Venus and Serena Williams Philomel Books
(Penguin Random House)
(pub. 5.29.2018)
32 pages
A True Tale with
A Cherry On Top
A uthor: Howard Bryant
and illustrator: Floyd Cooper
C haracters: Venus and Serena Williams
O verview from the jacket flap:
"Nobody thought sisters Venus and Serena Williams would become great, and certainly not as tennis players. People thought it was weird two black girls were playing tennis at all. They said the sister weren't supposed to dream so big. But the Williams family knew better.
A True Tale with
A Cherry On Top
A uthor: Howard Bryant
and illustrator: Floyd Cooper
C haracters: Venus and Serena Williams
O verview from the jacket flap:
"Nobody thought sisters Venus and Serena Williams would become great, and certainly not as tennis players. People thought it was weird two black girls were playing tennis at all. They said the sister weren't supposed to dream so big. But the Williams family knew better.
From their early days of childhood tennis matches to their record-breaking careers including Olympic gold medals and multiple number one rankings, this is the inspirational story of two sisters, their determination to succeed, and their unending love for each other.
Written by acclaimed sports journalist Howard Bryant and brought to beautiful life by Coretta Scott King Award-winning illustrator Floyd Cooper, here is an in-depth look into the lives of two of the greatest tennis players of all time and the most successful siblings professional sports has ever produced."
T antalizing taste:
"The Williams family lived in Compton, a real tough, sometimes scary part of Los Angeles. When Venus and Serena were four and three, Richard bought them tennis rackets, believing tennis treated girls more fairly than other sports, and, if his hunch was correct, that his girls would have an athletic advantage that would change the sport forever...
Yet not all the talk was friendly.
The sisters were different.
Their skin was different.
Their hair was different.
Venus was tall. Really tall!
And the way the sisters hit the ball - so hard, like the boys - even harder than the boys! - was different.
In ways big and small, people reminded them of being different every day."
