The dynamic picture book Tenacious: Fifteen Adventures Alongside Disabled Athletes explores the feats of accomplished children and adults as they "race and jump and shoot and soar/ in sports events and so much more."
Debut author Patty Cisneros Prevo, a gold medal-winning Paralympian in wheelchair basketball, pairs melodic rhyming text ("Paddle further, surf the wave/ Trust yourself. Be bold! Be brave!") with biographies of athletes. Each bio includes the athlete's daily challenge and daily joy; for example, Meira Va'a Nelson, a Pacific Islander who competes in adaptive surfing, is challenged daily by the loss of her daughter but finds joy in the rest of her family. Dion MBD (Where We Come From) illustrates color-rich images of the athletes that evoke movement and excitement. The book begins and ends with the athletes gliding forward together as one, faces set in determination, anticipating their next adventure. --Kieran Slattery, freelance reviewer, teacher, co-creator of Gender Inclusive Classrooms