Horse-lovers Alert: JUBILEE Awaits You!

 Here's a non-fiction picture book that reads like a novel, and ticks all the boxes for a potential film. Even more compelling is the fact that it is entirely true and involves a woman who broke new ground for gender-neutral sports competition. This title is heartwarming, inspiring, and amazing.

CAPSTONE BOOKS, 2022

JUBILEE: The First Therapy Horse and an Olympic Dream is written by KT Johnston and illustrated by Anabella Ortiz. Lis Hartel grew up in Denmark with horses for playmates, learning early to manage a pony cart and even to jump horses. In both 1943 and1944 she was  national champion in dressage (exhibition horse-riding) for Denmark. 

Later in 1944, while a young married woman with children, she contracted polio and was immobilized, bedridden, told she would never ride again. Doctors predicted her highest goal should be to walk again with braces and possibly crutches.

Lis was not one to give up without a fight. She gradually developed control of her arms, exercising painfully but also in ways that involved her child as they learned to crawl together. The point is never made explicitly, but hers was a family with the means to employ help for her family and for her recovery efforts. 

When she had recovered some degree of stability (sitting up, but with limited use of hands, feet, legs), she insisted that she be placed on the back of her beloved champion horse, Gigolo.Then she was told that her horse had a leg injury and could not provide a steady ride. Instead, her husband suggested a (supported) ride on a young mare, Jubilee, who was was not built like a show horse but was very gentle and calm, with a long straight back to give a stable seat for Lis's poor balance.

Without trevealing everything that Lis accomplished, she did, indeed, overcome the prediction of never riding again. Please note that the story has just begun. With illustrations that reveal the world of formal horse training and care, artfully placed on tall white pages that make each step feel even more dramatic, Lis and Jubilee grew together in strength, skill, confidence, and communication. I'm not about to provide spoilers, but keep that subtitle in mind while noting that neither Lis nor Jubilee were quitters. Included among their impressive eventual accomplishments is the launching of the first horse-riding therapy program, which blossomed into global efforts. These have become so successful that there is likely one in your own community.

I've had horses as neighbors, but never had the opportunity to ride routinely. I always enjoy simply being in the company of horses. They are a natural draw for most young people I have known. This story certainly taps into that appeal, and also invites the attention of sports fans, Olympic strivers, female-equity sports enthusiasts, those who recognize disabilities as invitations to adaptation rather than limits, and anyone with an interest in service organizations. Despite that long list of "hooks", the strongest appeal, to me, is the well-crafted story in words and illustrations that rein in the raw events and details of an important person's life to deliver a powerful conclusion. There is nothing maudlin or pitying in this portrait. In fact, it is a joyful account of finding a way forward and  never giving up.

Highly recommended.

Olympic Stories, Dreams, and Inspiration

Olympic fever is building.

I mentioned in the last post that I'll be a member of the virtual audience, but no less enthusiastic about the competition and stories than if I were in the seats in London. I'm certain, though, that my excitement will be minuscule compared to that of the competitors from each and every country in each and every event. Along with the various contests, I'm eager to follow the personal stories of individual participants and the dreams, preparation, and obstacles overcome in achieving the honor of participating.

Just as Dr. Sammy Lee and Wilma Rudolph spent years and years preparing for their moments of Olympic success, so did Michael Jordan. His name and accomplishments may be more widely known for everything from shoes to NBA records, but his childhood definition of success in basketball was being on the US Olympic team.

DREAM BIG: Michael Jordan and the Pursuit of Olympic Gold, by Deloris Jordan, illustrated by Barry Root was released this spring. It is the story of Michael as a boy who grew up loving basketball and dreaming of representing the USA in the Olympics. Told by his mother, it's filled with  the voices that shaped his widely admired work ethic and determination: his mother's, his brothers', and his coaches'. I can imagine how often he heard some of the lines in this book: "homework before play", "it's one thing to want something, it's another to work for it", "keep your promise to yourself", and "with hard work anything is possible".
One rainy day Michael and his brothers watched the Olympic basketball game in which the USA lost to USSR with a score of 51-50, which only fired his desire to grow up and compete for his country.
Michael first led the USA team to a gold medal in 1984 when only amateurs could compete. Then in 1992 he earned a second gold medal as a member of "The Dream Team" when professional players were allowed to compete. His lifetime of accomplishments fill record books and web pages, but I have no doubt that memories of that first Olympic gold medal hold a special place in his heart.

An earlier title about Michael, written by his mother and sister, describes his desperate desire to be taller. SALT IN HIS SHOES: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream, by Deloris Jordan and Roslyn Jordan is illustrated by the award-winning Kadir Nelson and was featured in a previous post.

For even greater inspiration,  explore the stunning profiles of paralympic athletes. In many cases  elite athletes benefit from physiques and constitutions well-suited to their sports. Yet birth and life events  that make one's height, build, health, or circumstances  less than ideal have been overcome time and again to allow for record-making success. The common ingredients appears to be unstoppable determination and heart.
This site links to thirty incredible Olympic success stories. Tabs on this resource site will also take you to the stories of others with impressive  potential to watch for in the weeks ahead.

Whether an Olympian's personal story is depicted in a television profile, website feature, news article, or picture book, it most certainly should be heard. With few exceptions the privilege of representing one's country in the Olympics can be traced back through years of dreams, preparation, successes and setbacks. Some  benefited from privilege, community support, and unlimited resources. Others struggled against discrimination, poverty, and unrelenting obstacles.

Whatever the case, their stories can and should inspire all of us, most especially the Michael Jordans, Sammy Lees, and Wilma Rudolphs of tomorrow.

Schedules of events for the paralympic competitions can be found here.

Olympic Inspirations

With much of the country sweltering through the hottest summer in memory, and many of us enduring a punishing drought, it's refreshing to turn our thoughts to London and the summer Olympics. The opening ceremonies are less than two weeks away, and I still haven't packed. 

Oh, that's right, I'll be viewing the events and festivities virtually, so I have plenty of time to prepare with picture books, instead.

 

The last time the Olympics were held in London, in 1948, Sammy Lee was 28 years old. By then he had fulfilled his father's dream by becoming a doctor and was working in the US Army medical corps. The story of how he overcame racial discrimination and restrictions to achieving his own dream of becoming a championship diver is told in SIXTEEN YEARS IN SIXTEEN SECONDS - THE SAMMY LEE STORY, by Paula Yoo, illustrated by Dom Lee.
Dr. Sammy Lee won the US National diving gold in 1946 and qualified to represent the USA in London in 1948.
Yoo and Lee do full justice to Lee's inspiring story of personal vision and persistence, with additional information about Dr. Lee's further accomplishments provided in the author's notes. He continued diving, repeating his ten meter gold medal in 1952, and coaching notable divers to win gold medals, including Greg Louganis. Scroll down this link to view a video of the ten meter platform dive by Louganis in the 1988 Olympics. Notice the final frames in which Dr. Lee congratulates him on his win.

An excellent and detailed review, additional links, and a video interview with Dr. Sammy Lee can be found at Maw Books Blog. Apart from the remarkable sports achievements of Dr. Lee, the story is even more inspiring in depicting the discrimination and restrictions that he experienced and overcame without giving up, retaliating, or reflecting back the hatred he experienced. Instead, he used those barriers as motivation to prove his father's words true: "In America, you can achieve anything if you set your heart to it."
**Winner of the 2005 Lee and Low New Voices Award.

WILMA UNLIMITED: HOW WILMA RUDOLPH BECAME THE FASTEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD, by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by David Diaz, was featured in a post earlier this year, but deserves mention here in connection with outstanding Olympic achievements, overcoming limitations of health and society, and service to her community. (In addition, if think you're feeling overheated, the Rome Olympics in which she won her medals took place during a record heat wave.) This title was also featured on the Sports Heroes blog, where you can click to read the text in Spanish.

If you are weathering the summer heat under a shady tree, a breezy porch, a blistering beach, or an air-conditioned library, here are more links with inspiring Olympic stories and other sport titles you'll enjoy:

• Reading Rockets page featuring  Sports/Olympic picture books
• Heather Lang Books blog post of favorite Sports biography books.
• Mr. Ken the Librarian blog post featuring books about London.

You can view a video biography which includes interviews with Dr. Lee.


As always, I welcome comments about what inspires you, especially if it is in a picture book!