Through Netgalley, I had the opportunity to read the ARC of Katie, Big and Strong, written by Jennifer Cooper and illustrated by Jennifer White!
It's a great read, reminding little children, especially girls that they too can grow up to be strong young women. This breaks away from the common stereotype of girls and women being fragile and weak, particularly in reference to their physique.

What makes this story all the more fascinating is the fact that it's based on a true story.

A lovely read for children certainly!

This fine picture book tells the true story of Katie Sandwina, a turn of the century strong woman who was the strongest woman in the world. At a time when women were supposed to be tiny, weak and meek, this big strong beautiful woman made a career as a circus weightlifter. Katie never let anyone tell her what she should be or do, just because she was a woman. She not only broke barriers in the sports field but also spoke out as a suffragette, years before women finally got the vote. I received access to a temporary electronic copy of this book from the publisher. But I can honestly recommend this book for any youngster interested in women athletes, or women who broke barriers. This is also a fantastic book to promote positive body image. Katie was much taller and more muscular than most men in a day when petite was considered beautiful. Yet Katie stood proud and tall.

✨Book Review✨
💪 Katie, Big and Strong: The True Story of the Mighty Woman Who Could Lift Anything 💪

Synopsis:
Katie Sandwina lifted more than carousels and cannons—she also lifted up women everywhere! Discover the story of a real-life superwoman who used her powers for good.

My thoughts:
🤔 The storytelling is very lyrical, and I think many young readers will be captivated by Katie’s story simply because of the way the story is put together. I appreciated the spacing and layout of the text and that the pages don’t have too many words per page.
🤔 The illustrations are attractive and fit the text and the mood perfectly!
🤔 This is an inspiring biography for readers of all ages! Such a great message!

Who is going to love it? Children who love….
❤ Biographies
❤️ Inspiring Nonfiction About Women
❤️ Reading About Women Athletes Breaking Barriers
❤️ Stories About Positive Body Image

📢This one releases October 1, 2024! You can preorder now!

🥰Thank you to @Sourcebookskids and @NetGalley for this gifted eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an electronic ARC from SOURCEBOOKS Kids through NetGalley.
This biography of Katie Sandwina is geared toward elementary level readers. Cooper takes readers through Sandwina's life from her childhood performing with her family to her long career with Barnum and Bailey's Circus in the United States. We also see her passion for the Suffrage movement as a business woman. The author emphasizes Katie was more than just a sideshow act. She had a solid belief in herself for who she was. The illustrations support the text and capture the energy and joy surrounding her life. I appreciate the message that even if she didn't fit the "norms," she knew she was who she was meant to be. The message that she was beautiful even though she was larger shines through.

Katie, Big and Strong is a picture book about strongwoman Katie Sandwina. The art style is beautiful and the storytelling is lyrical.

Katie Sandwina is strong as a child and decides to be a circus strongwoman despite it being considered a very unladylike career for the time.

Katie Big and Strong draws attention to not just Katie's strength but also to her dedication to the cause of universal suffrage (voting rights) and her love of her family.

A great story for all ages about being true to yourself.

Thanks to Netgalley and this team for allowing me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the history in this book. However, it is more for the 6-8 group range than my 4-5 year olds. There was a lot of important information that was valuable and definitely a book we will come back to for when they're older. I loved that the pages were not overly wordy and it showed how truly powerful Katie was in her life.

I mean who wouldn't want to lift up the good fight of women's suffrage and throw men around all in one go?

What a wonderful book that empowers women and girls.
I loved that it's based on a true story and how it shows women can do anything.
the illustrations are so eyecatching and fun.

READ THIS BOOK TO THE KIDS WHEN IT COME OUT this year ASAP!

The little girls will become braver, the little boys will learn to see girls as equally brave as they are!

This is the story of Katie Sandwina, who became the strongest woman who could lift weights, break chains and carry a cannon all by HERSELF! Despite criticisms and restrictions, she listened ONLY to the one person who mattered the most : HERSELF.

This book reads like a graphic novel which is easy to the eyes and visually stunning!

Read this and get motivated to become the person of your dreams! Yes, YOU!

Thank you, Sourceboojs Explore, for the ARC.

What a great children's biography of Katie Sandwina! I didn't know anything about her life and had only seen a few pictures of her, so it was great to learn about her through this book. The illustrations are adorable, and the author does a wonderful job of highlighting Sandwina's important feats (both of strength and activism!)

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

A unique short biography about a strong woman and women's suffrage advocate. The majority of this is best for young readers (maybe 4-6). The illustrations are lovely and engaging. There is a more detailed biography in the back.

I will purchase for my library, where women are more likely to follow traditional gender roles.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Such a unique story that I never heard about. My six year old daughter said wow what a strong girl. I want to be that strong!

A fun biography! I enjoyed reading about Katie and her exploits as a strongwoman. There were even pictures in the back, and I was curious enough to read more about her online.

This is a basic women can do it too sports story. I am not sure how many elementary aged kids would want to read it or find it very interesting or relatable. Even the Barnum and Bailey Circus is unknown by so many these days. I did enjoy the design and layout of the text. I like that it is a picture book biography that could be used as a read aloud if it fits the curricular theme.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me access to this book in exchange for an honest review!

I love children’s history books. I love learning about past women’s historical movements, like the suffragette movement, because I’m proud to see how we as a society have progressed and how far we have left to go. Microhistories presented in children’s nonfiction books such as this one often try to gently correct and shine a light on the events left out of our textbooks.

For instance, my history textbook never illustrated the fact that the women’s suffragette movement was for white women’s equal rights, and did not march for the equal rights of ALL women. Black and POC woman were explicitly excluded from the first wave of feminism.

Sadly, it seems that this book continues in the original suffragette movement’s footsteps. There was only one page that depicted non-white people (pg.21, if you’re curious). The book did not mention anything about Black women or POC women’s rights to vote. It was deeply alarming to see that this book was written about white women, for white women and nobody else.

The subject of the book is strongwoman, Katie Sandwina. She lived in a time where women were oppressed, and told that they should not be strong, should not be out in public, etc. I am so frustrated and disappointed in this book, because the subject and the moral of the story is so great for young children, especially young girls in this post-Roe hellscape.

But I can’t get over the clear exclusion of BIPOC women in this book. I find it glaringly disrespectful and I expect better from authors in the year 2024.

It is my personal motto not to rated children’s picture books lower than a 3 stars, which is why this is the rating I have gone with.

This was a fabulous biography of a little known, strongest woman in the world. Katie was always big and tall when women were supposed to be meek, mild, and quiet. Not only could she out lift anybody, out wrestle anybody, she could also fight verbally for her rights and women suffrage. This book was a joy to read and will have a girls going “I can do that too”.

This picture book is a delight from the illustrations on the inside cover to the engaging biographical notes at the end. The colorful illustrations balance strength with beauty, and tell the story for the youngest child turning the pages while the gently rhyming refrain and direct phrasing makes this an excellent choice for a read aloud story time or independent read by an older child.

In addition, Katie's story is relevant to many of the topics caregivers want to share with their children today... her unique strength, civic engagement, attention to both family and the wider world are all beautifully displayed, creating a picture book that is entertaining (a circus! a baby giraffe!) as well as informative (as a biography but also as a window into American history). Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy this arc!

I loved this book so much!!! The first thing I loved about this book was that it was something different for young kids (especially young girls) to read. I didn't even know about the true story of Katie before reading this! The second thing I adored was how the author made sure to highlight that Katie was a big, strong woman, and still beautiful at the same time. Third, I liked how the author went so far as to include Katie's role in the Suffrage Movement. It helps increase the historical value of the book and introduces an important topic to younger readers. Fourth, it was admirable how another motif that was constant throughout the whole book was perseverance. Despite backlash from men saying that women shouldn't be lifting heavy things like her, Katie still went on to do things that she was good at and things that she loved. This is so wildly important for young, impressionable kids to see and probably apply to their own everyday lives. Fifth, it was such a smart idea for the author to include a longer written section in the back with all of the facts and real pictures from Katie's life. Kids will no doubt want to read this section and learn more about Katie after reading the first story. Lastly, I want to give kudos to the illustrations. Sticking with the motifs in the writing, the illustrator made sure to show that Katie was big, strong, and a beautiful woman. The illustrator also made sure to show that Katie was happy with what she was doing, even though other people didn't like it.
Bravo! Amazing book!

This colorful, engaging picture book biography tells the story of a female circus performer whose feats of strengths stunned and amazed crowds. The book covers her childhood, her circus career, her advocacy for women's voting rights, and her family life, and it celebrates her uniqueness and strength. The author's note at the end includes some historic photos, and this inspiring, joyful true story will fascinate both children and adults.

I absolutely adored this book! I had never heard of Katie Sandwina before this book, and now I am obsessed with her life story. This beautifully illustrated biography makes it a point to show Katie in all her strong and big glory, highlighting the gender norms that Katie spent her life defying. Not only is this book inspiring, but it is a true work of art and one that I cannot wait to buy in physical form!

I recommend this book on three shelves in my TrueStory Bookshop:
True Stories~Stage & Screen
True Stories~Women’s History
True Stories~Experiences & Contributions of Immigrants

https://bookshop.org/shop/KarlinGray