Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma
Rudolph Became the Worlds Fastest
Woman by Kathleen Krull
Great Book For Elementary Kids
Before Wilma was five years old, polio had paralyzed her left leg. Everyone
said she would never walk again. But Wilma refused to believe it. Not only
would she walk again, she vowed, shed run. And she did run--all the way
to the Olympics, where she became the first American woman to earn
three gold medals in a single olympiad.
Personal Review: Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph
Became the Worlds Fastest Woman by Kathleen Krull
Inspirational stories fill hundreds of picture books every year. Most are
simply awful. They either tell tales that are loose plots barely supported by
facts or they paste together a slapdash concoction of truth and fiction with
as little thought as possible. The truly beautiful bio-picture books out there
are as rare as hummingbirds in autumn. So it was with great joy that I
located "Wilma Unlimited" and found it to be not only inspirational but also
a darned good read. Written by Kathleen Krull (the woman who could
make long dead musicians fascinating in "Lives of the Musicians" and
bring Cesar Chavez to life in the recent "Harvesting Hope") and illustrated

by David Diaz the book is the best possible way to introduce kids to one of
the world's greatest athletes.
Born in 1940 to a family of twenty-one people (nineteen siblings, no less),
Wilma Rudolph was initially a sickly child. Though she was energetic
enough, she often caught every disease imaginable. At the age of five,
Wilma's left leg twisted inward and it was clear that she'd come down with
polio. Still, Wilma was a determined child and she consistently exercised
her unruly leg to get stronger. After continual practice, she was finally able
to walk free of the leg brace that had weighed her down. At twelve the
brace was put away for good and Wilma started participating in sports. She
led her high school basketball team to the finals, catching the eye of a
college coach. Before you knew it, Wilma was recruited into the
Tennessee State University's track-and-field team on a full ride
scholarship. In 1960 she competed in the Olympic Games in Rome. The
book sets this part up beautifully. Wilma arrived with a twisted ankle into a
place filled with television cameras (the first time they ever filmed the
Olympics), the place "shimmering heat", and her competition consisting of
runners who had run faster races than she ever had. Then Wilma
proceeds to win one... two... three gold medals! The last medal is
especially dramatic, hinging on the moment when Wilma drops her baton
and STILL beats the other runners in the 400-meter relay. The last double
page spread in this book shows Wilma standing, "tall and still, like a
queen", earning the last of her three medals. It's a truly proud moment for
all who have the privilege to experience it once again in picture book form.
Krull has a way with words. I'm not saying that Wilma Rudolph's life is dull.
Far from it. But in the hands of a lesser author this story could easily have
been bogged down in all the wrong moments. This author knows which
moments should be given full glory. The moment when Wilma removes her
brace and walks proudly into church will banish from your mind that similar
pseudo-inspirational moment in "Forrest Gump". Wilma's struggle at the
Olympics through pain and skepticism puts the reader through the same
strains. You yearn for this woman to beat them and beat 'em she does.
Then, best of all, come the illustrations of David Diaz. This is my first Diaz
experience, though I suspect that I'll read many more of his books as the
days go on. Diaz has accompanied his illustrations in this tale with sepia
toned photographs. The book's endpapers display the outlines of footprints
in the dirt. The title page is an evocative view of ivy climbing a raw wooden
fence. Behind his colorful illustrations, each background photograph refers
to the corresponding scene obliquely. When Wilma and her mother take
the bus to the hospital, the photograph is a close-up of a wheel. When she
packs away her leg brace, it's shredded packing paper. A great relief it is
indeed that the colored illustrations are worthy of their sepia compatriots.
Though these pictures may appear blunt at first, they are filled with the

most delicate of designs. I loved watching the character of Wilma as she
aged. As she grows in confidence, her posture improves and back stiffens
until, by the last shot, she is standing taller than all the women around her.
Than all the women in the world.
"Wilma Unlimited" should be known to everyone living in American today.
This is inspirational without being either annoying or faux-patriotic. It's an
actual honest-to-goodness amazing story. The book is beautiful and its
story is worthy of its packaging. I challenge you to read it and not shake
your head at least once in amazement. It's just that good.
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