Sisters & Champions: The True Story of Venus and Serena Williams

Bryant opens his story of Venus and Serena Williams with a focus on the sisters’ distinctive personalities and close early relationship, as well as on their father, Richard Williams, whose insistence that his daughters would become tennis champions was initially met with derision (“They laughed because Venus and Serena were black, and black people, they said, weren’t supposed to play tennis”). Cooper creates dynamic, naturalistic paintings of the sisters as children, adolescents, and adults on the court and off, setting them against grainy spreads. Bryant details their successes and personal setbacks, and their resilience shines through to the story’s finale, which sees the champions holding trophies and embracing: “Family is forever.” Readers will grasp the significance of Venus and Serena’s accomplishments as record-breaking athletes and as individuals who struck down societal barriers to their success. Ages 4–8. (May)