Pimentel tenders the story of Bobbi Gibb, the first woman to (surreptitiously) run the classic Boston Marathon, with illustrations that pay close attention to the route along the way.

Hot on the heels of Kristina Yee and Frances Poletti’s The Girl Who Ran, illustrated by Susanna Chapman (2017), is another rendering of Gibb’s saga. This time the story pivots less around Gibb’s trick to evade the officials than the sheer joy of running—it is as though Gibb is on one long runner’s high, and it’s good fun to run along with her. Readers learn that Gibb trained in nurse’s shoes, making “her feet feel weightless” when she bought proper running shoes (boys’ size six, as there are none for “girls”). Once she was in the race and doffed her sweatshirt to avoid heat exhaustion, she was cheered on by all but the most curmudgeonly marathon watchers. Archer provides the landscape through which the blonde white woman trains and then the marathon path itself. Her artwork is an eyeful, a deep-dish mixture of oil paint and collage with tissue paper and hand-stamped patterned papers as materials. In addition, she adds mile markers and elevation notes to convey the runners’ toils and why it is called “Heartbreak Hill.” The tiny smattering of African-Americans engaged in the race and in the crowds is sad but true.

A bright salutation of a story, with one determined woman at its center. (Picture book. 4-8)
(Kirkus Review)

The story of Bobbi Gibb's lifelong love of running, and her determination to run the Boston marathon, despite rules that did not allow women to compete.

Oddly, omits any mention of Kathrine Switzer.

See also: Her Fearless Run
*
Re-read March 2023, still baffled by the omission of Kathrine Switzer. Love Micha Archer's illustrations, especially the mile markers and elevation along the lower edge of the page. ( )

I really enjoyed reading this book. The author uses words and sentences that are short and straight to the point which makes it easier for the readers to comprehend. However, what I found most important is how inspiring it is. This book can apply to any age group because it shows that no matter who tells you no, no matter what odds are against you, and no matter how hard it will be, if you set your mind to something and work hard you will achieve your goal. I also like how the book ended with "Bobbi's first race is over, but the marathon for women has begun." Very powerful message to end with. ( )

This book will be good to use as a women's rights unit. This tells the story of the first woman to run the Boston marathon, and how she prepared and trained. You could explain to students that things have not always been this way and they should be grateful for the way things are today. ( )

This biography about Bobbi Gibb is a great read. Bobbi Gibb grew up loving to run and wanted to join her schools track team, but was not allowed because she was female. Every year, the Boston Marathon would occur not far from Bobbi's house. She knew that she wanted to run in the Marathon one day. In order to practice and train for the Boston Marathon, she took a trip across the country and found new places to run each day. This prepared her for the Boston Marathon, where she was originally rejected because of her gender. She still ran the marathon, with intentions of showing the world that rules are wrong. She got real running shoes, and hid behind a baggy sweatshirt in order to look like a male. After the race, the officials refused to give Bobbi a medal because of the rules. But due to her bravery, marathoning for women had only just begun. ( )