letters to a young gymnast by nadia comaneci

Then her mother enrolled her in gymnastics classes, and the rest (as they say) is history. Always active, always full of energy, she was a handful. Growing up in the small Romanian town of Onești, Nadia Comaneci could not sit still. My five-year-old loved that her name is Nadia, as he loves chef Nadiya Hussain -) Nadia refused, saying 'We came together, we stay together.' The guards eventually agreed.Įxcellent back matter includes a timeline of Nadia's life, and Notes citing the quotes used in the story, as well as a Selected Bibliography and Websites for further research. When they crossed into Hungary, guards recognized the famous gymnast and said she could stay but the others in the group would be sent back to Romania. The Afterward is a brief but important read that tells about when Nadia defected from Romania and her difficult journey to cross the border. I appreciate that it shows that traits that may seem like a 'negative' (her inability to sit still) can be channeled in positive ways with positive outcomes. I would have liked a bit more about Nadia's personality and unique talent - what was it was that made her so truly outstanding at gymnastics? But, for the target audience, I think it's spot-on, covering her journey from a wild child who swung from tree branches and once climbed (and toppled) the family Christmas tree, to an Olympic champion and the first ever gymnast to earn a perfect score of 10. From climbing and toppling her Christmas tree as a child to becoming the first gymnast to earn a perfect score in any event, the feisty and fearless Comăneci overcame early defeats and channeled her boundless energy into a successful gymnastics career.Īll in all, Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn't Sit Still is a respectful tribute to Comăneci's soaring achievements.Įngaging picture book biography for young readers. The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Davenier depicts a determined Comăneci swinging, balancing, and flipping, all while smiling as her ponytail flies out behind her in lively illustrations in ink, watercolor, and pencil. Backmatter includes an afterward, timeline, quotation sources, selected bibliography, websites, two photographs. The jaunty narrative takes readers from Comăneci's childhood through her first Olympics. Gray's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Nadia Elena Comăneci Conner, known professionally as Nadia Comăneci, is a Romanian, retired gymnast and a five-time Olympic gold medalist, all in individual events. It presents the childhood of the sensational Romanian gymnast who, at age fourteen, won five medals at the 1976 Olympics. Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn't Sit Still is a children's picture book written by Karlin Gray and illustrated by Christine Davenier.

Letters to a young gymnast by nadia comaneci