Olympics! - Informational Book

The book, Olympics!, is an informational book written by B.G Hennessy and illustrated by Michael Chesworth. This book is about everything that happens in order to have the Olympics. It starts off with a history of how the Olympics got started in Greece. It stated how athletes would compete in games called the Olympics to test their skills in sports. "The winners were the strongest, the fastest and the bravest athletes of their time." I really enjoyed this book because it did not only focus on the athletes. It talked about every part that goes into making the Olympics what it is. It talks about how the athletes train, the people who create all the equpiment and supplies needed for the Olympics like skates, running shoes, balls, nets, sticks, medals, costumes etc...it then talks about the construction workers who build and design huge areans in the Country that is hosting the Olympics that year. Next, it talks about the planes, trains and busses that take the athletes to the Olympic Village, where they will be staying for the next two weeks while the games are being held. It also talks about how every four years they have the summer games and every four years they have the winter games. Once the Olympics are over, the book states that, "Not everyone can win. Some athletes lose. Some cry. They have worked so long and hard, and they are very disappointed. But every athlete, whether he or she has won a medal or not, is now an Olympian." I think this is a great statement because it is saying even if you don't win, you still should be proud of how hard you worked because you can go a long way with a little hard work.

I would classify this book as an Informational Picture Book because it fits the criteria stated in our text book. "Informational picture books are there to present accurate and appealing content aimed at awakening an interest in the reader." These types of books are usually more heavilty illustrated than chapter books. This was exactly what this book was. It was heavilty illustrated, a full bleed, and it aimed at just telling the basic facts about the Olympics to make the reader intreseted in this topic.

There were no awards listed for this book.

Hennessy, B.G. Olympics! New York: The Penguin Group, 1996