  | Katie, big and strong : the true story of the mighty woman who could lift anything Author: Cooper, Jenny | |
| Price: $23.78 | ||
Summary:
Katie Sandwina lifted more than carousels and cannons--she also lifted up women everywhere! Discover her story: from her career as a circus strongwoman and pioneering athlete, to her steadfast loyalty to the suffragette movement.
| Illustrator: | White, Jennifer |
Reviews:
Booklist (+) (10/01/24)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 10/01/2024 *Starred Review* This lively and inspiring picture-book biography celebrates a whole range of strengths in the person of a Barnum & Bailey Circus strongwoman of the early twentieth century. Katie Sandwina could carry cannons on her back, balance men on her shoulders, lift horses, and break steel rods and chains. She also battled against societal expectations of what women should look like and do, and she became a force in the suffragist movement. “Katie was BIG. Katie was STRONG” splashes across one page, and those words echo throughout the text as Katie performs feats of strength in her German family’s traveling circus, and takes on all male comers in weightlifting and wrestling contests. In America, she becomes a star performer with the Barnum & Bailey Circus before turning to activism in the suffragist movement and staging a rally for women’s equality in Madison Square Garden in 1912. The illustrations emphasize Katie’s size and strength in numerous depictions of her hoisting men, farm machinery, and animals; a particularly effective double-page spread fits only Katie’s face and neck and an expanse of her mighty upper arm. The theme comes through loud and clear: there are many ways to be strong—embrace your strengths. There are no sources cited, but back matter adds details to the story. An empowering and entertaining read. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.
