Book Review: WIBBLE WOBBLE BOOM! #NGWSD2024

My book pick for this year’s February 7, 2024, celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) is WIBBLE WOBBLE BOOM! by Mary Ann Rodman and illustrated by Holly Sterling (Peachtree Publishing). This follows Claire’s first day at ice-skating class. Like most fans of the sport, you can watch from the comfort of your couch and it may seem effortless—until you lace up a pair of ice skates with a single edged-blade and try to navigate gracefully across a slippery and cold ice rink. Claire’s enthusiasm is stifled by having brown (not white) ice skates and being intimidated by a boy who’s a hockey player. Fortunately, Miss Nicole (the instructor) kept the lesson light and encouragement positive. By the end of the book, Claire made a new friend and skates across the rink with confidence.

WIBBLE WOBBLE BOOM! Is an empowering sporty picture book featuring a young black girl who may not do sit spins or master a figure-eight on the first day but is on her way to enjoying a new sport and learning new skills. An encouraging story with delightful, expressive illustrations that reflect diversity among the children.

Photo: Back in the 1980s I took my friend from Kentucky ice-skating for her first time at an indoor rink in Chicago — check out our brown ice skates!