In 1986, a competitive boy named Usain St. Leo Bolt was born in Jamaica. He loved cricket and was motivated by food. His high school coach saw potential in his athletic abilities and gave him his first pair of running shoes.

Usain’s path to Olympic gold wasn’t easy. He faced nerves, health issues, and learned that talent alone wasn’t enough—hard work was essential. Despite setbacks, he overcame obstacles, earning the title “Lightning Bolt” with 8 Olympic gold medals.

This book shares an inspiring message: success requires dedication, effort, and a winning mindset.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an early e-ARC copy for an honest review

I love these little series of non fiction for children about different people in history and in present. Usain Bolt is such an inspiration in the world of sports. I highly recommend these mini biographies.

I love the books in this series and always find something new in them.

This was a book that focused on a famous Olympian athlete and sporting legend - Usain Bolt.

In this book we get to read a little about his early life and his adventures in his quest to succeed and be the best in the world - he is a real role model with some superb determination and a brilliant drive to succeed. Usain is a true inspiration.

Lovely images and another great addition to the series - it is 4 stars from me for this one

Usain Bolt is a well known legend so it was great to find out more about this brilliant athlete. The multiple record breaker is best known for his running but did you know he had a curved spine? We loved that the book explains all the challenges Bolt had to overcome to achieve greatness.
Although the Little People, Big Dreams collection is aimed at children, there are definitely parts that adults can learn as well about this wonderful people.
Illustrations were beautiful and complimented the information perfectly.
"Success requires more than natural talent, it demands effort, discipline, and dedication."

"Success requires more than natural talent, it demands effort, discipline, and dedication."

Another great addition to Little People, Big Dreams Family. Even if the books are aimed at children they don't stop adults learning to. For me it was Usain Bolt preferring cricket over running and had to be convinced to try out running. The illustrations are beautiful as always and it wouldn't of been Usain Bolt without including his iconic pose.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of the book for an honest review.

Usain Bolt is a name known worldwide—a legend in sports, fast as the wind, and a multiple record-breaker. He needs no lengthy introduction, as everyone already recognizes the running sensation.

While many know of his incredible achievements, fewer are familiar with his personal journey and childhood. Understanding these aspects can deepen our admiration for him. Despite having a spinal deformity that caused his legs to be different lengths, Bolt overcame significant challenges to achieve greatness. His journey wasn’t just about competing against other runners but also battling his own physical limitations and conquering seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Truly inspiring!

The book’s illustrations are bright and cheerful, vividly bringing to life the story of a boy who ran through hardships to reach the stars. The narrative is easy to follow and engaging for young readers. At the end of the book, there is a detailed summary of Usain Bolt’s life, along with four photos showcasing pivotal moments from his journey.

This is another excellent recommendation for young readers and sports enthusiasts! 😊

Thank you so much, NetGallery and Frances Lincoln Children's Books, for this wonderful reading experience and for the ARC copy!

Review in Estonian (Aug 26, 2024): https://brixieblog.wordpress.com/2024/08/26/usain-bolt-maria-isabel-sanchez-vegara/

I'm fairly oblivious when it comes to sporting figures but even I've heard of Usain Bolt - and remember seeing photos of him winning races and pulling the lightening bolt pose in celebration... so it was nice to find out a little bit more about his background and how he came to be an internationally known track star.

As always with this series, great illustrations.

I love reading these books to my daughter, its such a good way of explaining important historical figures to her in a way that is understandable for a young audience. I would highly recommend these and will be keeping my eyes out for similar books in the future

Another great title in this series giving children to the chance to learn about some famous faces.

These books not only tell you the facts but also what it takes and helps children understand how much hard work and effort it takes to be "the best of the best" or achieve your goals. Usain Bolt was incredibly fast and won gold medals at three Olympic games in a row at the 100 and 200 metre sprints. Bolt by name and Bolt by nature. I love the life lessons these books also teach. and like the timeline section in each book too.

The Lightening Bolt stormed to success, but things were tougher than they seemed. In her "Little People Big Dreams" biography series, author Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara tells the stories of famous people beginning with their early life. she shows kids that these successful people had to work to overcome various obstacles. That can serve as inspiration to little ones that no matter where they start in life, they could work toward success as well and maybe follow their dreams. This book is an excellent juvenile biography of track star Usain Bolt. The author includes the fact that at first he did not initially take training seriously. It was only after injury caused his loss at his first Olympics that he realized that talent alone was not enough. He also had to work to win despite the obstacles of Scoliosis ( a crooked spine) and a tall height which was not the ideal body type for a sprinter. I liked the fact that she included foibles that make it easy for kids to identify with him. She mentioned his fear of the dark, his nerves, (that he almost ran a race with his shoes on the wrong feet), and that he won a gold medal running with his shoe untied! The realistic art by Karen Crosbie shows the untied shoe lace and Bolt striking his famous pose.

With the Olympics on tv, I read a few athlete biographies in this series. They were temporary ebooks from the publisher, but the opinions expressed in the reviews are entirely my own. I was impressed by this book and recommend it for any young sports fan or biography lover.

I love how a chicken lunch was his first trophy! There are no more than 4 lines per page. The pictures are engaging. I didn't know that Usain Bolt has a curved spine. He had limitations and challenges to overcome.

Usain Bolt is a cute non-fiction picture book about the successful athlete.
It is a nice addition to the series. However, I would have liked to see more back story, and the growth of the athlete, and just a little bit more to inspire children.

This story had a nice message that humility is also important to reach your potential. Its good to believe in yourself, but also use the help of others to train and be your very best.

A great child-friendly synopsis of Usain Bolt's career including a great lesson about discipline and not forgetting where you came from.

Given the name Usain “Bolt” then became the fastest human in the world is insaneee. From what i read, seemed like he had the potential since he’s very young. It’s his destiny tor real.

I always enjoy these books and this one was no exception. The art style wasn't my favourite in this series, but the message was great. It really seems to get me when they say, you know, he's the greatest sprinter of all time. Like Simone Biles is the greatest gymnast of all time. I think it's a really impactful statement and something kids can really connect to and absorb the information. I did really like the drawing at the end of all of them doing Bolt's signature lightning bolt pose.

Usain Bolt by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara is another release in the Little People, Big Dreams series, which I have reviewed frequently on here. I just love these little books. They are always packed with facts about the person who they are writing about and full of colourful illustrations throughout.

Growing up in a rural town in Jamaica, Usain was a standout cricketeer and sprinter from a young age. His speed was noticed by coaches, and by the age of 14, he wowed fans with his lightning speed. He took the world by storm at the 2008 Beijing Olympics when he broke numerous records and he became the fastest man ever at the World Championships in 2009 with a time of 9.58 seconds. Despite the pressure and even a few off-days, Usain continued to be monumental in his achievements. Usain's story teaches us that any dream is achievable if you put your mind to it, regardless of what others may say.

I found this little book full of easy to read, with great Illustrations throughout this small book.

A wonderful read and so colourful.

I am so glad these books are being published and I highly recommend all of these books

Many thanks to Frances Lincoln Children’s Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another great book from the Little People, Big Dreams series! I love to pick these up for gifts for kids and this one will be added to the list. I love that this series highlights different people from around the world and teaches that you don't always have to have privilege to chase and accomplish your dreams.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this book by Little People Big World. Their books are sometimes hit or miss and this one was definitely a hit. I wish the book had gone over more of Usain Bolt‘s racing career. The tidbit about how he won his first race and how the prize was lunch was very interesting. I wasn’t even aware Bolt had officially retired from racing until reading this book. He made a name for himself and his country.

This is an inspiring book and my daughters enjoyed reading this. In their words, "we learnt that your only competition is yourself".