  | Introducing Sandwina : the strongest woman in the world Author: Conrad, Vicki | |
| Price: $23.78 | ||
Summary:
No one believed a woman could be stronger than a man, until Katie Brumbach, also known as Sandwina, displayed her show-stopping feats as a circus strongwoman.
| Illustrator: | Holmes, Jeremy |
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 3.60 Points: .5 Quiz: 557239 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (10/15/24)
Booklist (+) (10/15/24)
The Hornbook (00/01/25)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 10/15/2024 *Starred Review* It’s such a treat when a picture book’s writing and illustrations are equally matched, and Conrad and Holmes pool their talents to lift Katie Brumbach, stage name Sandwina, to heights befitting her status as the world’s strongest woman. Adopting the tone of a barker, Conrad touts Brumbach’s astonishing feats of strength while unspooling her upbringing in a large German circus family and recruitment in 1910 by Ringling Brothers. Holmes, meanwhile, replicates the lithographic style used to make twentieth-century circus posters through the use of textured paper, digital layering, and a palette primarily of cyan, goldenrod, and persimmon. Retro typefaces are also employed, and the combined effect is showstopping. While Brumbach was deemed the world’s strongest woman, the text frequently points out that she routinely challenged and defeated men in strength contests—it’s even rumored that she took the name Sandwina after unseating Eugen Sandow from his world’s-strongest-man throne. If balancing an upright piano (and its pianist) on her back or hoisting an occupied two-seater bicycle above her head weren’t accomplishment enough, Brumbach was also a strong advocate for women’s rights, embracing her unconventionally tall, muscular physique and fighting for women’s suffrage. Enriching back matter touches on the creators’ inspirations while also offering archival photos, extended biographical notes, a list of strong women in history, a time line, and a selected biography. Spectacular! - Copyright 2024 Booklist.
