The Fastest Girl on Earth!
Meet Kitty O'Neil, Daredevil Driver!
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
Gear up for this high-powered picture book biography about Kitty O'Neil, the stuntwoman and racecar driver who broke the women's land speed record!
Kitty O'Neil was a force to be reckoned with. She became deaf as a child, and grew up loving sports and action. Kitty jumped, ran, raced, and swam, all while learning to read lips and communicating through sign language. Eventually, Kitty took a job as a stuntwoman, doing the most dangerous job on set and even filming stunts for films like Wonder Woman!
Still, Kitty wanted more thrills. She became a racecar driver and sought to do what no woman had done before. She chose the aptly named Motivator and trained like a true champion. In 1976, Kitty and the Motivator broke the land speed record, racing at over 600 miles per hour! Kitty was a hero to fans everywhere, and proved that she was truly unstoppable.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bursting with clouds of dust and rocket flames, realistic mixed-media spreads by Baddely (Leave It to Abigail!) deliver concentrated energy to this picture biography of sportswoman Kitty O'Neil (1946–2018). On the cover, O'Neil looks intently out of her helmet, giving a hint of what's to come. Robbins (Margaret and the Moon) first sketches in the backstory: fearless and obsessed with speed, O'Neil, who "lost her hearing in a childhood fever," sets records "as the fastest water skier and the fastest boat racer." Soon, she decides to pursue becoming the fastest driver; Baddeley shows her training in her rocket-powered vehicle, the Motivator, which she must learn to keep in control at dizzying speeds of hundreds of miles an hour. At last, she's ready, and suspense is high (end papers show her mechanic counting down in sign language). After O'Neil fulfills her goal, then surpasses it, "Everywhere she went, fans cheered. She could not hear their cheering, but she could feel it in her bones." Robbins's portrait moves as quickly as O'Neil did, bringing readers' attention to a woman focused on excellence and undaunted by obstacles. Back matter includes an author's note and information about the subject's vehicle and world records. Ages 4–8. Author's agent: Marietta Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary. Illustrator's agent: Alexandra Penfold, Upstart Crow Literary.
