Serena Williams.

Serena was the youngest of five sisters, behind, in birth order, Yetunde, Isha, Lyndrea, and Venus. The sisters used old, donated balls to play tennis in their hometown of Compton, California; they weren't very bouncy but would later help Venus and Serena as "good practice for Wimbledon…where the balls bounced lower because the tennis court was made of grass" (Serena would go on to win seven Wimbledon titles). Emphasis is placed on the deep and "unbreakable" bond among the five sisters. Ahanonu's style emphasizes flat swaths of digital color, and as a result readers may need to rely on the sisters' relative sizes and hairstyles to pick out Serena. As Gray tells it, Serena was gifted at tennis, but her father didn't feel she was ready to compete—so she won her first match after secretly signing up for a tournament Venus was competing in, the beginning of an incredible career that has continued to make history and has consistently been supported by her sisters' love and encouragement. Though focusing on the sisterly bond is commendable and introducing the three older sisters refreshing, alluding to but never naming racism feels disingenuous, especially given the racial injustice Williams has endured. Later images of the Williams sisters at their predominantly white Florida tennis academy only partially compensate.

An illuminating and inspiring—if somewhat rose-colored—chronicle of the life of a world-class athlete. (afterword, biographical note, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews