Martina & Chrissie: The Greatest Rivalry in the History of Sports

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - North Yarmouth Academy, Yarmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 13, 2017

Review

Written in a conversational style that will appeal to children, and enhance the read-aloud fun, this book by popular middle grade novelist Bildner (Rip and Red series) and talented artist Helquist (Series of Unfortunate Events) offers a window into a story set well before its audience's lifetime. A biopic of the legendary match-up between Martina Navratilova and Chris “Chrissie” Evert, two phenomenal tennis players who traded world titles and vied to be the best in their field. Helquist’s acrylic and oil illustrations capture the look of each player and match the story perfectly. The layouts have action and movement as the two athletes compete and challenge one another. It is powerful to exclaim "the greatest rivalry in the history of sports" was between two women and in the sport of tennis, not commonly thought of as a top sport. And even more powerful is the message that they didn't have to dislike one another just because they competed against one another; they could push one another and LIKE one another and have one another's back even as they strove to be better in their sport. The back matter includes a timeline of the two athletes as well as books for further research. A photograph of the two women would have been welcome, but readers might be inspired to do some outside research after reading or listening to this book. An excellent addition to a sports collection.

Overall Book Score: very good