The Girl Who Ran: Bobbi Gibb, the First Woman to Run the Boston Marathon

The authors behind Miss Todd and Her Wonderful Flying Machine present a tense and uplifting portrait of Bobbi Gibb, who snuck onto the course of the 1966 Boston Marathon and became the first woman to run the race. Chapman’s feathery watercolors are infused with a sense of motion: a fiery ribbon trails behind Gibbs as she races across the pages. Gibbs’s initial disappointment after being denied entry to the marathon is short-lived: disguised by a hooded sweatshirt, she sprints her way into history; a four-panel gatefold celebrates the moment she crosses the finish line. Closing notes and a timeline provide additional glimpses of Gibbs’s accomplishments on and off the track. Ages 5–10. (June)